Basware Customers Go Live on France's E-Invoicing Mandate, Two Months Ahead of the September 1 Deadline

Leading enterprises are already exchanging compliant invoices on Basware's platform, while much of the market remains certified, but exposed to a production readiness gap

PARIS, July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- With less than nine weeks remaining before France's e-invoicing and e-reporting mandate takes effect on September 1, Basware, the global leader in Invoice Lifecycle Management, today confirmed that enterprises are already live and exchanging invoices on its platform under the new regime. 

Basware's first customers went live this month, including VINCI SA: Group Corporate Entity, the parent company of the VINCI Group, responsible for corporate governance, strategic leadership, financial consolidation, and Group-wide oversight. Operational activities are carried out by the Group's business units and subsidiaries.  

A first wave of go-lives for additional global brands will take place this month, with Basware's full customer base sequenced to be live and compliant by September 1. 

"The greatest achievements are often those built together. By becoming one of the pioneers of this project, we chose to lead the way: to learn, innovate, and collectively take on an ambitious challenge," said Amine Dahar, IT Domain Manager, VINCI SA. "Being a pilot means embracing a path that has yet to be fully explored. It means moving forward with courage, turning challenges into opportunities, and shaping the future one step at a time." 

"This early go-live, well ahead of the official timeline, is far more than an operational success. It reflects the trust, commitment, and collective intelligence that inspired our teams throughout this journey," added Sandrine Vandenhole, Budget and Consolidation Department, VINCI SA.  "We are proud to have written this first chapter alongside Basware. Together, we have demonstrated that the most meaningful transformations are always driven by a shared ambition." 

The milestone builds on Basware's confirmation in January as one of the first Certified Platform (Plateforme Agrée - PA) by France's General Directorate of Public Finance (DGFiP), following completion of end-to-end qualification testing with the Public Invoicing Platform (PPF) and interoperability testing with other PA operators. 

"Certification tells you a platform is allowed to operate," said Markus Hornburg, SVP, Global Compliance, Basware. "Production tells you it actually works at scale, with real invoices and real trading partners. Much of the market is still moving from certification to live exchange. Basware is already there, and our customers will be ready." 

Not All Mandates Are the Same 

Many countries now require companies to route invoices through government-approved platforms as part of national VAT enforcement. Each mandate sets its own format, timeline, and rules, and multinational businesses have to meet all of them, not just the one closest to a deadline. 

The current approach to tax collection across the globe is fragmented, with different tax administrations favoring varying methods of collection, underpinned by national or regional mandates and regulations. The lack of a standardized approach has hindered innovation and shared best practices.  

Some ERP vendors now offer their own certified connectivity for France. But certification of a single ERP pathway does not cover the multi-ERP landscapes, accounts payable workflows and trading partner connections most enterprises actually run. For organizations preparing for September, the deciding factor is no longer the ERP, it is a compliance layer that has already proven itself in production, across every system that issues or receives an invoice.  

Basware tracks more than 60 active e-invoicing mandates worldwide, each with its own format and filing rules.  

The Price of Non-Compliance 

As the September 1 mandate looms, non-compliance is about more than failing to pick the right invoice format. France's model creates strict fiscal and commercial obligations, and missing them can lead to rejected invoices, stalled cash flow and long-term exposure in audits. 

Basware's own research found that 56% of companies face challenges when expanding overseas due to missed invoicing or tax compliance deadlines, and more than one-third (36%) have incurred fines by submitting incorrect tax audits. Nearly four in ten (39%) have experienced invoice rejections due to compliance errors. 

On the fiscal side, every invoice must pass through France's Public Invoicing Platform (PPF) via a Certified Platform provider (Plateforme Agréée, or PA). Valid routing, lifecycle reporting, and adherence to mandated formats like Factur‑X aren't optional, they're embedded in law. Delays or errors in this chain risk stoppages that ripple through payment cycles. 

On the commercial side, the responsibility doesn't end when the invoice is sent. Businesses must archive electronic invoices for up to 10 years and preserve their authenticity and legibility as evidence under French commercial law. Missing those requirements can mean penalties long after a transaction closes. 

 "The French mandate is exposing how difficult it is to operate invoicing across systems, partners, and country-specific rules,' added Hornburg. "But mandates are the floor, not the ceiling. Companies still need to take care of commercial compliance and automation which mandates do not cover." 

Compliance as Competitive Advantage 

France is one example of a broader shift: finance teams must now manage compliance continuously across multiple ERP environments, countries, and invoice flows. Basware's approach, what the company calls the financial control plane, brings compliance controls, fraud prevention, and financial integrity together across invoice and payment transactions. 

Basware safeguards both fiscal and commercial compliance for customers in 190+ countries, across more than 60 e-invoicing mandates worldwide. At the core is a Governed Autonomy AI framework, which ensures compliance-critical fields remain untouched, while every action is fully traceable and auditable. This means built-in control and confidence that compliance is never compromised, even as automation accelerates processes. This approach was recognized as Basware was named a Leader in both The Forrester Wave™: Accounts Payable Invoice Automation Software, Q2 2026, and the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Accounts Payable Applications. 

Companies with embedded compliance systems are far better protected than those without. Basware's study found that 83% of organizations with embedded compliance rarely receive fines and consistently outperform peers in revenue and profitability. 

To explore more research, expert perspectives and practical strategies that can help your organizations transform tax and invoice compliance into a competitive advantage, visit Basware's Compliance Hub. 

About Basware 
Basware is how the world's best finance teams gain complete control of every invoice, every time. Our Intelligent Invoice Lifecycle Management Platform ensures end-to-end efficiency, compliance and control for all invoice transactions. Powered by the world's most sophisticated invoice-centric AI, trained on over 2.5 billion invoices, Basware's Intelligent Automation drives real ROI by transforming finance operations. We serve 6,500+ customers globally and are trusted by industry leaders including DHL, Heineken and Sony. Fueled by more than 40 years of specialized expertise with $10+ trillion in total spend handled, we are pioneering the next era of finance. With Basware, now it all just happens. 

SOURCE Basware