Tech corner
Converting invoice documents to the ZUGFeRD data format
Feb 21 2023, Updated Nov 20 2024
XML or PDF? That's one of the most heard questions when it comes to invoice document formats. XML is the preferred format for machines whereas PDF is the format for humans. But why not have the cake and eat it? With ZUGFeRD you can have both documents in one file.
ZUGFeRD is a German invoice document format based on PDF/A with embedded XML data (see www.ferd-net.de). The specification has been developed by industry partners together with the PDF Association (see Leitfaden-PDFA3-und-ZUGFeRD.pdf).
Our Conversion Service product can convert invoice documents in any supported input format such as Microsoft Word, PDF, etc. to PDF/A-3 document with XMP metadata and embedded XML invoice data conforming to the ZUGFeRD specification.
