Validation

Before invoices are sent there are certain validations made to ensure that the invoice XML contains the necessary data and is set up correctly. The validation requirements depend on where the invoice is sent to. Some of the routes such as Peppol network, require validation on structure and the invoice content level, for example that the invoice line amounts match the total amounts given on the invoice. If the route where invoice is going to requires validation, AutoInvoice does this before distributing the invoice and returns an error if the invoice is not valid.

Against what are invoices validated to

Minimum invoice information requirements

• Finland: https://www.valtiokonttori.fi/palvelu/verkkolaskutus/#laskun-vahimmaistietosisalto_laskun-vahimmaistietosisalto
• For all invoices, incl. Print/eMail/internal delivery

XML schematron validation

• Invoice structure and content validation
• Used for Peppol BIS, SI-UBL, EN16391 tagged Finvoice 3.0 or TEAPPSXML 3.0
  • If the outgoing format is Peppol BIS (always EN-16931 content) the content is validated with Peppol provided schematron.
  • If the outgoing invoice is Finvoice or TEAPPSXML and it is marked as EN-16931 compatible it is validated by the schematron used commonly by the finnish operator network (Verkkolasku Foorumi).
• If the invoice is routed to Print / eMail / internal delivery, the schematron result is ignored

Bank network validation

• Bank network specific validations if invoice is sent to netbank (e.g. due date, Finvoice EPIDetails element in B2C invoices)

Note also that in all cases when AutoInvoice converts files, the converted files are made to be structurally correct, i.e. they follow XML schema (XSD) of the target conversion format.

How do I know which validations need to be made?

AutoInvoice does automatically the required validations and returns an error if the invoice is not valid for the route it is sent to.

First validation on minimum invoice information requirements is done before invoice appears on the outgoing invoice listing (UI / API calls). If the invoice doesn’t meet the requirements it will be rejected on the API.

The other validations schematron and bank network will be done if needed once the invoice is routed and prepared for sending. The status of the invoice will indicate whether it has been sent (1) or still in the sending process (0) or it has failed (99).

How can I make sure that the invoice doesn’t fail on validation?

Make sure that the material you are sending is following the specifications of the format you are using. This ensures also that conversion of the XML will work in a good way. AutoInvoice handles conversions between the supported XML formats. However, note that there may be some limitations if the format version you are using is very old, i.e. there can be some elements that cannot be properly converted. We recommend to use the latest versions of the formats to ensure the best compatibility on conversions.

Links to some commonly used format documentation

• Peppol BIS Billing 3.0
• Finvoice 3.0
• TEAPPSXML 3.0
• Finvoice 3.0 & TEAPPSXML 3.0 mappings

Finvoice & TEAPPSXML phase-in error message

Validation rules require changes time to time. There is an error message which reveals the upcoming changes.

The phase-in error message is due to phase-in feedback having revealed an error in e-invoicing data that must be corrected. If not corrected, the error will cause an invoice to be rejected in the next version of rules. This provides a way for billers and developers to correct the discovered error now, before the launch of the next ruleset.

Can I validate my material before sending?

There are different validation tools that can be used for validating the material you are about to send.

AutoInvoice offers possibility to validate documents with Validator API.

The tool supports also schematron validation of Peppol BIS 3.0, TEAPPSXML 3.0 and Finvoice 3.0.