Automatic Invoicing: Why Smart Webshops Automate Their Invoicing

What is automatic invoicing?

Automatic invoicing means that invoices are automatically created, sent, and archived without manual intervention. With every sale in your webshop or on a marketplace like bol.com, a professional invoice is generated instantly.

How does automatic invoicing work?

1. A customer places an order in your webshop or on bol.com/Amazon
2. The invoicing software automatically retrieves the order data
3. An invoice is generated with correct VAT calculation
4. The invoice is sent to the customer and/or uploaded to the platform
5. Everything is automatically archived for your administration

This entire process happens within seconds, without you having to do anything.

Why manual invoicing costs you time and money

Many entrepreneurs underestimate how much time manual invoicing takes. Let's do the math:

Time per manual invoice:

• Looking up order details: 1-2 minutes
• Creating invoice in Word/Excel: 3-5 minutes
• Checking VAT percentage: 1 minute
• Sending/uploading invoice: 1-2 minutes
• Archiving: 1 minute
• Total: 7-11 minutes per invoice

With 100 orders per month:

• 100 × 9 minutes = 900 minutes = 15 hours per month
• At €50/hour = €750 in lost time

And we haven't even mentioned:

• Errors you need to correct
• Missed invoices (compliance risk)
• Stress from backlogged administration
• VAT errors leading to additional assessments

Automatic invoicing often costs less than €50 per month. The ROI is therefore enormous.

The 7 benefits of automatic invoicing

Automatic invoicing offers much more than just time savings:

1. Time savings
The most obvious benefit. No more manual work, focus on growth.

2. Error-free invoices
No typos, no wrong VAT percentages, no missing data. Software doesn't make mistakes due to fatigue.

3. Instant delivery
Customers receive their invoice immediately after ordering. No waiting time, better customer satisfaction.

4. VAT compliance
Automatic VAT calculation based on customer location, product type, and B2B/B2C. No hassle with Belgian VAT or OSS.

5. Professional appearance
Consistent, branded invoices strengthen your professional image.

6. Always compliant
Invoices automatically meet all legal requirements. No risk of fines.

7. Overview and reporting
All invoices centralized, easily searchable, perfect foundation for your accounting.

Automatic invoicing for bol.com sellers

As a bol.com seller, automatic invoicing is not just convenient but almost necessary. bol.com has strict invoice requirements.

bol.com invoice requirements:

• Every order must receive a VAT invoice
• Invoices must be uploaded to the customer portal
• Belgian VAT must be calculated correctly
• Invoices count toward your seller performance

What happens without proper invoicing?

• Customers can complain (no invoice received)
• Your seller performance drops
• In extreme cases: account restrictions
• VAT problems during audits

How Winkel Factuur helps:

• Automatic invoice for every bol.com order
• Direct upload to bol.com customer portal
• Correct NL and BE VAT calculation
• UBL invoices for business customers
• Credit notes for returns

Automatic invoicing for Shopify and WooCommerce

For webshop platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce, automatic invoicing is also valuable, though it works slightly differently than with marketplaces.

Shopify invoicing:
Shopify has no built-in invoice function that meets Dutch VAT requirements. You need external software for:
• Professional VAT invoices
• Automatic sending to customers
• Correct VAT calculation for EU sales
• UBL export for business customers

WooCommerce invoicing:
WooCommerce has plugins for invoicing, but these are often limited:
• Basic PDF invoices (not always compliant)
• No automatic VAT calculation for abroad
• No direct accounting integration
• Limited customizability

Benefits of external invoicing software:

• Works with all platforms (Shopify, WooCommerce, bol.com, Amazon)
• One system for all your sales channels
• Professional templates
• Direct accounting integration
• VAT reports

Automatically calculating VAT: how it works

One of the biggest benefits of automatic invoicing is correct VAT calculation. This is more complex than many entrepreneurs think.

