Payment and invoicing
In this section you’ll learn which payment methods are available to you, how to process invoices from Unite, and what Unite’s payment terms are. We also provide answers to frequently asked questions.
You can choose your payment method during the completion of each order. On the order summary page, the payment method is defaulted to ‘Invoice’, but you can also choose other options available to you.
Depending on the creditworthiness of your company, you can pay on account after receiving the goods. Here are the steps to pay via this method:
Step 1: When completing your order, choose the payment method ‘Invoice’ and click ‘Submit order’.
Step 2: An email will be sent to you confirming receipt of your order.
Step 3: Once the items leave our supplier’s warehouse, you’ll receive an electronic invoice by email.
Step 4: Pay the invoice and remember to include the invoice and customer number on the bank transfer.
Step 1: Select ‘Advance payment’ as the payment option.
Step 2: An email will be sent to you confirming receipt of your order.
Step 3: You’ll receive a second email with our proforma invoice and Unite’s banking details.
Step 4: Pay by bank transfer and include your customer and order number as payment reference.
Step 5: We’ll process your order as soon as we receive your payment.
You can either create a direct debit mandate directly on the order summary page or create it at any time under your account.
We’ll inform you before each debit. On your account, you will recognise your orders with Unite by the creditor identification number.
Unite uses an automated invoice system and, depending on your system, you’ll either receive it in your inbox or through your own ERP system if you’re using the PunchOut setup. Get all the information you need to integrate Unite with your system (PunchOut).
To manually access your invoice, log in to your account and click on the ‘Order archive’ tab. Click on the relevant order, where you’ll find the invoice attached as a PDF document in the column ‘Documents’.
An e-invoice is an electronic document that has the same content and legal implications as a paper invoice or a PDF attachment in an email.
To receive e-invoices, you should meet one of the following criteria:
Your system can receive emails with XML attachments or
Your company is registered in the PEPPOL network.
Since November 2020, e-invoicing has been mandatory for public sector organisations. Unite complies with this requirement by providing XRechnung.
If you’re a public sector organisation and haven’t yet received e-invoices from Unite, you can adjust the necessary settings in your account. Go to ‘Account’ and then ‘Settings’. Select the ‘Public sector organisation’ option. Please also update the new mandatory field ‘Leitweg-ID’ in your billing addresses. Your invoices will then be digitally transmitted via the PEPPOL network in accordance with national and regional requirements.
Unite will not issue any invoices to the customer and the customer is responsible for the invoicing procedure as set out in this section.
Delivery of items: The supplier sends items to the customer and Unite transmits an e-dispatch notification to the customer without generating an invoice.
Credit advice: Following transmission of the e-dispatch notification the customer must invoice the order by means of a credit advice issued by the customer in accordance with the applicable tax laws containing the mandatory details, the order number used by the customer, and any account assignments.
No collective credit advice: One credit advice must be issued for each order. Collective (more than one) credit advice for multiple orders isn’t permitted.
Invoice correction: Unite reviews the credit advice for accuracy. If discrepancies arise, Unite can dispute it, and the customer adjusts accordingly. Only debit notes which are sent using the same communication protocol as the credit advice can be accepted for the revision of the credit advice issued by the customer.
Payment: The customer pays Unite based on the credit advice and the agreed payment terms.
Record keeping: Both parties retain records for auditing and tax compliance, ensuring proper documentation storage as per regulations.
Please get in touch with your dedicated Unite contact if you’re interested in the self-billing procedure.
Invoices from Unite are due immediately when issued, without any deductions, unless you’ve agreed other payment terms with Unite.
In the event of late payment, late fees may apply. For more information, refer to our General Terms and Conditions.
You’ll receive an invoice immediately after shipping. If you haven’t received an invoice, please contact our customer service.
If you have questions about your invoice, please email accounting@unite.eu.
This can occur in the following cases:
Multiple suppliers: If you’ve ordered items from different suppliers.
Partial deliveries: For separate deliveries of an order.
Possible reasons could be:
Overlapping of invoice and returns documents.
Return was not announced via the returns form.
Returned goods did not meet the return requirements. We’ll send the order back to your delivery address.
Possible reasons could be:
Overlapping of payment and reminder documents.
Incorrect data on the bank transfer. Please always include the correct customer and invoice number on a bank transfer.
Payment was sent to the wrong recipient. Please check that you have the correct information when processing payments.
Credit advice not correctly assigned to your account.
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