Glossary · Universal Business Language · UBL file
UBL: definition
UBL (Universal Business Language) is an open, standard XML format for business documents such as invoices, credit notes and orders, published by the OASIS standards body and widely used for e-invoicing.
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Inside a UBL invoice file
A UBL file holds every piece of invoice data in standard fields: seller, buyer, numbers, dates, lines, VAT and totals. Software on the receiving side reads it directly, with no re-entry.
In Europe, UBL is one of the two syntaxes accepted by the European e-invoicing standard EN 16931. A readable PDF can travel with the file, but the UBL data is what the recipient's software uses.
UBL in Eazyclick
Eazyclick sends invoices as structured e-invoices and shows the UBL file of the supplier invoices you receive in plain view, with their PDF and attachments.
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Questions about UBL
Do I need to know how to read a UBL file?
No. Your invoicing software creates and reads it for you; on screen you see an ordinary invoice.
Is UBL the only e-invoice format?
No. Other formats exist, such as UN/CEFACT CII or hybrid PDF formats. The format required depends on the country and the network you invoice through.
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