French eInvoicing use cases – Document Output (sending)

The French eInvoicing mandate, effective from September 1, 2026, defines a set of invoicing use cases (the AFNOR/DGFiP use cases). This article explains how these are implemented through the Continia scenario framework – eDocuments Scenarios – and what you need to do in that regard.

The invoicing use cases are represented by eDocuments Scenario flows – such as regular invoice, prepayment invoice, or third-party payer flows – which you can access from the eDocument Scenario Flows page. Each flow contains one or more scenario sets, which are managed from the Scenario Flow Sets page. And for each of these scenario sets, you can then define the business terms (BT codes) that should be populated.

As defined in the EN 16931 European invoicing standard, a business term is a single piece of standardized invoice data – for example BT-3 = Invoice Type Code or BT-23 = Billing Framework. A compliant French document is, in effect, a set of business terms with the right values. The eDocuments Scenarios framework assigns the right values to the document in the output file based on the business terms.

Reflecting the above, the eDocuments Scenarios framework is based on the following core concepts:

• Scenario flow – represents a use case. You select it on the relevant document (in the eDocument Scenario Flow field). Its settings decide the related source (sales/purchase), whether a special payer is involved, whether it's a prepayment, and whether the billing framework is calculated automatically.
• Scenario set – a reusable bundle of business term coding. A flow uses one or more sets. Specialized flows layer their own set on top of REGULARINVOICE, so they inherit the standard invoice coding and add only what's different.
• Business term code – one business term inside a set, including how its value is supplied (see How a business term gets its value below).

How a business term gets its value

Each business term code supplies its business term value in one of three ways:

1. Default Value – a fixed value shipped in the configuration (such as BT-3 = 380 for a regular invoice).
2. Source mapping – read from your data at posting, via Source Table ID + Source Field ID on the data code (for example, an amount read from a document field).
3. Manual entry on the document – for a business term marked Is Mandatory, you fill in the value in Record Coding Values before posting.

When you post the document, eDocuments Scenarios moves the coding onto the posted document, computes the billing framework, swaps any special parties, and writes every BT into the chosen format via its destination mapping.

To apply a use case on a document

In order to apply a use case to an eDocument, follow these steps:

1. Open a document.

2. On the General FastTab, in the eDocument Scenario Flow field, select the flow that you want to use for your use case.

3. Click the three dots next to the eDocument Scenario Flow field to open the Record Coding Values page.

4. If the use case involves a special payer, add the payer's customer number: In Special Payer Customer No., enter or select the number of the special payer.

5. In the table at the bottom, for each row with a checkmark in Is Mandatory, make sure that there's a value under Business Term Value.

   Note

   For more information on what business terms go with what use cases and which values you should add, see Use cases in detail below.

6. Close the page to return to the main document page.

7. In the action bar, click Home > Post to post the document. Click Yes to confirm and then Yes to open the posted document.

8. In the action bar, click Document Output > Send eDocument. Click Yes to confirm.

The document is now sent according to the settings determined by your applied use case.

Supported use cases at a glance

The following table provides an overview of the AFNOR use cases that are currently supported by eDocuments Scenarios. For additional details, see Use cases in detail below.

Use cases in detail

Each entry shows what the case requires (in business terms), what the Continia configuration provides, and what you should do yourself.

UC1/UC2 – standard invoice (Regular Invoice)

• Requires: the invoice type code – BT-3 – set to 380 (commercial invoice). Everything else is standard invoice data.
• Configuration ensures that: the REGULARINVOICE set codes BT-3 = 380 (fixed default). Automatic Billing Framework is on, so the profile (concerning values like B1, S1 and M1) is computed based on the document lines, depending on the eDocument Line Type Mappings setup. This is the base every other flow builds on.
• You should: do nothing. If a third party pays, use Third Party instead (UC3).

UC3 – third-party payer known at invoicing (Third Party)

• Requires: the payer to be identified as a party distinct from the buyer, plus the standard invoice coding.
• Configuration ensures that: the THIRDPARTY flow layers REGULARINVOICE and sets Special Payer Type = Third Party. At export, the framework places the third party in the correct party role.
• You should: set the Special Payer Customer No. on the document (the paying party). Posting is blocked without it.

