ChannelEngine: order invoices (sent with shipments)

About this article

This article describes how to send invoices to a channel with your shipments.

Table of contents

Introduction

Settings and configuration

• Step 1: invoice template
• Step 2: VAT settings
• Step 3: channel settings

Upload merchant invoices

FAQs

Introduction

ChannelEngine offers the option to automatically send an invoice that includes VAT either directly to the buyer by email or to the marketplace via API to forward to the buyer. Because most marketplaces do not calculate VAT themselves (due to VAT differences per country), you must create VAT invoices for businesses that require it, be it to reverse-charge the VAT or for other tax purposes.

Invoice generation: orders vs. shipments

There are two ways to send invoices from ChannelEngine:

• Option 1: invoices with new orders - on any channel, enable automated invoice emails at Setup, Invoice settings. ChannelEngine automatically generates an invoice after it receives an order from the marketplace and emails it directly to the buyer.
• Option 2: invoices with shipments - on select channels, choose automated or manual invoices at Setup, Advanced settings: 
  • Automatically send a ChannelEngine-generated invoice with your shipment to the channel.
  • Manually upload your own invoice to the order and export it with your shipment to the channel.

This article describes Option 2: invoices with your shipments. For guidance on Option 1: invoices with new orders, check out ChannelEngine: automated VAT invoices.

Settings and configuration

Step 1: invoice template

First, set up your invoice's general settings: 

1. From the sidebar, go to Settings, Invoice settings.
2. Enter your company name and logo, if desired, your address, your chamber of commerce and VAT numbers, and your customer service's email address and phone number.

If you want to further personalize the invoice's layout, add a header or footer to the invoice.

By default, ChannelEngine uses the Order ID as the invoice number. However, some marketplaces require unique invoice numbers to avoid duplication and for compliance reasons. To help ensure invoice numbers remain unique, you can use the Invoice number prefix setting to add a prefix to generated invoice numbers.

Step 2: VAT settings

To add VAT to an invoice, you also need to enable VAT calculations on ChannelEngine. To enable VAT calculations, go to Settings, VAT rate settings.

A list of countries and their default VAT rates is displayed:

1. Go to the countries for which you have a VAT number.
2. Select Edit. 
3. Enter your VAT number. ChannelEngine can only check and accept international VAT numbers, not local VAT numbers, such as the German Steuernummer.
4. Click Save. 

Note that only invoices generated from this point on include the VAT calculation; it is not possible to apply this setting retroactively.

Step 3: channel settings

To enable one of the invoice options:

1. Go to the Setup, Advanced settings, and locate the Enable invoice uploading setting.
2. To enable invoice uploads to the marketplace, choose an option from the dropdown list:
   • ChannelEngine invoices - when ChannelEngine receives a shipment, ChannelEngine automatically generates an invoice and exports it with the shipment. To make use of this option, make sure you set up the correct VAT calculation and invoice template on ChannelEngine.
   • Merchant invoices - you upload your own merchant invoice to send with a shipment. 
   • None - when ChannelEngine receives a shipment, ChannelEngine takes no action other than notifying you that no invoice is present.
3. Click Save.

Setup on Mirakl-based marketplaces

Mirakl-based marketplaces have two distinct merchant invoice options: 

• Merchant invoices (optional) - when ChannelEngine receives a shipment, ChannelEngine exports the shipment – even if there is no invoice attached to it.
• Merchant invoices (required) - when ChannelEngine receives a shipment, ChannelEngine only exports the shipment if an invoice is attached to it. If not, you receive a notification.

Your chosen invoice upload setting is applied the next time ChannelEngine exports shipments. Only new orders from the moment the invoice uploading setting is enabled are updated. 

Upload merchant invoices

For guidance on uploading merchant invoices to your orders, check out ChannelEngine: upload merchant invoices.

FAQs

How frequently does ChannelEngine export invoices to the marketplace?
To export your invoices to the marketplace, ChannelEngine runs a scheduled task. The frequency varies per marketplace, ranging from every 15 minutes to every two hours.

How does ChannelEngine avoid creating duplicate invoices?
To avoid generating duplicate invoices, ChannelEngine checks the value of the key invoice_uploaded in the extra data of each order. If the value for this key is yes, then the invoice upload is skipped for that particular order, as it already has an invoice attached. 

Are ChannelEngine-generated invoices stored for future reference?
System-generated invoices (CE invoices) are not saved as static files. Instead, the system creates the invoice on the spot whenever you request it, using whatever customer data is currently attached to the order. If customer details are anonymized on the order (e.g.: for GDPR privacy reasons), any newly generated invoice will automatically be anonymized as well.