Buyer and Invoice Import FAQ
Frequently asked questions about importing buyer and invoice data into Afakto.
Table of Contents
Quick Reference Tables
Supported ID Types
ID_TYPE | Use Case |
| French companies (9-digit) |
| French establishments (14-digit) |
| European companies |
| International businesses |
| Other national registrations |
| Commercial registry numbers |
Supported Invoice Types
INV_TYPE | Description | Expected Sign |
| Standard invoice | Positive |
| Credit note/refund | Negative |
| Unallocated or rejected payment | Either |
| Miscellaneous operations | Either |
Supported Payment Methods
PAYMENT_METHOD |
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Supported Date Formats
Format | Example | Recommended |
| 2023-05-15 | ✓ Yes |
| 15/05/2023 | |
ISO datetime | 2023-05-15T10:30:00 |
File Format & Preparation
What file format should I use?
CSV format with headers in the first row. Both comma (,) and semicolon (;) separators are supported.
flowchart LR
subgraph "Choose Your Format"
A["Period decimal<br/>1000.50"] -->|use| B["Comma separator<br/>amount,tax"]
C["Comma decimal<br/>1000,50"] -->|use| D["Semicolon separator<br/>amount;tax"]
end
What are the file requirements?
Encoding: UTF-8
Headers: First row must match documented column names exactly
Line endings: Windows (CRLF), Unix (LF), or Mac (CR) all supported
Extra columns: Ignored by the system
How do I convert Excel to CSV?
In Excel: File → Save As → CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv)
Recommended file naming?
Use format yyyymmdd_companyCode_type.csv:
20230515_ACME01_buyers.csv20230515_ACME01_invoices.csv
Buyer Import
Do I need to import buyers before invoices?
Yes. Buyers must exist before invoices can reference them.
What is BUYER_CODE?
Your unique identifier for each buyer. Keep it ≤15 characters for factor compatibility. The combination of COMPANY_CODE + BUYER_CODE must be unique.
How does buyer code matching work?
The system uses flexible matching when looking up buyers by code:
Exact match: First tries to match the code exactly as provided
Normalized match: Also matches codes with leading zeros and whitespace removed
For example, if your buyer has code 001234, the system will find it when searching for:
001234(exact match)1234(leading zeros removed)
When multiple matches are possible, the system prefers the longest matching code (i.e., exact matches over normalized ones).
What about PAYMENT_TERMS?
Optional. Enter standard payment terms in days (e.g., 30, 45, 60).
Are address and contact fields required?
Technically optional, but required for buyers reported to insurers/factors. Include in initial import to avoid manual data entry later.
Address fields: ADDRESS_STREET_NAME, ADDRESS_STREET_NUMBER, ADDRESS_POSTAL_CODE, ADDRESS_CITY, ADDRESS_STATE, ADDRESS_COUNTRY
Contact fields: CONTACT_NAME, CONTACT_EMAIL, CONTACT_PHONE
Invoice Import
AMOUNT vs BALANCE?
AMOUNT: Original invoice total
BALANCE: Current outstanding amount (after partial payments)
How do I import credit notes?
Set INV_TYPE to CREDIT_NOTE with negative values for AMOUNT and BALANCE.
What is RECONCILIATION_JOURNAL?
Optional field to specify the accounting journal where fully paid invoices (BALANCE = 0) were reconciled.
What currencies are supported?
All standard ISO 4217 three-letter codes (USD, EUR, GBP, etc.).
How do I handle multi-currency buyers?
Create separate buyer records per currency:
ACME-USDfor USD invoicesACME-EURfor EUR invoices
Updates & Deletions
Can I update existing records?
Yes. Re-import with the same key fields and updated values:
Buyers: Same
COMPANY_CODE+BUYER_CODEInvoices: Same
COMPANY_CODE+BUYER_CODE+INV_TYPE+INV_NUMBER
Can I delete data after import?
Yes, through the Afakto web interface. For bulk deletions, contact your administrator.
Troubleshooting
"Buyer not found" error
Ensure all buyers referenced in invoice imports were previously imported. The system uses flexible buyer code matching (see How does buyer code matching work?), but COMPANY_CODE must still match exactly (case-sensitive).
Date format errors
Use YYYY-MM-DD format for best compatibility.
How do I validate files before importing?
Check in Excel or Google Sheets for:
Missing required fields
Inconsistent formatting
Duplicate keys
Invalid data types
"Duplicate buyer/invoice found in file" error
Each record must appear only once per import file. The system blocks duplicates across the entire file based on:
Buyers:
COMPANY_CODE+BUYER_CODEInvoices:
COMPANY_CODE+BUYER_CODE+INV_TYPE+INV_NUMBER
Remove duplicate rows before re-importing.
Automation & Advanced Topics
How often should I import?
Daily imports recommended, or at minimum before each cession.
Can I automate imports?
Yes, via:
SFTP Transfer: Push files to Afakto
Azure Blob Storage: Transfer files via Azure integration
API Integration: Programmatic uploads
Scheduled Imports: Afakto pulls from your systems
The Afakto technical team is also available to integrate data through other mechanisms tailored to your needs. Contact your implementation team for setup.
How do I handle large volumes?
Schedule imports during off-peak hours
Remove unnecessary columns
⚠️ Important: Do NOT split invoice files by company. Each file must contain ALL invoices for each company included—missing invoices will have their balance reset to 0.
Can I include multiple companies in one file?
Yes. The system processes each company independently based on COMPANY_CODE.
How do I import historical data?
Same format—just use the correct historical dates for INV_DATE and DUE_DATE.
Getting Help
Buyer and Invoice Import Guide — detailed instructions
Buyer and Invoice Import Examples — templates and examples
Contact your system administrator or Afakto support