Concept Definition
What is CII in e-invoicing?
CII (Cross Industry Invoice) is an XML schema developed by UN/CEFACT for structured invoice exchange. It is one of two syntax bindings recognized by EN 16931, alongside UBL. CII is the XML component embedded in Factur-X and ZUGFeRD documents and is used by the French and German e-invoicing mandates.
How does CII differ from UBL?
CII and UBL are both EN 16931 syntax bindings but use different element naming conventions and structure. CII is more compact. UBL is more verbose. Peppol mandates UBL. French and German mandates accept CII via Factur-X.
- CII: UN/CEFACT origin. Used in Factur-X and ZUGFeRD. Compact element names.
- UBL: OASIS origin. Used in Peppol BIS Billing 3.0. Verbose element names.
- EN 16931: Supports both as alternative syntax bindings for the same semantic model.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can CII invoices be sent via Peppol?
- Not natively. Peppol requires UBL 2.1. CII documents must be converted to UBL before transmission via Peppol. Some Access Points and PDPs perform this conversion automatically.
- Is CII the same as Factur-X?
- No. CII is the XML schema. Factur-X is the hybrid format that embeds a CII XML file inside a PDF/A-3 container. Factur-X uses CII as its structured data layer.