For an e-invoice to meet legal requirements, certain mandatory fields must be included. This applies to both ZUGFeRD and XRechnung. For setup instructions, see the article Set Up and Create E-Invoices.
General Mandatory Fields for All E-Invoices
In Mendato, these mandatory fields are already populated through the complete setup of customers, orders, company data, and the global invoice settings.
In most cases, you only need to set the Leitweg-ID, seller ID, VAT ID, and the e-invoice format per customer (Customer > Edit).
If mandatory fields are missing, an error report shows exactly which ones. If you receive such a report, cancel the invoice, fill in the missing fields, and re-create the invoice.
These mandatory fields are covered by Mendato:
Mandatory Field | Description |
Invoice Issuer (Supplier) | Full company name & address |
Invoice Recipient (Customer) | Recipient name & full address |
Invoice Number | Unique identifier for the invoice |
Invoice Date | Issue date of the invoice |
Service Period | Period during which the service was rendered |
Tax Number / VAT ID | Tax number or VAT identification number of the supplier |
Bank Details | IBAN & BIC of the payee |
Payment Terms | Due date & discount terms |
Invoice Amount | Total amount of the invoice |
Tax Amount & Tax Rate | VAT & net/gross amounts |
Service Description | Detailed description of the service(s) provided |
Quantity & Unit | Number of services or items (e.g. hours, pieces) |
Price per Unit | Unit price per unit or item |
Line Total | Total per invoice line, before tax |
Currency | Usually EUR (Euro) |
E-Invoice Format | ZUGFeRD or XRechnung in machine-readable form (XML) |
Mandatory Fields Specific to XRechnung (Public-Sector Clients)
For XRechnung invoices addressed to public authorities or public-sector clients, the following additional details are required:
Additional Mandatory Fields | Description |
Leitweg-ID (BG-6) | Required for public-sector clients in Germany (unique recipient identifier) |
Customer Number / Order Number | Can additionally be added via the introductory text. |
Supplier ID | If required by the invoice recipient |
Email Address for Inquiries | Required for invoice issuers (official contact) |
You receive these details from the customer or the public authority.
Summary
ZUGFeRD as the standard — PDF + XML, recommended for businesses
XRechnung for public authorities — machine-readable XML only
Fill in all mandatory fields to avoid rejection
Leitweg-ID & additional details are only required for public-sector clients
Recommended approach in Mendato:
Global default setting: ZUGFeRD (Settings > Documents > Invoices > E-Invoice)
If XRechnung is required: Set it on the customer or object (incl. Leitweg-ID & VAT ID)