An e-invoicing (e-faktura) portal lets Swedish businesses send and receive invoices as structured digital data instead of as printed invoices or Portable Document Format (PDF) files. When a new e-invoice is delivered, the recipient’s accounting system reads the transaction amounts and processes them without manual entry.

Since April 2019, every supplier to a Swedish public sector organization has had to send e-invoices under the Electronic Invoicing Act. Other businesses also have adopted this format, which eliminates the scanning, keying, and reconciliation work that comes with traditional invoicing.

Below, we’ll discuss how the Peppol network moves an invoice from one business or organization to another, what features an e-invoicing system needs to have, and what to consider before choosing one for your business.

Key takeaways

• E-invoicing portals process invoices as structured data, which allows accounting systems to handle them automatically. No manual entry is required.

• Swedish public sector suppliers are legally required to send e-invoices. Other businesses have adopted these systems because they can save time and money.

• Choosing the right portal comes down to format compliance, accounting integration, and how well it fits your business’s current invoice system.

What is an e-invoicing portal?

An e-invoicing portal is the platform where a business creates, sends, receives, and tracks invoices as structured data, and is usually connected to the business’s accounting system.

The term can sometimes be confused with invoicing portals or e-invoicing software, which refer to other systems. The term “invoicing portal” can refer to a platform for PDF invoices or payment links with no structured information exchange behind them. “E-invoicing software” is what generates and checks the structured file that the e-invoicing portal then manages.

How does an e-invoicing portal work?

An e-invoicing portal turns invoice details into a structured file and sends it through Peppol. Invoices are formatted in Peppol BIS Billing 3.0, an Extensible Markup Language (XML) standard built according to European norm EN 16931 specifications. Many Swedish systems also still support Svefaktura, the older domestic format, because some public sector suppliers haven’t fully transitioned away from it. Because the data is already structured, the business or agency receiving an e-invoice doesn’t need to do any scanning or manually key in figures.

To create the e-invoice, a business enters the customer’s organization number, value-added tax (VAT) details, and line items into its accounting or invoicing software, and the software converts that into the structured file.

Before the e-invoice is sent, the software checks the file for a valid Peppol identification (ID), correct VAT calculations, and the reference fields the format requires. An invoice with errors in these fields gets rejected before it reaches the network.

What are the benefits of an e-invoicing portal?

The benefits of an e-invoicing portal show up in a faster, more automated invoice process.

That means:

• Less manual administration: Invoices move from creation to the recipient’s ledger without anyone re-entering line items or checking VAT calculations manually.

• Faster invoicing and payment: Structured data processes faster on the receiving end than a PDF that needs manual review. This shortens the average amount of time between sending an invoice and getting paid.

• More visibility: A central portal shows overdue and outstanding invoices, as well as which customers normally pay on time and which ones possibly will require follow-up.

What do businesses need to consider when choosing an e-invoicing portal?

Every e-invoicing portal needs to generate, send, receive, and process e-invoices in compliance with Swedish and European Union (EU) standards. For Sweden, that means the Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 and Svefaktura formats. An e-invoicing portal also needs to keep current when those standards are updated, and validate organization numbers and VAT IDs. Ease of use is important: businesses won’t consistently use a system that takes a full onboarding project to configure, and customers won’t muddle through a confusing interface to pay an e-invoice if they can use another method.

Beyond that, each company will need to evaluate which features they need with an e-invoice system. A sole proprietor sending 10 invoices a month has different needs than a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company invoicing hundreds of customers on a recurring schedule.

Here are some other features to look for in an e-invoicing platform:

• Accounting software integration: The system will need to connect to the accounting software already in place, so invoices and payments can post to the ledger automatically.

• Automated reminders: E-invoicing systems need to be programmed to send a reminder a predetermined number of days after the due date, escalate to a second notice if needed, and flag invoices that require a phone call or a formal collection process.

• Reporting and reconciliation tools: Businesses might want to have a real-time view of which invoices are open, which are overdue, and which have been paid. It’s useful to reconcile incoming payments and open invoices.

• Support for different payment methods: Customers pay in different ways (e.g., Bankgiro or card). A portal that only supports one method pushes some customers toward slower manual payment.

How Stripe can help Swedish businesses with invoicing

If your business uses e-invoicing, Stripe offers the Billit app in the Stripe App Marketplace. This integration lets you send Peppol-compliant e-invoices straight from your Stripe Dashboard.

If your business prefers traditional invoices, Stripe Invoicing can help. It simplifies your accounts receivable (AR) process—from invoice creation to payment collection. Whether you’re managing one-time or recurring billing, Stripe helps businesses get paid faster and streamline operations:

• Automate accounts receivable: Easily create, customize, and send professional invoices—no coding required. Stripe automatically tracks invoice status, sends payment reminders, and processes refunds, helping you stay on top of your cash flow.

• Accelerate cash flow: Reduce days sales outstanding (DSO) and get paid faster with integrated global payments, automatic reminders, and AI-powered dunning tools that help you recover more revenue.

• Enhance the customer experience: Deliver a modern payment experience with support for 25+ languages, 135+ currencies, and 100+ payment methods. Invoices are easy to access and pay through a self-serve customer portal.

• Reduce back-office workload: Generate invoices in minutes and reduce time spent on collections through automatic reminders and a Stripe-hosted invoice payment page.

• Integrate with your existing systems: Stripe Invoicing integrates with popular accounting and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, helping you keep systems in sync and reduce manual data entry.

Learn more about how Stripe can simplify your accounts receivable process, or get started today.

FAQs about e-invoicing portals for Swedish businesses