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Line descriptions and units of measure on invoices

Add a description under an item, choose a unit such as hours or days, and see how both print on the PDF and in the e-invoice.

Updated

Every invoice line has a name, a quantity, a rate and a VAT rate. Two more fields help you say what you sold: a description under the name, and a unit of measure next to the quantity.

Description

Under each line you find Description (optional). Use it for details that do not belong in the name: the scope of a service, a period, a serial number. Up to 500 characters; line breaks are kept.

The description prints on the PDF in small type under the item name, in the preview, and in the ZUGFeRD e-invoice as the item description. Products from your catalog bring their description with them.

If you used the discount note on older invoices: that text is now the description. It prints under the name, and the discount itself prints as its percentage, for example "Discount 10%".

Units of measure

Next to the quantity you can choose a unit: piece, hour, day, kilogram, liter, meter or square meter. The quantity then prints with the unit, in the invoice language and matching the number:

  • Piece: "2 Stk." in German, "2 pcs." in English
  • Hour: "2 Std." in German, "2 h" in English
  • Day: "1 Tag" and "3 Tage" in German, "1 day" and "3 days" in English
  • Kilogram, liter, meter and square meter: "5 kg", "5 l", "5 m", "5 m²" in every language

A line without a unit prints the quantity alone, as before.

In the ZUGFeRD e-invoice each unit becomes its standard code, for example HUR for hours and DAY for days. A line without a unit keeps the generic code.

On quotes and recurring invoices

Both fields work the same way on quotes, cancellation invoices and recurring invoices. A recurring invoice passes them to every invoice it generates.

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