UBL invoices are easy to create and save money immediately

UBL Invoices, the foundation for worry-free invoicing

Many texts on the internet start with a technical explanation spelling out UBL as an abbreviation. Our impression is that the average reader isn’t waiting for that explanation—they simply want to understand how UBL invoices work, assess any added value, and conduct a cost-benefit analysis.

This article aims to provide practical insights and, for those interested, includes an explanation at the end about UBL’s background, the standard, current technical implementation, pitfalls, and EasyData’s vision for the future of UBL.

First, let’s start with the benefits of UBL invoicing!

UBL Digital Invoicing: A PDF with XML

A UBL invoice is a machine-readable summary of the invoice as humans understand it. We appreciate when an invoice includes the supplier’s logo, pleasant colors, and clear fonts that reassure us we’re dealing with the right supplier. A computer, however, doesn’t care much about those aspects—it simply needs the data, on behalf of us software engineers and end users, to be efficiently placed in the right spot in our accounting software with minimal hassle.

For this purpose, we use XML—a separate file containing invoice information in a standardized format. In this case, those standards follow the UBL specifications, made easily accessible by EasyData for any organization.

UBL Invoices: The Core Data Needed to Process an Invoice

The generated UBL file may seem a bit magical when you look at its contents—and we actually advise against doing so. For simplicity, we assume that the data on the PDF invoice matches the XML. If that’s not the case, something is definitely wrong, and it will become obvious as soon as you import the invoice into your accounting software.

It’s possible that the UBL file only contains summary invoice details, such as the invoice date, total amount, IBAN number, etc. The agreements for creating a UBL file specify a minimum required dataset. Without this data, the file is not a valid UBL document—and worse, without this basic set of information, you simply can’t post the invoice!

Want more than just the basic UBL data? Keep reading!

UBL Invoices: The End of Invoice Recognition?

Yes, eventually. Once UBL XML (or any other exchange platform) is adopted and used by all parties involved in the trade process, we can consider this aspect of automation complete. EasyData feels compelled to explain the benefits of this UBL format in detail to our customers.

The advantages for further optimizing administrative processes have grown tremendously with UBL adoption. Our services don’t end just because traditional invoice recognition becomes obsolete—instead, our field of work only gets more interesting!

How do I create a UBL invoice?

This is a functionality we support with PDFCommunicator—a great example of how EasyData adapts to evolving digital invoicing trends. Nearly all invoices today are sent as PDFs. For the recipient, however, that PDF is just a visual representation of the actual e-invoice.

For efficient processing, the PDF must be combined with UBL invoice data. That’s exactly what PDFCommunicator delivers: a PDF with embedded XML line-item data. We use UBL as our XML output standard, though PDFCommunicator isn’t limited to UBL—it can generate any XML structure. The schema doesn’t matter to us; the goal is achieving office automation!

Would you like a more technical breakdown or a focus on business benefits?

UBL Invoicing Without the Hassle!

PDFCommunicator automatically exports invoice line items to UBL—even the most complex invoices are clearly structured into UBL XML. Many online invoice recognition services charge extra for converting line items to UBL, and while there’s nothing wrong with that, EasyData chooses not to.

Create UBL-formatted invoice lines at no additional cost. Another advantage? PDFCommunicator runs locally on your computer—no cloud required (though cloud deployment is an option if you prefer).

Truly worry-free UBL invoicing. EasyData is an active participant in the UBL Chain Test, ensuring seamless compatibility.

The Predecessors of UBL (Universal Business Language)

Digital invoicing isn’t a recent development—it traces back to the EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) standard, which emerged in the 1960s and is still used today, particularly in the Dutch food industry and its logistics sector. Over the years, numerous variations and dialects of EDI have evolved.

The EDI Standard

The EDI standard laid the groundwork for today’s digital business communication. A quick search for “EDI” reveals a vast world of digital protocols! Following EDI’s evolution, Jon Bosak of OASIS developed the first version of UBL (Universal Business Language) as we know it in 2001. By 2004, UBL XML was released for industrial use, sharing similarities with EDI but with one crucial difference: UBL is license-free, unlike EDI, which incurs usage fees.

By then, external business processes had grown so complex that efforts to reduce administrative burdens led to the first electronic standards for sharing financial data.

A Universal Business Language Was Born
EDI introduced a uniform protocol enabling suppliers and customers to communicate seamlessly. For the first time in office automation history, different computer systems could exchange data reliably.

Would you like more details on UBL’s technical evolution or its impact on modern e-invoicing?

From EDI Standards to UBL Invoices

The EDI standard is still widely used today, though current trends show its relevance gradually declining. This brings us to the next step: UBL, which promises faster and error-free invoice processing.

The Power of Repetition: UBL’s Core Principle
Once again, let’s emphasize: A UBL file is an XML document structured according to the UBL XML format standard. This means the XML contains the same data as the visible PDF invoice, which is typically sent alongside the UBL file. Together, UBL + PDF form the modern digital invoice package exchanged between trading partners.

The Bottom Line
With UBL interpretation, manual data entry becomes obsolete—invoice processing is fully automated, eliminating the need to retype invoices ever again!

Want to explore how UBL compares to EDI in real-world applications?

