The verdict in three sentences
France's e-invoicing reform directly affects your B2B webshop: since 1 September 2026 you must receive supplier invoices electronically, and from 1 September 2027 every invoice issued to a business customer must go through an approved platform (formerly PDP). A typical SME budget is EUR 4,000 to 12,000 excl. VAT for the shop-to-platform connector, plus EUR 50 to 500 excl. VAT per month in subscription. Done well, the project cuts the cost of processing an invoice from EUR 10 to 15 on paper to under EUR 2 in an electronic flow.
The timeline and what changes for a B2B webshop
The PDF your shop emails will no longer count as a legal electronic invoice. You need a structured format (Factur-X, UBL or CII), sent through an approved platform that routes it to your customer's platform and passes the relevant data to the tax authority. Sales to consumers and exports are outside e-invoicing, but fall under e-reporting (reporting of transaction and payment data).
| Obligation | Large companies and mid-caps | SMEs, small and micro businesses | Webshop impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Receiving e-invoices | 1 September 2026 | 1 September 2026 | Pick an approved platform now |
| Issuing e-invoices | 1 September 2026 | 1 September 2027 | Connect the shop or ERP to the platform |
| E-reporting of B2C and international sales | 1 September 2026 | 1 September 2027 | Report consumer and export sales |
| E-reporting of payment data | 1 September 2026 | 1 September 2027 | "Paid" status for services |
| New mandatory fields | Customer SIREN, delivery address, type of transaction | Same | Adapt checkout and customer accounts |
| Penalties | EUR 15 per non-compliant invoice, capped at EUR 15,000 a year | Same | Plus EUR 250 per e-reporting failure |
The often-forgotten point is data collection: the shop must record each business customer's SIREN, distinguish goods from services, and handle a delivery address that differs from the billing address. Without these fields, the platform will reject the invoice.
Approved platform and connector: the real budget
Approved platforms charge by subscription or volume. The connector links your shop (Shopify Plus, Magento, WooCommerce, PrestaShop or custom build) or your ERP to the platform, turns orders into structured invoices and retrieves lifecycle statuses (submitted, rejected, paid).
| Item | 2026 range (order of magnitude) | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Approved platform, under 500 invoices a month | EUR 50 to 150 excl. VAT per month | Packaged offers, often tied to accounting software |
| Approved platform, 2,000 to 5,000 invoices a month | EUR 200 to 500 excl. VAT per month | Volume pricing, EUR 0.10 to 0.25 per invoice |
| Shop-to-platform connector (standard API) | EUR 4,000 to 7,000 | Factur-X or UBL generation, sending, statuses |
| Connector with ERP, credit notes and deposits | EUR 8,000 to 12,000 | Common B2B cases: deposit invoice, partial credit note |
| Checkout and account updates (SIREN, mandatory fields) | EUR 1,500 to 3,500 | SIREN check against the directory |
| Cost of processing a paper or PDF invoice | EUR 10 to 15 | Entry, sending, reminders, archiving |
| Cost of processing an integrated e-invoice | EUR 1 to 2 | Fully automated flow |
Mistakes to avoid
Waiting until 2027 to issue is risky: approved platforms will have onboarding queues, and your key accounts often already demand structured invoices. Second mistake: letting both the shop and the ERP issue invoices, which creates numbering duplicates. Only one source should issue. Third mistake: ignoring return statuses, even though the "paid" status feeds payment e-reporting and can drive your dunning.
Mini case study
Isabelle, CFO of a laboratory supplies SME in Grenoble, invoices 2,000 business customers through the B2B shop, i.e. 3,200 invoices issued a month, and receives 450 supplier invoices. Today each issued invoice costs about EUR 11 (PDF generation, sending, reminders, archiving, disputes over missing fields), so EUR 35,200 a month. The chosen project: approved platform at EUR 380 excl. VAT a month, shop and ERP connector with credit notes at EUR 9,500, checkout update for SIREN at EUR 2,000. Cost per invoice drops to EUR 1.80, so EUR 5,760 a month. Even with a cautious assumption that only half the gain materialises (time redeployed rather than removed), savings exceed EUR 14,000 a month, and the EUR 11,500 investment is covered in the first month of operation.
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FAQ
Should an SME act in 2026 if issuing is only mandatory in 2027?
Yes, receiving has been mandatory for all companies since 1 September 2026. Choosing your approved platform now also lets you spread the issuing project over 6 to 9 months.
Is the PDF sent by the shop still enough?
Not for sales between VAT-registered businesses in France. You need a structured format (Factur-X, UBL or CII) sent via an approved platform, or face a EUR 15 fine per invoice.
Are consumer sales affected?
They do not move to e-invoicing, but they fall under e-reporting. The shop must send aggregated B2C sales figures, which most approved platforms automate.
Do I need to change e-commerce software?
Rarely. Shopify Plus, Magento, PrestaShop and custom builds connect by API, for EUR 4,000 to 12,000 excl. VAT depending on credit note and deposit complexity.
How long does integration take?
Allow 6 to 10 weeks for an SME, including 2 to 3 weeks of testing with the approved platform and a few pilot customers.
Let's scope your project. Send us your invoice volume, your shop and your ERP: we price the connector to the approved platform and the checkout compliance work, with an indicative budget of EUR 4,000 to 12,000 excl. VAT. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.