Complete e-invoice

The "Complete e-invoice" service task executes the entire e-invoicing pipeline in a single process step. Instead of chaining four separate service tasks in the BPMN process, this service handles everything automatically — from amount calculation to a fully ZUGFeRD-compliant e-invoice.

How it works

The task internally performs four steps in sequence:

Amount calculation — Net, gross, and VAT are computed per line item and as grand totals.
PDF generation — The calculated data is inserted into a Handlebars template and rendered as a PDF.
ZUGFeRD mapping — Invoice data is transformed into the structured ZUGFeRD EN16931 format.
XML embedding — The ZUGFeRD XML is embedded as a Factur-X attachment into a PDF/A-3 document.

The result is a PDF document that is both visually readable and machine-processable — compliant with the European e-invoicing standard.

Input parameters

Invoice data is provided as input. The HTML template and filename are configured in the process designer.

{
  "app_invoice_no": "INV-2026-001",
  "app_invoice_date": "2026-04-08",
  "app_due_date": "2026-05-08",
  "app_seller_name": "My Company Ltd",
  "app_seller_street": "Main Street 1",
  "app_seller_zip": "12345",
  "app_seller_city": "Sample City",
  "app_seller_country": "DE",
  "app_seller_vat_id": "DE123456789",
  "app_seller_email": "info@company.com",
  "app_recipient_name": "Customer Corp",
  "app_recipient_street": "Client Road 5",
  "app_recipient_zip": "54321",
  "app_recipient_city": "Client City",
  "app_iban": "DE89370400440532013000",
  "app_bic": "COBADEFFXXX",
  "app_invoice_items_custom": [
    {
      "app_item_description": "Consulting",
      "app_amount": 10,
      "app_item_price_net": 150.00,
      "app_vat_percentage": 19,
      "app_unit": "Hours"
    },
    {
      "app_item_description": "Materials",
      "app_amount": 5,
      "app_item_price_net": 25.00,
      "app_vat_percentage": 7,
      "app_unit": "Pieces"
    }
  ]
}

Explanation:

Invoice issuer (app_seller_*): Name, address, VAT ID, email.
Invoice recipient (app_recipient_*): Name and address.
Payment data (app_iban, app_bic): For the payment information in the ZUGFeRD XML.
Line items (app_invoice_items_custom): Quantity, unit price, VAT rate, and unit.
The HTML template is maintained in the process designer using the integrated template editor.
The filename is defined in the "PDF filename" field (e.g. E-Invoice-$(app_invoice_no).pdf).

Output

The task returns a file reference to the finished e-invoice PDF:

{
  "referenceId": "01JXXXXX",
  "filename": "E-Invoice-INV-2026-001.pdf",
  "contentType": "application/pdf"
}

The PDF is a PDF/A-3 document with an embedded Factur-X XML — it can be sent, archived, or forwarded via integrations directly.

JSONata example

{
  "app_invoice_no": $.app_invoice_no,
  "app_invoice_date": $.app_invoice_date,
  "app_due_date": $.app_due_date,
  "app_seller_name": $.app_seller_name,
  "app_seller_street": $.app_seller_street,
  "app_seller_zip": $.app_seller_zip,
  "app_seller_city": $.app_seller_city,
  "app_seller_country": $.app_seller_country,
  "app_seller_vat_id": $.app_seller_vat_id,
  "app_recipient_name": $.app_recipient_name,
  "app_recipient_street": $.app_recipient_street,
  "app_recipient_zip": $.app_recipient_zip,
  "app_recipient_city": $.app_recipient_city,
  "app_iban": $.app_iban,
  "app_bic": $.app_bic,
  "app_invoice_items_custom": $.app_invoice_items_custom
}

Comparison: Individual steps vs. all-in-one

Approach	BPMN steps	Use case
Individual services	4 service tasks (calculation → PDF → ZUGFeRD mapping → XML embedding)	Maximum flexibility, e.g. when additional logic is needed between steps
Complete e-invoice	1 service task	Recommended for standard invoicing workflows — less effort, same quality

Notes

All Handlebars helpers can be used in the template — including QR codes for EPC payments.
VAT rates of 0 %, 7 %, and 19 % are supported. Invoices without VAT under Section 13b UStG (reverse charge, e.g. construction services) are created via the tax mode app_tax_mode, see Reverse charge (Section 13b UStG) in e-invoices.
For valid e-invoices, set vat_rounding to per_rate. The previous rounding method is deprecated and will be removed on January 1, 2027, see VAT rounding.
Optional fields such as app_buyer_reference (routing ID for XRechnung), app_service_date, or app_service_period_start/app_service_period_end can be included as needed.
Cancellations and credit notes reference the original invoice in the e-invoice (number and date from app_original_invoice, for custom data structures alternatively preceding_invoice_no and preceding_invoice_date).
For the customer's purchase order number use app_order_reference (BT-13); for the contact person at the customer use the object app_buyer_contact with app_buyer_contact_name, app_buyer_contact_phone, and app_buyer_contact_email (BG-9). Both only appear in the e-invoice when filled. If app_buyer_contact is empty, the recipient's contact person is used (main_contact on the organization with given_name, family_name, tel, and email). The two sources are never mixed.
The live preview in the process designer shows the PDF with sample data before the process is published.

Tip

To create an EPC QR code (payment QR code on the invoice), use the qrCode helper in combination with buildString in the template:

<img src="{{{qrCode (buildString "BCD\n002\n1\nSCT\n" app_bic "\n" app_seller_name "\n" app_iban "\nEUR" app_gross_total "\n\n\nInvoice " app_invoice_no)}}}" width="150" />

Details on all available Handlebars helpers can be found in the Handlebars helper reference.