Invoice and Payment
What is an EHF Invoice? How Businesses Send Electronic Invoices
EHF is a structured electronic electronic invoice format. Learn how sending, receiving, Peppol, and invoicing the public sector works.
2 min read · Translated from Norwegian. Read the original
EHF stands for Elektronisk Handelsformat (Electronic Trading Format). An EHF invoice is sent as structured data between accounting systems, not as a PDF in an email. The recipient's system can, therefore, automatically read, verify, and bookkeep the information.
How are EHF Invoices Sent?
The supplier's system sends the invoice through the Peppol network via an access point. The recipient is typically identified by an organisation number or another electronic address. The business must be registered to receive this document type.
EHF and the Public Sector
Public sector entities use EHF for electronic invoicing in accordance with current requirements. Suppliers must comply with the order details, such as reference, order number, and contract data. A technically valid invoice may still be rejected if the business information is incorrect.
Advantages
Machine-readable data reduces manual work and the risk of input errors. Invoices can be matched against orders, approved faster, and provide better traceability. Credit notes can be sent through a similarly structured process.
EHF Functions on Proffi
Proffi can indicate whether a business is registered as an EHF recipient when authoritative data is available, and offer a transition from a business profile to invoicing. Status must have a timestamp and source. Proffi should not assume that all registered recipients can accept every document type.
Frequently asked questions
- Is a PDF sent via email an EHF invoice?
- No. EHF consists of structured data sent system-to-system.
- Does the recipient need an EHF-compatible system?
- Yes, either directly or through a service provider/access point.