ZUGFeRD Format

ZUGFeRD (Zentraler User Guide des Forums elektronische Rechnung Deutschland) is the German standard for electronic invoicing, widely used in B2B transactions.

Overview

Property	Value
Version	2.3.x
Type	Hybrid (PDF/A-3 with embedded XML)
Region	Germany, Austria, Switzerland
Use Case	B2B invoicing

How It Works

ZUGFeRD creates a hybrid document:

Human-readable PDF invoice (PDF/A-3 compliant)
Machine-readable XML embedded in the PDF
Both formats in a single file

Recipients can:

View and print the PDF as normal
Extract the XML for automated processing

Profiles

ZUGFeRD supports different conformance levels:

Profile	Description	Recommended For
MINIMUM	Basic header information only	Simple invoices
BASIC WL	Basic with line items	Standard B2B
COMFORT	Extended information (EN 16931)	Most B2B scenarios
EXTENDED	Full feature set	Maximum compatibility
XRECHNUNG	XRechnung 3.0 compatible	XRechnung-compatible output

Choosing a Profile

COMFORT is recommended for most B2B scenarios
Use EXTENDED for maximum ERP compatibility
Use XRECHNUNG profile if you want XRechnung-compatible output in a hybrid document

Configuration

Enable ZUGFeRD

Stores >Configuration > MageB2B > E-Invoice:

Set Default B2B Format: ZUGFeRD
Set ZUGFeRD Profile: COMFORT (or as needed)
Set Document Type Code: 380 (Commercial Invoice)

Required Company Data

Ensure these fields are configured:

VAT ID (required)
Company Name (from Magento store info)
Address (from Magento store info)
Bank IBAN (recommended)
Bank BIC (recommended)

Generated Files

When a ZUGFeRD invoice is generated:

File	Path Example
XML	`pub/media/einvoice/invoice-100000001-zugferd.xml`
PDF/A-3	`pub/media/einvoice/invoice-100000001-zugferd.pdf`

The PDF contains the embedded XML (hybrid), and the XML is also stored as a separate file for download/API use (depending on your storage strategy).

Validation

ZUGFeRD documents are validated against:

Cross-Industry Invoice (CII) schemas
Profile-specific requirements
PDF/A-3 compliance (when generating PDF)

Compatibility

ZUGFeRD 2.3.x is compatible with:

Factur-X 1.07.x (French equivalent)
EN16931 (EU semantic standard)
Most German ERP systems (SAP, DATEV, etc.)

Best Practices

Use COMFORT profile unless you need specific extended features
Include IBAN/BIC for faster payment processing
Test with recipients before going live
Verify file storage and email attachment settings match your process

Troubleshooting

PDF Not Generated

Check that Magento's standard PDF generation works
Verify the horstoeko/zugferd library is installed
Check var/log/system.log and var/log/exception.log for errors

Validation Errors

Verify all required company data is configured
Check VAT ID format (must include country code)
Ensure order has valid billing address