For French companies, invoice statements are important documents. They summarize sales activities for products or services over a certain time period for a specific customer. Commonly used in ongoing B2B relationships, invoice statements are useful for the provider and customer to track financial transactions between them. They also provide a global view of expenses and receivables.

This article explains invoice statements, including why they are important to businesses and how to obtain them.

What’s in this article?

• What is an invoice statement?
  
• What is the purpose of an invoice statement?
  
• What information is required on an invoice statement in France?
  
• How to obtain an invoice statement
  
• How Stripe Invoicing can help
  

What is an invoice statement?

An invoice statement is a business document that summarizes the sales of goods and services to a specific customer over a given period. The supplier issues it and lists every invoice. This includes paid invoices, outstanding invoices, credit notes that have not been deducted or paid, and more.

French companies can create invoice statements to track invoice status and payments. These statements are particularly useful for business relationships that involve recurring billing for monthly services, subscriptions, or maintenance contracts.

What are the differences between invoices and invoice statements?

An invoice documents the sale of goods or services and creates a debt between a supplier and customer. An invoice statement is simply a summary of the various invoices issued over a specific period. An invoice is a legal document that triggers an obligation to pay, while an invoice statement tracks invoices.

An invoice statement is not an invoice and cannot be used as an invoice. They are typically provided on a monthly or quarterly basis and provide an overview of invoices that have already been issued. In addition, an invoice statement is not a financial document and can’t be used to make an accounting journal entry.

What are the differences between invoice statements and bank fee statements?

An invoice statement is a business document issued between a supplier and customer, often monthly. A bank fee statement is a document issued annually by a bank that details the various fees applied to an account (e.g., commissions, overdraft charges, account management fees).

A bank fee statement is a mandatory document that is used for accounting purposes and lists the actual movements in a company’s bank account. Conversely, an invoice statement is an optional document and is not used for accounting purposes. To avoid errors when tracking cash flows, companies should not confuse these two documents.

What is the purpose of an invoice statement?

An invoice statement makes it possible to manage and track the various financial transactions that take place between a customer and supplier. Specifically, invoice statements make it possible to track all issued invoices, payments, and outstanding payments. These documents can also help improve cash flow management in addition to the following:

• Track transactions: An invoice statement lists every invoice issued over a specific period of time, including each invoice’s number and amount. This ensures that all invoices are accounted for and that the total amount corresponds to the sum of all individual invoices.
  
• Manage payments: An invoice statement provides an overview of paid and outstanding invoices. It serves as a payment reminder to the customer, providing the outstanding amount and deadline. It also informs the supplier about when to send payment reminder letters or begin debt collection procedures.
  
• Manage cash flow: An invoice statement helps the supplier and customer anticipate various cash inflows and outflows. This can help refine cash management and inform financial decisions.
  
• Improve client relations: Sending invoice statements on a regular basis ensures full transparency about transactions between the supplier and customer. This can help avoid misunderstandings or untimely objections. Additionally, statements provide customers with an accurate view of their expenses.
  

What information is required on an invoice statement in France?

An invoice statement should include the following:

• Statement date and number
  
• Time period covered by the statement
  
• Supplier and customer details (e.g., company name, address, establishment directory identification system [SIRET] number, value-added tax [VAT] number)
  
• Details of each invoice issued by the supplier (e.g., invoice number, issue date, pretax and inclusive prices, and applicable VAT rate)
  
• Amounts previously paid
  
• Total remaining balance due
  
• Invoice due dates
  
• Payment terms agreed upon by both parties
  

How to obtain an invoice statement

A customer can request an invoice statement from a supplier. The requester should specify the desired time period and method of transmission (e.g., postal mail, email). The supplier’s invoicing or accounting software could automatically generate and send statements to customers.

How Stripe Invoicing can help

Stripe Invoicing 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.