Factur-X: What is an approved platform and how to choose one?

5 min read·By Alexandre Renda·April 30, 2026

Tech

Since the Factur-X reform has been in the air, you've been hearing about "approved platform" everywhere. Mandatory, registered by the State, ex-PDP... What is it really? Do you have to choose one yourself? And if so, how? We answer all of that simply.

What is an approved platform?

An approved platform — formerly called PDP for Partner Dematerialization Platform — is a private operator certified by the State to transmit your electronic invoices.

Concretely, it's the "digital postman" between you and your professional clients. When you issue an invoice in Factur-X format, it doesn't go directly to your client's email inbox — it passes through an approved platform that verifies its compliance, transmits it to your client's platform, and automatically declares it to the tax administration.

📋 To be approved, a platform must be registered by the DGFiP. Today, there are more than 110 officially recognized approved platforms in France.

Why it's mandatory

Step 1

September 1, 2026

All VAT-registered companies must be able to receive electronic invoices via an approved platform.

Step 2

September 1, 2027

Artisans, sole proprietors, and micro-enterprises must issue their professional invoices via an approved platform.

The approved platform manages three things at once:

The issuance and reception of your electronic invoices
The transmission of data to the tax administration (e-reporting)
The legal archiving of all your invoices for 10 years

Approved platform vs compatible solution — what's the difference?

🏢

Approved Platform (AP)

You register directly on a certified platform. It manages the entire circuit of your invoices. More comprehensive but more technical to set up.

For large companies

✅

Compatible Solution (CS)

Invoicing software connected to an approved platform. You use the software normally — it takes care of everything in the background.

Recommended for artisans

For a plumber, electrician, or painter who just wants to make their quotes and invoices without hassle, the compatible solution is largely sufficient and much simpler.

Do you have to choose a platform yourself?

Not necessarily. And that's the good news.

If you use Factur-X compatible invoicing software like Quickote, the software is already connected to an approved platform. You have nothing to choose, nothing to configure, nothing to understand.

💡 It's like an email inbox. When you send an email, you don't choose the servers that transmit your message — your email software takes care of it. It's exactly the same with a compatible solution and the approved platform it's connected to.

If you still need to choose one — the 4 criteria

Official registration

Check that the platform appears on the official list published by the DGFiP on impots.gouv.fr. An unregistered platform does not make you compliant.

Compatibility with your software

The platform must connect seamlessly to your invoicing software. If you have to re-enter everything manually, it's not the right solution.

E-reporting management

Check that the platform handles e-reporting — not just e-invoicing. These are two distinct obligations and not all platforms manage both.

10-year archiving

The law requires your invoices to be archived for 10 years. Make sure the platform includes this archiving in its offer and not just as a paid option.

The simplest solution for an artisan

You don't need to delve into the list of 110 approved platforms and compare their features. That's for large companies with a dedicated IT department.

For an artisan, the best approach is to choose invoicing software that is already a certified compatible solution — connected to an approved platform, automatically managing e-reporting, archiving your invoices for 10 years, and generating the Factur-X format without you having to think about it.

With Quickote, all of this is included by default. You dictate your quote from the job site, you send it, Quickote takes care of the rest.

Become Factur-X compliant in 5 minutes with Quickote