Spare Hours › Invoicing
Invoicing automation & e-invoicing setup for small businesses
Invoices that send themselves.
You should spend five minutes a month on invoices, not a whole Sunday. I set up an e-invoicing tool that creates, sends and follows up your invoices, ready for France's September 2027 deadline, and show you how to use AI for everything around it. You approve. The system does the rest.
Sound familiar?
Where invoicing goes wrong
How it often works today
- Invoices made in Word or Excel, often late and after the fact
- Nobody quite knows who has paid, so reminders happen, or don't
- Money you've already earned arrives late, and chasing it feels awkward
- A new legal requirement you haven't had time to look into
How it works after
- Recurring invoices created automatically on a fixed date
- Sent through an approved e-invoicing platform
- Unpaid invoices get a polite reminder draft, ready for you to approve
- A monthly overview of who owes what
France's e-invoicing reform
What small businesses in France need to know
| Date | What applies | Who |
|---|---|---|
| 1 September 2026 | Be able to receive e-invoices | All businesses, including micro-entrepreneurs |
| 1 September 2027 | Issue e-invoices and report transaction data (e-reporting) | Small and medium-sized businesses and micro-entreprises |
Source: economie.gouv.fr – Tout savoir sur la facturation électronique
An e-invoice is not a PDF in an email. It is sent through a plateforme agréée (an approved platform) in a standard format.
VAT-exempt businesses are included. If you're under the franchise en base, the rules still apply to you.
Four new details on every invoice: your customer's SIREN number, the type of transaction (goods, services or both), whether VAT is paid "sur les débits", and the delivery address if it differs from the billing address.
Private and foreign customers are invoiced as before, but the transaction data must be reported through the platform.
The authorities have said they will be lenient during the start-up phase, so there's no need to panic. It is a good reason to get set up calmly, now.
What gets automated
Six steps. You only touch one.
- Job doneYou finish the work, or the month ends for a recurring client.
- Invoice createdAutomatically, from your customer register and templates.
- You approveA quick check. This is your only step.
- SentThrough your approved e-invoicing platform, with e-reporting handled.
- Payment trackedThe platform knows what's paid and what isn't.
- Reminder draftedAI writes a friendly reminder in the right language and tone, for you to approve.
The platform handles the invoices and the e-reporting. The AI layer handles everything that needs words: reminders in the right tone, answers to invoice questions, and a monthly report of who owes what.
What you get
Set up once, running for good
Chosen with you, ready for the e-invoicing reform. You own the account.
With all the mandatory details, in French, English or Swedish.
For recurring work and late payers, always as drafts you approve.
A short session on using AI for invoice questions, emails and follow-ups, plus a written cheat sheet.
How it works
From first call to a working routine
Free intro call
30 minutes: how you invoice today, what takes time, and what the reform means for your business.
FreeSet-up
A fixed-price quote. Then I set up the platform, customers, templates, recurring invoices and reminders. Your first month's invoices go out with me alongside.
Fixed price, based on scopeHandover & support
One hour of training and a cheat sheet. Optional monthly support for new customers, changes and a monthly check of unpaid invoices.
Monthly · optionalThe price of the set-up depends on how many customers and invoices you have, whether you're starting from Word or Excel or already use a tool, how many languages you need, and whether old invoices need moving over.
Questions
Invoicing questions, answered
Do small businesses in France have to use e-invoicing?
Yes. Since 1 September 2026, every business in France, including micro-entrepreneurs, must be able to receive electronic invoices. From 1 September 2027, small and medium-sized businesses and micro-entreprises must also issue e-invoices to other French businesses and report transaction data (e-reporting).
Is a PDF sent by email an e-invoice?
No. An e-invoice is sent through an approved platform (plateforme agréée) in a standard format. A plain PDF attached to an email will not count as a compliant invoice between French businesses once the 2027 obligation applies to you.
Does the reform apply if I am VAT-exempt (franchise en base)?
Yes. Businesses under the VAT franchise are covered too, both for receiving and, from September 2027, issuing e-invoices.
The platforms are free. Can't I just do it myself?
You can. What you pay Spare Hours for is getting it done and getting it right: your customers, templates, the new mandatory invoice details and automatic reminders set up in an afternoon, rather than over three weekends.
Will AI send things to my customers without me?
No. Every invoice and reminder is prepared as a draft and you approve it. The AI does the repetitive work; you always have the final say.
My accountant handles my invoices. Do I still need this?
Good. We choose a platform your accountant can work in. Your accountant handles the year-end; the everyday routine of sending, tracking and reminding is what we set up.
What about Swedish businesses?
Sweden has no equivalent mandatory e-invoicing reform for small business-to-business invoices, so for Swedish clients this is about saving time and getting paid faster, using tools such as Fortnox, Visma eEkonomi or Bokio.
Get your Sundays back.
Email me about your invoicing. Tell me how you invoice today, and I'll get back to you personally.
Email me