E-Invoicing Reform: What Impact for Companies Using Factoring?
Category
As of September 2026, the e-invoicing reform will transform invoice exchanges between companies in France. All B2B invoices must be issued and received in electronic format and processed through dematerialization platforms approved by the State (PA).
Contrary to a common misconception, an electronic invoice is not simply a PDF sent by email. It includes:
How will factoring work with electronic invoicing?
The reform changes the invoice exchange process, but the principle of factoring remains unchanged: companies will still be able to assign their invoices to a factor to obtain early financing and secure their cash flow.
Under this new framework:
The reform therefore mainly involves adjustments in invoice exchanges, without changing the operation of factoring.
Factoring-specific use cases: Use Cases 8 and 10
The reform provides for two specific use cases designed to incorporate the specific features of factoring arrangements.
As not all platforms cover the same use cases — such as factoring, subcontracting and others — we recommend checking that the platform you choose meets your specific needs.
Use Case 8: The factor is known at the time of invoicing
The company indicates, when issuing the invoice, that payment must be made to the factor. The necessary information (third-party beneficiary, subrogation clauses, IBAN, and so on is directly integrated into the electronic invoice.
Use Case 10: The factor is identified after the invoice has been issued, or factoring is confidential
The invoice is initially issued as a standard commercial invoice. Certain characteristics may then be amended to allow factoring to be used, whether notified or confidential.
These use cases facilitate the management of factoring within the electronic invoicing framework. Otherwise, additional adjustments to your processes may be required.
Impacts for companies
Like all companies, clients will need to prepare for the reform by:
For companies using factoring, several developments should be anticipated:
Choosing your platform
A public directory of approved platforms is available on the impots.gouv.fr website.
Remember to list your invoicing practices to identify the approved platform best suited to your needs.
Adapting the transmission of supporting documents
Where an invoice supporting document is requested, once the e-invoicing process is on, the readable version generated by the platform will be required.
Receiving invoices relating to factoring services in electronic format
Fees relating to the factoring contract will be issued by the factor in the form of an electronic invoice.
Updating certain payment statuses
For companies subject to VAT on a cash receipts basis, certain information relating to invoice collection will need to be entered into the electronic invoicing tools.
The teams at BNP Paribas Factor remain fully committed to supporting their clients through this transition to electronic invoicing.
- a structured data flow, enabling the automated processing of information.
- and a readable document, generally in PDF format, to view the invoice.
How will factoring work with electronic invoicing?
The reform changes the invoice exchange process, but the principle of factoring remains unchanged: companies will still be able to assign their invoices to a factor to obtain early financing and secure their cash flow.
Under this new framework:
- The company broadcasts an electronic invoice to its customers via its dematerialization platform.
- The invoice is transmitted to the buyer through the platforms, which also make it possible to track its lifecycle: accepted, rejected, disputed, and so on.
- The company may then assign the invoice to its factor, according to a process similar to the one currently in place.
- The factor handles the financing and management of the invoice.
The reform therefore mainly involves adjustments in invoice exchanges, without changing the operation of factoring.
Factoring-specific use cases: Use Cases 8 and 10
The reform provides for two specific use cases designed to incorporate the specific features of factoring arrangements.
As not all platforms cover the same use cases — such as factoring, subcontracting and others — we recommend checking that the platform you choose meets your specific needs.
Use Case 8: The factor is known at the time of invoicing
The company indicates, when issuing the invoice, that payment must be made to the factor. The necessary information (third-party beneficiary, subrogation clauses, IBAN, and so on is directly integrated into the electronic invoice.
Use Case 10: The factor is identified after the invoice has been issued, or factoring is confidential
The invoice is initially issued as a standard commercial invoice. Certain characteristics may then be amended to allow factoring to be used, whether notified or confidential.
These use cases facilitate the management of factoring within the electronic invoicing framework. Otherwise, additional adjustments to your processes may be required.
| Good to know: Have you already chosen, or are you still looking for, your approved platform and have a factoring contract? Remember to check whether a factoring option is available. |
Impacts for companies
Like all companies, clients will need to prepare for the reform by:
- choosing an approved platform suited to their needs.
- adapting their tools to issue and receive electronic invoices.
- integrating invoice lifecycle management, including acceptance, rejection and disputes.
For companies using factoring, several developments should be anticipated:
Choosing your platform
A public directory of approved platforms is available on the impots.gouv.fr website.
Remember to list your invoicing practices to identify the approved platform best suited to your needs.
Adapting the transmission of supporting documents
Where an invoice supporting document is requested, once the e-invoicing process is on, the readable version generated by the platform will be required.
Receiving invoices relating to factoring services in electronic format
Fees relating to the factoring contract will be issued by the factor in the form of an electronic invoice.
Updating certain payment statuses
For companies subject to VAT on a cash receipts basis, certain information relating to invoice collection will need to be entered into the electronic invoicing tools.
The teams at BNP Paribas Factor remain fully committed to supporting their clients through this transition to electronic invoicing.