What is ZUGFeRD / Factur-X?
ZUGFeRD (in Germany) and Factur-X (in France) are a hybrid electronic invoice format. The file you send is an ordinary PDF that a person can open and read like any other invoice — but embedded inside that PDF is a structured XML file that follows the European EN 16931 semantic model. One document therefore serves two audiences at once: a human who wants to look at the invoice, and a computer that wants to process every field automatically.
Technically the container is a PDF/A-3, an archival PDF variant that is allowed to carry attachments. The EN 16931 XML rides along as one of those attachments. Because the visual invoice and the machine-readable data live in the same file, there is nothing to reconcile: the recipient can pay from the PDF, import from the XML, or both — and they can be certain the two describe the same invoice.
ZUGFeRD vs Factur-X — is it the same thing?
For practical purposes, yes. ZUGFeRD and Factur-X are two names for one technical standard, developed jointly by Germany and France. ZUGFeRD is the German name; Factur-X is the French name for the same specification. A file produced as Factur-X is a valid ZUGFeRD file and vice versa — they share the same PDF/A-3 container and the same EN 16931-compliant XML.
Within the standard there are several profiles that describe how much structured data the XML carries — from a minimal profile with only header totals, up to the richer EN 16931 profile (often called COMFORT) that captures the full line-item detail an e-invoice mandate expects. For a genuine, EN 16931-compliant e-invoice you generally want the EN 16931 / COMFORT profile or higher, not one of the minimal profiles.
ZUGFeRD vs XRechnung — which do you use?
XRechnung and ZUGFeRD are both EN 16931-compliant e-invoice formats in Germany, and both count as a genuine e-invoice under the new rules — but they package the data differently. An XRechnung is pure XML with no visual layout at all: a machine reads it perfectly, but a person needs a viewer to make sense of it. ZUGFeRD is the hybrid — a readable PDF with that same class of XML embedded inside.
In practice, XRechnung is the format most often mandated for invoicing public authorities, where the receiving platform expects structured XML. ZUGFeRD is popular in ordinary B2B because the PDF is still there for anyone who just wants to look at the invoice, while the embedded XML satisfies the e-invoicing requirement. If your customer names a specific format, follow that; if they only say “e-invoice”, ZUGFeRD is often the friendlier choice because it degrades gracefully to a normal PDF.
When do you need a ZUGFeRD / Factur-X invoice?
You need a structured e-invoice — XRechnung or ZUGFeRD/Factur-X — whenever your customer or the law requires one rather than a plain PDF. In Germany, e-invoicing is being phased in on a fixed timeline:
- Since 1 January 2025 every domestic business must be able to receive EN 16931 e-invoices, including ZUGFeRD — so from that date a supplier may send you one whether or not you have prepared.
- From 1 January 2027, issuing e-invoices becomes mandatory for businesses with prior-year turnover above €800,000.
- From 1 January 2028, issuing e-invoices becomes mandatory for all remaining domestic B2B businesses.
- In France, Factur-X is central to the national e-invoicing reform, with reception and issuance obligations phasing in on their own official schedule — check the current French timeline if you invoice there.
How to create a ZUGFeRD / Factur-X invoice with this tool
You do not need accounting software or a paid portal to build a hybrid e-invoice. This generator offers ZUGFeRD/Factur-X export in beta on the XRechnung page: you fill in a normal invoice form and it assembles the hybrid PDF for you, entirely in your browser.
- Enter your details and your customer's (name, address, tax number or VAT ID).
- Add your line items with quantities, net prices and the correct VAT rate.
- Set the invoice number, invoice date and delivery date or period, plus your payment details (IBAN and terms).
- Export the ZUGFeRD/Factur-X file — a PDF/A-3 with the EN 16931 XML embedded inside it, ready to send.
Everything stays in your browser
A lot of e-invoice sites want an account before you start, or they push your invoice through a back-end server — sometimes asking you to upload a PDF for conversion. This generator does neither. The hybrid PDF/A-3, together with the EN 16931 XML tucked inside it, is put together right in your browser with JavaScript, so nothing about the invoice is transmitted, kept or logged.
That is important because a single hybrid file carries plenty of commercial and personal detail — who you billed, the amounts, your bank particulars. Because both the visible PDF and its embedded XML are produced on your own device, that data stays with you, and the page never sits in the middle as a channel to your customer.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between ZUGFeRD and XRechnung?
Both are EN 16931-compliant e-invoices used in Germany. An XRechnung is pure XML with no visual layout — a computer reads it, but a person needs a viewer. ZUGFeRD is hybrid: a human-readable PDF with the same kind of structured XML embedded inside it. XRechnung is common for public-sector recipients; ZUGFeRD is popular in B2B because the PDF stays readable.
Is ZUGFeRD the same as Factur-X?
Yes, effectively. They are two national names for one technical standard developed jointly by Germany and France — ZUGFeRD in Germany, Factur-X in France. They share the same PDF/A-3 container and the same EN 16931 XML, so a valid file of one is a valid file of the other.
Is creating a ZUGFeRD / Factur-X invoice free?
Yes. Producing and downloading a hybrid ZUGFeRD/Factur-X file here is free — no account and no watermark. Advertising covers the costs, while the generator itself imposes no paywall or usage cap. Note that ZUGFeRD/Factur-X export is currently in beta.
Which profile should I use?
For a genuine, EN 16931-compliant e-invoice, use the EN 16931 profile (often called COMFORT) or higher, which carries the full line-item detail. The minimal profiles hold only header totals and are generally not enough to satisfy an e-invoicing mandate. If in doubt, ask the recipient which profile they expect.
Is the PDF still a valid, readable invoice?
Yes. A ZUGFeRD/Factur-X file is a normal PDF that opens in any PDF viewer and shows the invoice exactly as a human expects. The structured XML is simply attached inside the same file, so the document works both as a readable invoice and as a machine-readable e-invoice at the same time.
Is my invoice data uploaded anywhere?
No. Both the visible PDF and the XML embedded within it are generated locally in your browser. The invoice details stay on your device, and nothing is dispatched to any portal or authority for you — you grab the file and send it on your own.