Customer fields for electronic invoicing

When you export electronic invoices (ZUGFeRD, XRechnung, or Factur-X), the file must contain structured data about the buyer, not just a printed address. TimeBill stores this buyer-side data on the customer record, in the Electronic Invoicing section of the customer editor.

When the fields are visible

The section only appears while an e-invoice format is selected in Your Details (the Format picker is the on/off switch; see electronic invoicing setup). If you later switch the format or set it to None, the fields disappear from the editor, but any values you entered are kept and come back when a format is re-enabled.

As the section's footer says, these fields are Only relevant when exporting e-invoices to this customer. None of them are printed on the classic PDF invoice, which only uses the customer's name, address, email, phone, and additional info.

The fields

1. Country Code (e.g. DE): the buyer's two-letter country code. Your customers can be in any country; only your own seller country is limited to Germany or France.
2. VAT ID (optional): the buyer's VAT identification number, if they have one.
3. Leitweg-ID / Buyer Reference (optional): shown only when the selected format is XRechnung. German public-sector buyers provide their Leitweg-ID; enter it here.

The readiness indicator

Below the fields, a caption row tells you whether this customer is complete for your selected format:

• A green check reading Ready for {format} means everything the export needs is there.
• An orange warning reading Still needed for {format}: … followed by the missing items.

Every format requires the customer's Name and Country Code. XRechnung additionally requires City, Post Code, Email, and the Leitweg-ID / Buyer Reference.

The indicator is purely informational: it never blocks saving the customer, and it never blocks exporting a classic PDF invoice. Only the e-invoice export itself enforces these requirements. If something is missing at export time, the export is blocked until you fill it in. See fixing e-invoice export blockers.

"Optional" field, required export: the Leitweg-ID

The form labels the field Leitweg-ID / Buyer Reference (optional) because you can save the customer without it. But an XRechnung export always requires a buyer reference, so for XRechnung this field is effectively mandatory. For German public-sector buyers, that reference is the Leitweg-ID they give you. If you invoice a German authority, ask for their Leitweg-ID up front. More in XRechnung for public-sector clients.

Notes

• TimeBill doesn't validate the format of the customer's VAT ID or email, so double-check them against your client's paperwork before exporting.
• The seller side has its own, stricter requirements (your VAT ID, a SEPA account with a valid IBAN, and more), configured in Your Details.

Still stuck on an export? Reach out via the contact form or Help → Contact Support in the app.