10.03.2025
Digitally structured invoices simplify day-to-day business. Find out why sending and receiving e-bills also have a sustainable effect – not just for the environment, but for your whole company.
Switching to the digital sending or receipt of invoices can have financial benefits for your company.
Calculate how much money you may be able to save.
Sustainability is high on the list of priorities for many companies. But between what is mandatory and what is optional, many don't know where to start. A first step can be the implementation of electronic invoices. It offers a straightforward opportunity to promote sustainability in your company – and, at the same time, to cut costs and design more efficient processes.
Issuing invoices takes time: entering data, printing invoices, putting them in envelopes and sending them – this takes time. The same is true when you receive an invoice and need to process it in your accounting system. And it all comes down to money. Every paper invoice generates costs that you can save by sending electronic invoices.
Digitized invoicing processes eliminate a large part of the work. The costs are correspondingly lower. Implementation of electronic invoices requires one-off investments. However, these are small and can be recouped after a short period. There are also four positive side effects.
There are also other positive side effects, such as digital archiving: digitized invoices are archived automatically, require hardly any storage space and can be accessed with just a few clicks – in contrast to paper invoices in a folder. Process costs can also be optimized by receiving electronic invoices: thanks to automation, the order assignment takes place directly in the accounting software. In addition, digital invoices cannot go missing. They can be found and traced at all times by the invoice issuer and recipient. This can also mean that invoices are paid more reliably.
By switching to electronic invoicing, PostFinance supports you on the way to greater sustainability.
The integrated B2B e-invoicing solution processes invoice data from your accounting software and automatically forwards it to the recipient in electronic form. Or you can send, receive and manage B2B e-bills directly and independently with the eInvoicing portal from PostFinance.
eBill enables you to send invoices in electronic form to your private customers thanks to e-banking, where they can be settled with ease. Find out how to motivate your customers in the article "How to get your customers excited about eBill" and on our Info page "Acquiring eBill recipients".
Electronic invoices can not only make your company more economical, but also more environmentally sustainable. You are conserving natural resources and helping to protect trees and forests, because large quantities of wood are consumed in the production of paper invoices.
In addition to protecting trees, switching to electronic invoices also reduces your company's carbon footprint.
The myclimate-certified "The link will open in a new window 2023 Sustainability in invoicing" SIX study came to the conclusion that digital invoicing methods – compared to paper- and e-mail invoices –are the most environmentally friendly solutions. They emit the least CO2 across the entire value chain. With electronic invoices, paper consumption and CO2emissions are reduced to zero because they are issued, transmitted and received in a predefined, structured electronic format. The invoice exchange takes place system to system, so to speak – without any possible media disruption.
According to the study CO2 emissions are cut by 89% on average compared to paper invoices thanks to the processing of eBill invoices. Even in comparison to e-mail invoices eBill cut CO2emissions by 33%. Other purely digital invoices such as the B2B e-invoice are likely to reach similar values.
The use of electronic invoices is growing steadily. A trend that will continue in the coming years. It is estimated that by 2028 around 80% of invoice traffic will be digital. There are several reasons for this: in addition to the aforementioned benefits of receiving digital invoices, there are also mandatory regulations. For example in Switzerland, invoices to public administrations have had to be submitted electronically since 2016 for contract values of more than CHF 5,000. And outside Switzerland, more and more countries are introducing laws on electronic invoices, not only in Europe, but also in other parts of the world. In Germany for example, electronic invoices have been mandatory for business transactions since 1 January 2025.
The change to electronic invoices is a step towards sustainability. In addition to financial savings, companies benefit from efficient processes and a reduction in their CO₂ emissions from invoicing. Digital invoicing and receipt will become increasingly relevant in the future – those who switch will contribute to climate protection and secure a competitive advantage.
