📍 Where to find this module?
Main Menu > Purchases
This page explains how Kafinea automatically receives the invoices (and credit notes) that your suppliers issue via the partner platform, and how you then process them.
Note: For the legal framework, the schedule, the “Electronic invoicing” widget, and the consolidated business status, see the reference page Electronic invoicing.
From September 1, 2026, all companies must be able to receive their invoices electronically. Kafinea natively meets this requirement, with no action on your part: no manual entry is required for suppliers connected to the platform.
1. How invoices arrive #
- New invoices issued by your suppliers are automatically retrieved from the platform.
- Each invoice received automatically creates a Supplier invoice record in Kafinea. The same mechanism applies to credit notes: a credit note received creates a Supplier credit note record.
- The readable PDF (Factur-X) is attached to the record via the standard attachments mechanism.
- The invoice’s structured data (lines, amounts, VAT) is read automatically, and the supplier as well as the items are matched as closely as possible to your existing records (see §2).
- The Electronic Invoicing widget appears immediately on the record, with the In progress (orange) badge.
Tip: You do not need to do anything to trigger retrieval. If you want to force an immediate search for new invoices, click “Search for new invoices” in the widget: Kafinea queries the platform and indicates how many new invoices have been received. To check that a specific invoice has been received, you can also open a record for that supplier and click “Sync with the platform”.
2. Review and complete the received invoice #
When you open a supplier invoice received electronically, Kafinea provides a review screen: the original PDF is displayed side by side with the pre-filled invoice, for a quick visual check.
Invoice values are protected #
The document’s legally binding values — quantities, unit prices, discounts, amounts, line descriptions, and VAT rates — are taken as-is and remain read-only: they faithfully reflect what the supplier issued. You therefore do not edit the invoice; you complete it (matching, management dimensions such as project, etc.).
Assisted matching #
Kafinea automatically matches the invoice to your data, with a confidence level:
- Supplier — identified from its legal identifiers (SIRET / SIREN, VAT no.). If it is not recognized, a “supplier to match” banner displays the details read from the document and offers a “create supplier from document” button (pre-filled).
- Items — each line is matched to one of your items (by supplier reference, barcode, then description). When the match is certain, the item is linked automatically; otherwise, Kafinea offers suggestions that you confirm with one click. For a line with no match, a button lets you create the item from the document line.
- VAT — if a rate shown on the invoice does not exist in your settings, the relevant line displays a “VAT to validate” badge with a link to the tax configuration screen. The rate read is never changed automatically.
Tip: A button lets you rerun matching (globally, on the supplier, or on a line) if you have since created the missing item or supplier. Your manual choices are kept: rerunning does not overwrite them; it only suggests.
Finalize #
Once matching has been verified, the invoice is processed like a manually entered invoice (see Supplier invoices):
- Match it to a purchase order or goods receipt note if needed.
- Validate the invoice, then schedule and record the payment.
- Notify the platform of progress via the widget’s “Change status” menu (see §3).
Tip: If the invoice was entered manually before it arrived electronically, keep the record automatically created by the platform and copy any specific information to it (matching to a purchase order, payment already entered, etc.), then delete the manual duplicate. The platform record is the reference used for status notifications sent to the supplier.
3. Notify the supplier via Kafinea #
The widget’s “Change status” menu lets you inform the supplier of processing progress. On the Purchasing side, the available actions are the same for supplier invoices and supplier credit notes (only actions consistent with the current state are offered):
| Action | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Mark as received | You have received the invoice and are starting to process it. |
| Approve | The invoice is fully approved. |
| Partially approve | You approve the invoice but with a reservation (reason required). |
| Dispute | You dispute all or part of the invoice (reason required). |
| Suspend | You suspend processing while waiting for additional information (reason required). |
| Reject | You reject the invoice (reason required). |
| Mark payment as sent | You have made the payment. |
Depending on the action chosen, a window requests additional information:
- Reason required for Reject, Suspend, Dispute — Kafinea provides the list of reasons recognized by the platform.
- A free-form comment is required if you choose the “Other” reason.
- For Mark payment as sent, no amount needs to be entered: Kafinea displays an automatically calculated summary (by currency: payments to declare, breakdown by VAT rate, total); you just need to confirm. Only payments not yet declared are taken into account, with no risk of duplicates.
Important: No status is sent with silent default values. If required data (reason) is missing or invalid, the operation is blocked with a clear message.
Tip: Once the status has been sent, the widget badge updates automatically after a few seconds. The supplier is notified on your behalf by the platform, without you having to write to them.
4. Frequently asked questions #
My supplier says they sent an invoice, but I do not see it in Kafinea. What should I do?
Open any record for that supplier (or one of their invoices already recorded) and click “Sync with the platform” in the widget. If the invoice still does not appear, check with your supplier that the recipient SIREN they entered matches your company’s SIREN in Kafinea: this is the identifier used for routing.
Can I continue to manually enter supplier invoices?
Yes. As long as not all your suppliers are connected to the platform, or for special cases (out-of-scope foreign invoices, for example), manual entry remains fully possible and will continue to exist.
What happens to supplier invoice OCR?
OCR remains useful for suppliers who do not yet issue electronic invoices. For invoices received via the platform, the data is already structured (Factur-X XML): Kafinea fills in the fields directly and OCR is not used. See AI-assisted invoice OCR.
The same invoice arrived twice (manual + electronic). How do I merge them?
Keep the record created by the platform — it is the one that carries the identifier used for status notifications. Copy over the specific information you entered manually (matching, payments, etc.), then delete the manual duplicate.
Do I always have to click “Change status”?
No, it is not mandatory, but it is strongly recommended: it is what allows your supplier to know where processing stands on the Kafinea side. At a minimum, remember to set the invoice to Approve (or Reject / Dispute as applicable) and then to Mark payment as sent when you pay.