UBL Invoices Are Not Yet the Norm

While the UBL standard is now supported by many accounting software systems—and more businesses are adopting it to generate invoices for their clients—the full potential of invoice automation remains untapped.

Are There Connectivity Issues?

EasyData specializes in automating manual invoice processes—whether UBL is part of the equation or not. If your business software can’t generate UBL, we see it as an opportunity to deliver fast, effective, and cost-neutral solutions tailored to your needs.

Collaboration Over Competition

EasyData isn’t the only player in this field. The market is growing with diverse approaches, and some partners even leverage our technologies. We’re always open to collaboration, whether cloud-based or on-premise, in whatever form best suits your operations.

Would you like to explore how UBL integration (or alternatives) could streamline your workflow?

Providers for UBL invoicing services

Organization-specific integration can be achieved through various online portals and accounting systems available today. This way, the government’s digital invoicing requirements can be met simply by sending a UBL file. In that case, the e-invoice format is converted by the platform being used. This is a new development in modern e-invoicing—those who want to send digital invoices autonomously will quickly come across various providers offering such services.

PEPPOL Network

One such initiative is the PEPPOL network. Large companies are leading the way here, recognizing the benefits of a platform like PEPPOL for reducing administrative costs. E-invoicing saves money and eliminates errors in invoice interpretation. More and more organizations are seeing these advantages of e-invoicing via PEPPOL. And the best part is, you can use it too! Anyone can benefit from PEPPOL’s extensive capabilities.

Belgium uses a UBL variant

In Belgium, they initially promoted their ‘own’ e-fff UBL 2.0 format, which became available on July 7, 2012. This format is based on the UBL 2.0 standard but significantly restricts the fields that can be used (reduced to 200 virtual fields). The e-fff UBL 2.0 has the same interpretation as the current ‘generic’ UBL. Since 2016, this UBL specification has been compliant with the PEPPOL standard.

More information from the Flemish government can be found here.

Germany Uses a Different Digital Invoicing Technology

From the Dutch perspective, our other neighbor Germany employs an entirely different system—one that Germans believe will become the standard. In essence, Germany bundles XML data within a PDF. The resulting document is a PDF/A-3 file containing XRechnung XML, meaning the German approach to invoice automation merges both human-readable (PDF) and machine-processable (XML) data into a single file.

This XFA (XML Forms Architecture) technology is not new to EasyData. We have been implementing it for over 10 years across various projects, primarily for archival solutions—and now also for invoice automation.

Key Features of the German Approach:

• Combined PDF + XML in one file (PDF/A-3 + XRechnung)

• Ensures both readability and automated processing

• Standard-compliant (compatible with EU e-invoicing frameworks)

While Belgium uses a restricted UBL 2.0 variant (e-fff) and PEPPOL supports multiple formats, Germany’s ZUGFeRD/XRechnung method offers a streamlined solution for businesses needing dual-format compliance.

EasyData’s long-standing expertise in XFA technology ensures seamless integration for archival and invoicing needs.

The German ZUGFeRD System

Why not use ZUGFeRD? The new ZUGFeRD 2.0 is compliant with the European standard EN 16931 and includes the “Leitweg-ID” field—an essential identifier for public entities and mandatory for sending e-invoices to government agencies.

For more details on ZUGFeRD, visit http://www.ferd-net.de or consult EasyData specialists.

The core principle of ZUGFeRD is simple: Seamless electronic invoice exchange—without prior agreements or coordination. And that’s exactly what we appreciate.

Key Advantages:

• EN 16931-compliant (EU e-invoicing standard)
• Includes Leitweg-ID for public sector invoicing
• No licensing fees—the ZUGFeRD data format is freely available

European Collaboration in Digital Invoicing

In summary, every country believes its solution will emerge as the overarching e-invoicing standard—the European norm for digital invoices! The interpretations above aren’t meant as criticism of standardization efforts, but rather as an overview to clarify the different technical—and even political—perspectives at play. What starts as an open standard often gets interpreted differently by various governments.

The advantage of today’s technology is that most platforms are highly capable of handling digital invoicing. For instance, the majority of accounting systems can process UBL XML.

Dealing with non-standard XML formats for incoming invoices? EasyData has the solution. We convert XML variations to ensure seamless automated invoice processing.

Key Takeaways:

• Diverse standards reflect technical and political nuances
• Most modern systems support UBL XML
• EasyData bridges gaps by converting non-standard XML formats

Need help navigating Europe’s e-invoicing landscape? We specialize in interoperability.

Brexit: Challenges Beyond Digital Invoicing

Brexit is now a reality… but what does this mean for e-invoicing and digital invoicing to the United Kingdom?

In 2015, the UK introduced the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act to regulate electronic invoicing—though it remains not legally mandatory across the UK.

However, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have each established their own rules, rendering the 2015 act inapplicable in these regions. The UK shows no immediate plans to enforce standardized e-invoicing and is proceeding cautiously with e-invoicing technology.

Facing UK invoicing complications? EasyData provides solutions for seamless cross-border invoicing.

Key Insights:

• No UK-wide e-invoicing mandate (2015 act not enforced)
• Devolved nations (Wales, Scotland, NI) set their own rules
• EasyData resolves post-Brexit invoicing challenges

Need help navigating UK e-invoicing? We ensure compliance across all regions.