Choosing an approved platform is easier when you separate three decisions: is this the right regulated operator, does its service handle your transactions, and can you use it without creating more work? A reassuring badge only addresses part of that decision.
This checklist is for small businesses established in France. It helps you compare providers against your own transactions and working methods. Regulatory sources were checked on 16 October 2026.
The short answer
Start with the DGFiP's official platform lists. Match the provider's identity and check which list it appears on. The page distinguishes operators that have satisfied all conditions, including interoperability tests, from operators awaiting final registration conditional on those tests.
Then compare the specific offer you would buy, not just the provider's brand. Obtain written answers about reception, issuing, reporting, prices, exports and support. Approval does not tell you whether a particular subscription includes the service you need.
First establish what you need today
For businesses within the reform, receiving has been required since 1 September 2026. Small and micro-businesses reach mandatory issuing on 1 September 2027. If you have no receiving arrangement, that is the immediate gap to resolve; you should not postpone it while comparing future optional features. Official implementation update.
If you are unsure which sales require electronic invoices or e-reporting, use our France-specific guide before choosing a package. “I do not charge VAT” is not sufficient to establish that the reform does not apply.
Prepare a one-page requirements sheet
List the types of documents and customers you actually have. A freelancer with French business customers needs different demonstrations from someone also selling to individuals or working internationally.
Record:
- Your establishment and VAT situation, including franchise en base if applicable.
- Whether customers are French businesses, consumers, foreign businesses or public bodies.
- Approximate monthly incoming and outgoing document volumes, including occasional peaks.
- Who prepares, checks, receives and exports the documents.
- The software you intend to keep, its version and the exact connection you need.
- The language in which you need help, and whether help must be available by phone or in writing.
This is a selection worksheet, not a declaration to the tax authority. You can build it without sending confidential customer documents to providers.
Compare evidence, not checkmarks
Use the same questions for every shortlisted offer. Write “unanswered” when the provider cannot confirm something; do not turn a planned feature into a current capability.
| Question | Evidence to request | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| Which operator provides the approved-platform service? | Exact identity and current entry on the DGFiP list | Operator, list status and date checked |
| What activates reception for my business? | Written setup procedure and confirmation of the resulting receiving arrangement | Required actions, responsible party, completion evidence |
| Which of my transactions are supported? | A demonstration using your relevant customer and VAT cases | Supported case, limitation, manual step |
| What is included for e-reporting? | Written scope for transaction and payment data, where applicable | Included service, extra charge, information you must supply |
| Does it connect to my existing tool? | Named integration, supported version and a demonstration of the actual handoff | Direction of transfer, data retained, unresolved errors |
| What does the whole offer cost? | Current tariff and contract terms | Setup, subscription, volume limits, extras and renewal terms |
| Can I retrieve my records? | A sample export and explanation of access after cancellation | Formats, metadata, attachments, cost and retention arrangements |
| What happens when something fails? | Error handling and support procedure | Notification, correction responsibility, response channel |
| Can I use the service in practice? | A demonstration on your device and confirmation of support language | Readability, access controls, language and help available |
These are our recommended buying questions. They are not a claim that every item is a statutory approval condition.
Ask for a small, controlled demonstration
Use fictitious data and agree that the demonstration must not issue a real invoice or transmit a test transaction into production.
For a business with ordinary French B2B sales, ask the provider to show an incoming document, where it appears, and how you retrieve it. Then inspect an outgoing example: client identity, line items, VAT treatment and the point at which someone checks it before transmission. Finally, introduce a deliberately incomplete field in the demonstration and observe what happens.
If you also have reporting obligations, ask a separate question: which data comes from my tool, which must I enter, and how do I know it was accepted? Do not assume that a successful invoice demonstration also proves the reporting workflow.
You are looking for an understandable division of responsibility. A simple service with one clear manual step may suit you better than an advertised integration nobody can demonstrate.
Make the decision in two passes
First, eliminate unresolved essentials. An unclear operator identity, unsupported transaction type or unconfirmed receiving setup should not be balanced away by a pleasant interface.
Then compare the remaining offers for your workload. Use a normal month and a busier month. Add the charges that apply in each scenario. Compare the steps you actually perform and the help you can actually obtain. Keep a copy of the terms you used; a screenshot of a “from” price is not a complete cost comparison.
Before signing, ask who handles a change of provider and how continuity of reception is maintained. You do not need an elaborate exit project, but you should know how your records and receiving arrangement remain accessible.
Mistakes to avoid
- Treating a software brand and its underlying approved operator as interchangeable without checking who supplies which service.
- Assuming “compatible” proves a working connection to your exact software version.
- Counting features on a roadmap as included functionality.
- Comparing a free entry plan with a paid plan without checking volume and service limits.
- Sending real customer data merely to obtain a sales demonstration.
Where Devisly can help
Evaluate Devisly separately for preparing quotes and invoices on mobile. This checklist does not certify Devisly as an approved platform or as a connected solution to any particular PA. A document-preparation app does not, by itself, demonstrate that your regulated reception, transmission or reporting requirements are covered.
Frequently asked questions
Is a PDF invoice sent by email an electronic invoice?
Emailing a PDF does not demonstrate use of the reform's required exchange process. Ask the provider to distinguish the document you can read, the data transmitted and the route it uses. For your particular issuing deadline, see the official timetable.
Do I need to choose a platform immediately?
Check reception now if that obligation applies and you have not arranged it. You can still compare future issuing features carefully. The immediate requirement and the longer-term purchasing decision do not have to be confused.
Keep these two references with your decision
- The current DGFiP lists: check status again when you sign, rather than relying on this article's review date.
- Your obligations as a freelancer or micro-business in France: establish the cases your chosen offer must support.
Enough reading. Send your next quote straight from the job.
Dictate what you’re billing for. Devisly prepares the quote or invoice. You review it, then send it.