UC4 – partially covered by a third party (Use Case 4)

• Requires: the payer note plus the amounts that split the invoice – BT-112 (total with VAT), BT-113 (paid amount), BT-115 (net payable).
• Configuration ensures that: the USECASE-4 flow layers PARTIALCOVERAGEBY3RD on REGULARINVOICE. The set carries BT-21 = PARTIALCOVER (payer note, fixed) and the three amount terms BT-112/BT-113/BT-115 as mandatory – but these ship without a source, because the covered/paid amount lives in a customer-specific location.
• You should: map the amount business terms to your data – see To complete a source mapping (UC4, UC32) below.

UC8 – factoring (Use Case 8)

• Requires: the invoice to be payable to a third party (the factor), and a factoring note.
• Configuration ensures that: the USECASE-8 flow sets Special Payer Type = Factoring Company and layers FACTORING (which sets BT-21 = FACTORING and BT-22 = FACTORINGDESC, both fixed) on REGULARINVOICE.
• You should: set the Special Payer Customer No. (the factor).

UC15 – order/payment by an agent for the buyer (Use Case 15)

• Requires: the buyer's agent identified as a distinct party.
• Configuration ensures that: the USECASE-15 flow sets Special Payer Type = Buyer's Agent over REGULARINVOICE.
• You should: set the Special Payer Customer No. (the agent acting for the buyer).

UC19a – third-party invoicing under a mandate (Use Case 19a)

• Requires: the issuing agent identified, and a declaration note (BT-21 = DCL, described in BT-22).
• Configuration ensures that: the USECASE-19A flow sets Special Payer Type = Seller Agent (with the shipped Seller Agent Code) over REGULARINVOICE, and carries the declaration note.
• You should: set the Special Payer Customer No. (the invoicing agent).

UC19b – self-billing (Use Case 19b)

• Requires: the self-billed invoice type – BT-3 = 389 – and the document to originate on the buyer/purchase side.
• Configuration ensures that: the USECASE-19B flow's Related Source is Purchase on the eDocument Scenario Flows page (unlike the others, which are Sales), and that it uses the SELFBILLING set (BT-3 = 389, fixed).
• You should: do nothing specific to the coding. The document is produced from the purchase side.

UC20 – prepayment invoice (Use Case 20)

• Requires: the prepayment invoice type – BT-3 = 386.
• Configuration ensures that: the USECASE-20 flow is marked Specific Application = Prepayment on the eDocument Scenario Flows page, and that it uses the PREPAYMENTINVOICE set (BT-3 = 386, fixed).
• You should: do nothing. Keep the prepayment invoice number – you'll reference it on the final invoice (UC21).

UC21 – final invoice after an advance (Use Case 21)

• Requires: a regular invoice (BT-3 = 380) that also declares the prepayment linkage – the preceding prepayment invoice reference (BT-25/BT-26) and the French prepayment type (EXT-FR-FE-02).
• Configuration ensures that: the USECASE-21 flow layers FINALINVOICE (EXT-FR-FE-02 = 386, fixed) on REGULARINVOICE, and that it links back to the prepayment invoice(s) at posting, so that the advance is deducted.
• You should: reference the prepayment invoice(s) that this final invoice settles (so the BT-25/BT-26 linkage is populated).

UC22a – early-payment discount (Use Case 22a)

• Requires: the early-payment discount mention on the invoice (services, VAT on receipt).
• Configuration ensures: nothing, as the USECASE-22A flow carries no coding set of its own. The discount mention (Mention de l'escompte) is emitted automatically from the French setup, Configuration > Discount Note Text, whenever the document has a payment-discount percentage. This is a good example of a flow that mostly signals intent while the value comes from country setup.
• You should: do nothing beyond having a payment-discount percentage on the document. Adjust the wording in the French setup (Discount Note Text), if needed.

UC27/UC28 – toll tickets and restaurant bills

• Requires: nothing special on the sending side – what's special is the buyer-side VAT deductibility, not the data emitted.
• Configuration ensures that: REGULARINVOICE is used. No dedicated flow ships (and none is needed).
• You should: do nothing.

