When processing a PDF invoice, the IDR must determine who the supplier is. This does not happen based on the name and address on the PDF, but via Purple Pages: eConnect's party database that is fed by the Chamber of Commerce. The supplier data in the e-invoice is therefore always the official company registration data.

A supplier name on a PDF invoice can be written in many ways: with or without "Ltd.", abbreviated, with a trade name instead of the statutory name. By identifying the supplier via company registration data rather than the text on the invoice, the identification is reliable and consistent, regardless of how the supplier writes their name on the invoice.

Purple Pages contains data for all Dutch organisations and is continuously updated. For foreign suppliers, identification is supplemented with data from other sources.

It may happen that the name in the e-invoice differs from what appears on the original PDF. This is normal behaviour: the e-invoice contains the official company registration data, not the text from the PDF. The data that the IDR recognises on the invoice as addressed to (the buyer) is separately included in an XML extension, including warnings if there are significant discrepancies (for example a different VAT number).

A known point of attention: with invoices from subsidiary organisations or foundations that are part of a larger organisation, the IDR may sometimes recognise the name of the parent organisation instead of the actual supplier. This happens when the name of the parent organisation is prominently present on the invoice.

If this occurs, correct the invoice manually and report it to support. The eConnect team will adjust the recognition so that future invoices from this supplier are correctly identified.

Note: every correction is fed back as training data to the IDR. The system learns from the report and recognises the supplier correctly on future invoices.

Want to know which fields the IDR recognises? Read Which fields does the IDR recognise?.