Retrieve invoices
Learn how to receive invoices as a buyer and send lifecycle status updates back to suppliers.
When to use the inbound product
Use the fr_invoice_inbound_1.0 product when you want to use Sovos for your inbound compliance.
You must set up an inbound endpoint before suppliers can deliver invoices to you. For instructions, see Create an inbound endpoint in Network Services.
How documents are made available
When a supplier submits an invoice addressed to your SIREN, Sovos validates it, transforms it to your configured format, and makes it available as a notification.
For instructions on setting up ERP System Communications, see Network and endpoint configuration.
As your PA-R, Sovos sets the following transmission-phase statuses automatically. You do not submit these.
| SCICloudStatusCode | French code status | Description |
|---|---|---|
215 | 202 — Reçue par la plateforme (Received) | Sovos has received the invoice from the supplier's PA. |
216 | 203 — Mise à disposition (Made available) | Sovos has made the invoice available for you to retrieve. |
Retrieve notifications
Use the GET notifications endpoint to poll for received invoices.
GET /v1/notifications/FR?taxId={SIREN}&sourceSystemId={erpSystemId}&processType=1&page=1&perPage=50
Authorization: Bearer {token}The parameters are the same as the outbound notifications endpoint. Set processType=1 to filter for documents received as a buyer. Set includeAcknowledged=false to retrieve only invoices you have not yet processed.
A notification with sciCloudStatusCode 216 indicates an invoice is ready to retrieve. This is a Sovos platform code that corresponds to the AFNOR status 203 (Mise à disposition).
Notification response
For a full response example, see GET notifications.
The content field is a Base64-encoded invoice document. Decode it to get the invoice in the format set up for your ERP system (SCI, UBL, CII, or Factur-X).
Process received documents
Submit lifecycle status responses
After you process an invoice, you must submit a treatment-phase lifecycle status back to the supplier through Sovos.
The France reform specification (XP Z12-014) defines both mandatory and optional statuses for buyers.
Available buyer statuses
| SCICloudStatusCode | French code status | Mandatory | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
204 | 204 — Prise en charge (Acknowledged) | No | You have acknowledged receipt of the invoice. |
203 | 205 — Approuvée (Approved) | No | You accept the invoice in full. |
217 | 206 — Approuvée partiellement (Partially approved) | No | You accept the invoice in part. |
218 | 207 — En litige (Disputed) | No | You dispute all or part of the invoice. A reason code is required. |
219 | 208 — Suspendue (Suspended) | No | You are waiting for more supporting documents before processing. |
405 | 210 — Refusée (Refused) | Yes | You refuse the invoice in full. See the important note on regulatory consequences. |
213 | 211 — Paiement transmis (Payment sent) | No | You have made payment. |
How to submit a status
See Lifecycle and use cases to learn more about how and when to send lifecycle statuses as a buyer.
Regulatory consequences of Refusée
Use Refusée only when you genuinely refuse the invoice in full. Valid reasons include a regulatory non-conformity not caught by the receiving platform (for example, a missing purchase order number), an invoice for an unknown transaction (you do not recognize the supplier or have no reason to receive an invoice from them), or a failure to meet contractual conditions that prevent you from processing the invoice. The full list of valid refusal reason codes is defined in Annex A of XP Z12-012.
You must include a reason code from the approved list in the Refusée lifecycle message. The reason code is mandatory and must be sent to the supplier.
Do not use Refusée for invoice disputes or disagreements about content. Use
En litige (207)instead.If you refuse an invoice, do not book it. The Refusée status serves as your accounting justification. No credit note from the supplier is expected or required.
Once Refusée is set on an invoice, no further mandatory lifecycle statuses can be posted against it at the PPF. The invoice lifecycle is closed.
If the supplier issues a credit note referencing a previously refused invoice, the supplier's PA must not process or transmit it. If such a credit note reaches the receiving platform, processing must stop at that platform level. You do not receive anything related to a previously refused invoice. If your own accounting requires it, issue an internal credit note that is not submitted to Sovos or transmitted to the supplier.
Acknowledge notifications
Acknowledge each notification after you import the invoice into your Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) to prevent it from appearing in future polling results.
For request details, see Mark a notification as acknowledged.
Do not acknowledge a notification if processing failed. Leaving it unacknowledged lets you retrieve it again on the next poll.
Handle errors and retries
Error handling for inbound invoices follows the same pattern as outbound. Review common failures and their resolutions to troubleshoot issues.
See Handle errors and retries for the general error handling pattern.
Common failures
| Failure | Resolution |
|---|---|
| No invoices received | Confirm your endpoint exists and your electronic address is correct and registered in the Annuaire. Without both, suppliers cannot route invoices to you. |
| Supplier routing to wrong address | Verify your electronic address is correct in the supplier's BT-49 field. |
| No content in notification | Your ERP System Communications settings may not have an output format set up for this product. Go to ERP System Communications in the Sovos portal and create a system communication for fr_invoice_inbound_1.0. See Set Up ERP System Communications for France. |