UC31 – mixed invoice (Use Case 31)

• Requires: the billing framework (BT-23) for an invoice mixing goods and services – which can't be derived automatically.
• Configuration ensures that: the USECASE-31 flow uses the MIXEDINVOICES set, where BT-23 is mandatory and Automatic Billing Framework is off.
• You should: select BT-23 manually – see To choose the billing framework on a mixed invoice (UC31) below. Posting is blocked until it's set.

UC32 – monthly payments (Use Case 32)

• Requires: the paid and net-payable amounts – BT-113 (paid amount) and BT-115 (net payable amount).
• Configuration ensures that: the USECASE-32 flow uses the MONTHLYPAYMENTS set, where BT-113 and BT-115 are mandatory but ship without a source (the amounts are customer-specific).
• You should: map the amount business terms to your data – see To complete a source mapping (UC4, UC32) below.

To set a Special Payer Customer No. (UC3, UC8, UC15, UC19a)

In order to add a special payer's customer number to a document, follow these steps:

1. Make sure a customer record exists for the third party/factor/agent. If not, create one.

2. Open a document.

3. On the General FastTab, in the eDocument Scenario Flow field, select the flow that you want to use.

4. Click the three dots next to the eDocument Scenario Flow field to open the Record Coding Values page.

5. In Special Payer Customer No., enter or select the number of the special payer.

6. Close the page to return to the main document page.

7. In the action bar, click Home > Post to post the document. Click Yes to confirm.

   Note

   Posting is blocked if a special-payer flow is selected but the number is missing.

You've now added the special payer to the selected document and posted the document to finalize the connection.

To choose the billing framework on a mixed invoice (UC31)

In order to manually select the billing framework for an invoice that mixes goods and services, follow these steps:

1. Open the relevant invoice.

2. On the General FastTab, in the eDocument Scenario Flow field, select USECASE-31.

3. Click the three dots next to the eDocument Scenario Flow field to open the Record Coding Values page.

4. In the table at the bottom, locate the row that has BT-23 in the Business Term Code column – it's marked as mandatory.

5. Under Business Term Value for that row, manually enter or select one of the relevant values, depending on the situation:

   • M1 (standard mixed)
   • M2 (already paid)
   • M4 (final, after prepayment)

6. Close the page to return to the main invoice page.

7. In the action bar, click Home > Post to post the document. Click Yes to confirm.

   Note

   Posting is blocked until BT-23 has been set.

You've now selected the relevant billing framework for the selected mixed invoice and posted the document to finalize the connection.

To complete a source mapping (UC4, UC32)

Some flows carry amount business terms whose source is customer-specific, so they ship unmapped. You can map such business terms by pointing each of them to the field in your data that holds the value. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Search () for and select eDocument Scenario Flows.

2. Select the flow that you want to edit, for example USECASE-32, and then click Scenario Sets in the action bar to open the Scenario Flow Sets page.

3. In the list of scenario sets, locate the one whose business terms you want to point to a data field (for example, MONTHLYPAYMENTS), and then click the text in the Scenario Set Description column to open the eDocument Scenario Set Business Term Codes page.

4. Select the business term row that needs a source (such as BT-113).

5. In the action bar, click Actions > Edit Code Mapping to open the mapping page.

   Note

   Alternatively, if the amount is always the same, enter a fixed Default Value instead of a source.

6. On the Source FastTab, do as follows:

   1. In Source Table ID, enter or select the Business Central table that holds the amount.
   2. In Source Field ID, enter or select the actual field with the amount.

7. If the value is reached through a related record, go to the Related FastTab and do as follows:

   1. In Related Table ID, enter or select the Business Central table that holds the related field.
   2. In Related Field ID, enter or select the actual related field.

8. Repeat steps 4-7 for each unmapped business term:

   • For UC4: BT-112, BT-113, and BT-115.
   • For UC32: BT-113 and BT-115.

You've now completed the source mapping for the business terms in the selected scenario set.

Related information

eReporting for France
Managing Electronic Documents in France