E-Invoicing Setup Checklist

Why this checklist matters

eInvoicing is not 'emailing a PDF'. It sends a structured invoice directly from your accounting system into your customer's, over a standard network (the Peppol framework adopted in Australia), with no PDF to open and nothing to re-key. That removes whole categories of delay and error: lost emails, mistyped amounts, invoices that sit unopened in an inbox. Invoices arrive ready to process, which is exactly why they tend to be paid faster.

Setting it up is a one-off project with a lasting payoff, but it has steps you do not want to get wrong on a live invoice. A short setup checklist makes sure your software, registration, data and testing are all in order before you switch real billing over to the network.

The checklist

Software supports eInvoicing?

Your accounting package can send/receive via the Peppol network (check the provider).

Access point sorted?

Your software includes a Peppol access point, or you have engaged one.

ABN details current?

Your ABN and business details are accurate and up to date.

Registered on the network?

Your business is registered to receive eInvoices against your ABN.

Sending enabled?

Sending is switched on and configured in your software.

Master data clean?

Customer ABNs and details are correct so invoices route and match.

Tax invoice fields complete?

Your invoice data still carries all required fields, including GST.

Test invoice sent?

A test eInvoice sent and confirmed received before going live.

Fallback in place?

A process for customers not yet on the network (PDF/email).

Team briefed?

Whoever raises invoices knows the new flow and the fallback.

How to use it

Start at the top: confirm your accounting software supports eInvoicing over the Peppol network and includes (or connects to) an access point — most major Australian packages now do, but check your provider's documentation. Then make sure your ABN and business details are current and register so you can receive eInvoices, before switching on sending.

The step people skip is testing: send a test eInvoice and confirm it lands and processes correctly before you route live billing through it. Keep a fallback for customers not yet on the network, so no one goes unbilled during the transition. The structured invoice still needs all the usual fields — for the underlying content and any PDF fallback, the Merion invoice generator keeps a compliant version on hand.

Keeping eInvoicing running smoothly

Because eInvoicing matches systems automatically, clean master data is what keeps it working: correct customer ABNs and details mean invoices route and reconcile without a hitch, while stale data causes silent failures. Make data hygiene a habit, not a one-off, and review it when a customer's details change. The whole benefit — straight-through processing — depends on the data being right at both ends.

Adoption is growing but not universal, so expect to run eInvoicing and traditional invoices side by side for a while, and keep the fallback path warm. Specific registration steps, supported software and any government requirements can change over time, so confirm the current details with your accounting software provider or the relevant Australian government resources. This is general business information to get you oriented, not tax or compliance advice.