Phase 2 — Integration
ZATCA Phase 2 e-invoicing setup for Saudi businesses
Phase 2 is not a form you fill in. It is a technical integration between your invoicing system and ZATCA’s FATOORA platform — structured XML, a cryptographic stamp, a UUID and a QR code on every invoice. We build that integration and hand you a system that keeps working after we leave.
What Phase 2 actually requires
Most businesses discover the gap late, because Phase 1 was easy by comparison. Phase 1 only asked you to stop issuing handwritten invoices. Phase 2 asks your software to talk to ZATCA directly, in a format ZATCA defines, signed in a way ZATCA can verify.
Structured XML invoices
Invoices must be generated as XML conforming to ZATCA’s schema, not as a PDF with a logo on it. Human-readable copies are produced alongside, not instead.
Cryptographic stamp & UUID
Each invoice carries a cryptographic stamp and a unique identifier so ZATCA can verify it was issued by you and has not been altered. This requires onboarding a certificate.
QR code on every invoice
The QR code encodes specified invoice fields in a defined structure. A decorative QR code that links to your website does not satisfy the requirement.
Clearance and reporting
Standard invoices are cleared with ZATCA before they reach the buyer. Simplified invoices are issued immediately and reported afterwards. Two different flows, both usually needed.
Waves and enforcement dates are announced by ZATCA against revenue thresholds and have rolled out progressively. Check the notification ZATCA sent you or the taxpayer portal for the date that applies to your business — we will not guess it for you.
Who this is for
Retail & F&B
High simplified-invoice volume from a POS. The reporting flow has to be reliable and unattended.
Clinics & services
A mix of B2C and corporate billing, often on software that was never designed for e-invoicing.
Trading & contracting
Mostly standard B2B invoices that must clear before they are sent, so failures block the sale.
How we run it
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1
Short call, on WhatsApp
We ask what you invoice with today, roughly what volume, and whether you issue standard invoices, simplified, or both. Ten minutes is usually enough to know the shape of the job.
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2
Fixed-price proposal
You get a written scope with milestones and a fixed price before any work starts. No open-ended hourly billing.
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3
Build, onboard, test against ZATCA
Certificate onboarding, XML generation, stamping, QR, and the clearance or reporting calls — validated against ZATCA’s environment before you rely on it.
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4
Handover and ongoing support
You get documentation and a working system. Optional monthly support covers monitoring, certificate renewal and schema changes when ZATCA updates them.
Questions we get asked
What is ZATCA Phase 2?
Phase 2 is the Integration phase of Saudi Arabia’s e-invoicing programme. Your invoicing system must connect to ZATCA’s FATOORA platform and submit invoices in a structured XML format carrying a cryptographic stamp, a UUID and a QR code. Phase 1 only required that you stop issuing handwritten invoices; Phase 2 requires an actual technical integration.
How do I know which wave I am in?
ZATCA notifies businesses directly, generally by email and through the taxpayer portal, based on revenue thresholds. Waves have been announced progressively, so check your notification or the ZATCA portal for the date that applies to you rather than relying on a general figure you read somewhere.
What is the difference between standard and simplified invoices?
Standard invoices are typically B2B and B2G and must be cleared by ZATCA before you send them to the buyer. Simplified invoices are typically B2C, issued to the customer immediately, and reported to ZATCA afterwards within the required window. The two flows are technically different and both usually need to be handled.
Can you work with my existing accounting system?
Usually yes. The approach depends on whether your system exposes an API or a database we can read. Where a system is fully closed, we build a compliant invoicing layer alongside it and keep the two reconciled. We confirm which route applies before quoting.
How long does the integration take?
It depends on the state of your current system and how clean your product and customer data is. We scope it on a short WhatsApp call, then give you a fixed-price proposal with milestones so there are no open-ended hours.
Not sure whether your invoices are compliant?
Send us one of your current invoices on WhatsApp. We will tell you what is missing for Phase 2 and what it would take to fix it — before you commit to anything.
Message us on WhatsApp