VAT complexity in e-commerce:

• Dutch VAT: 21% standard, 9% reduced rate, 0% exempt
• Belgian VAT: 21% and 6% - must be remitted separately!
• German VAT: 19% and 7%
• B2B within EU: VAT reverse-charged (0%) with valid VAT number
• OSS scheme: After €10,000 threshold, VAT in customer's country

What Winkel Factuur does automatically:

1. Detects customer location (NL, BE, DE, etc.)
2. Checks if it's B2B or B2C
3. Validates VAT numbers automatically
4. Applies the correct VAT rate
5. Generates invoice with correct VAT rules
6. Tracks OSS revenue per country

Result: Always correct VAT, no manual checks, no additional assessments.

Automate invoicing in 4 steps

Ready to start with automatic invoicing? Here's how:

Step 1: Choose your invoicing software
Select software that fits your platforms. Winkel Factuur supports bol.com, Amazon, Shopify, WooCommerce, and more.

Step 2: Connect your sales channels
Link your webshop and/or marketplace accounts. This usually takes 5-10 minutes per platform.

Step 3: Configure your invoice template
• Upload your logo
• Set your company details
• Choose your invoice numbering
• Configure VAT settings

Step 4: Activate automatic invoicing
Turn on automatic mode. From now on, all orders are automatically invoiced.

Optional: Accounting integration
Connect your invoicing software to your accounting (Exact, Twinfield, etc.) for fully automated administration.

Time investment: 30-60 minutes for complete setup. After that, never manually create invoices again.

Frequently asked questions about automatic invoicing

What does automatic invoicing cost?
Professional invoicing software costs between €9 and €50 per month, depending on the number of orders and features. With 50+ orders per month, you easily recoup this in time savings.

Can I customize my invoice template?
Yes, good invoicing software lets you use your own logo, colors, and text. Your invoices look professional and branded.

What if a customer needs a credit note?
For returns or cancellations, the software automatically creates a credit note that also goes to accounting.

Does it work for B2B customers too?
Yes, including reverse-charge invoices for EU business customers with valid VAT numbers and UBL invoices.

What about GDPR/privacy?
Professional software complies with GDPR. Customer data is securely processed and stored.

Can I still invoice historical orders?
Yes, most software can also import and invoice existing orders.

Automatic vs manual invoicing: the comparison

Let's put the two methods side by side:

Manual invoicing:

• Time investment: 7-11 minutes per invoice
• Error risk: High (typos, wrong VAT)
• Cost: Free (but time loss)
• Scalability: Poor (more orders = more work)
• VAT compliance: Manual checking
• Professionalism: Variable

Automatic invoicing:

• Time investment: 0 minutes per invoice
• Error risk: Minimal (software checks)
• Cost: €9-50 per month
• Scalability: Excellent (10 or 10,000 orders)
• VAT compliance: Automatically correct
• Professionalism: Consistently high

Conclusion: From ~30 orders per month, automatic invoicing is always more cost-effective than manual.

Calculate ROI: what does automatic invoicing deliver?

Let's calculate the concrete ROI for an average webshop:

Situation: 200 orders per month

• Manual invoicing: 200 × 9 min = 30 hours/month
• Value of your time: €40/hour
• Cost manual: 30 × €40 = €1,200/month

With automatic invoicing:

• Setup time (one-time): 1 hour
• Monthly software costs: €29
• Time for review: 30 min/month
• Total monthly cost: €49/month

Monthly savings: €1,151
Annual savings: €13,812

And we haven't even mentioned:
• Avoided VAT errors and additional assessments
• Better seller performance on bol.com
• Less stress and more focus on growth

Conclusion: Start automatic invoicing today

Automatic invoicing is no longer a luxury but a necessity for every serious e-commerce entrepreneur. The benefits are clear:

• Time savings: Free up hours per week for growth
• Error reduction: No more wrong VAT or typos
• Compliance: Always meet invoice requirements
• Professionalism: Consistent, branded invoices
• Scalability: Grow without administrative growth

The investment is minimal (often less than the cost of one hour of manual work) and the payback period is within the first month.

Selling on bol.com, Amazon, Shopify, or WooCommerce?
Then automatic invoicing is not optional but essential. Start today and experience the difference.