E-Invoicing explained simply – Part 3: Is sending invoices via e-mail the cheapest solution?

An electronic invoice is by definition drawn up electronically and sent electronically.

Everyone today has a professional or personal email address. It is therefore logical that  invoices are often sent via e-mail  .

However, is this a good idea? Below I compare the  most important advantages and disadvantages  for you.

Advantages

1. Everyone  can be reached by email.
2. Accessible.
3. Low  cost .
4. Little investment  required to get started.
5. No additional software  needed to send PDF invoices.

Cons

1. No certainty  whether the e-mail will reach the right person.
2. No receipt  of invoice.
3. Risk of  being blocked  by  virus scanners and spam filters .
4. No integration  with the banking application to facilitate payment.
5. No automatic processing  in the accounting.
6. High (hidden) cost price  due to manual processing.
7. Not suitable  for “real” electronic invoices such as XML/UBL.
8. In many cases  limited  to the use of PDF invoices.

Source UBL