Starting in September 2026, all VAT-registered businesses in France – including coworking spaces – must send and receive invoices electronically through government-approved platforms called Partner Dematerialization Platforms (PDPs).
Invoices need to be transmitted in a structured digital format, not just a PDF, so that data flows directly to the French tax authority (Direction Générale des Finances Publiques, or DGFiP). The goal is to modernize tax reporting, reduce fraud, and simplify VAT processes across France.
Cobot works with Pennylane as its certified PDP partner. During setup, Cobot creates a Pennylane account on your behalf. This guide will walk you through the process step by step.
Before getting started
French e-invoices require recipient tax information. Members add their VAT ID during sign-up. Make sure the Tax ID field on sign-up is activated under Customize » Features » Sign-Up.
For members who are small businesses and don't have a VAT ID, you'll need their SIREN number instead.
⚠️ To collect your members' SIREN numbers, you should first set up a custom field called SIREN numbers. More details on custom fields. This allows you to store their SIREN number in their profile.
Step 1: Activate E-Invoicing in your Cobot Invoice Settings
Reach out to supoprt@cobot.me to activate the E-Invoicing feature for your space.
Afterwards, you will be able to finish the setup in your Invoice Settings.
Go to Setup » Invoice Settings
Click Configure your e-invoicing credentials
3. Fill out your company details.
Important Note
The company details added under Facturation électronique will be used to create your Pennylane account in the next step. Make sure everything is added correctly.
4. Once you have saved your company details, click Se connecter avec Pennylane
You will be forwarded to the Sandbox environment of Pennylane.
If you already have a Pennylane account: Log in with your credentials.
If you don't have a Pennylane account: Create a new account
Once your Pennylane account is set up, you can turn on e-invoicing in Cobot by clicking Activer.
Afterwards, Cobot will handle the transmission of invoices to the tax authorities automatically.
Important Notes
Once you enable invoice sending, Cobot will automatically submit invoices to the e-invoicing system after they're generated – starting September 2026.
Until September 2026, you can test the integration in the sandbox environment.
Sandbox phase: now until September 2026
The e-invoicing regulation for French businesses goes live in September 2026. Until then, Cobot's integration runs in a sandbox (test) environment.
Here's what that means for you:
You can set up and test your e-invoicing credentials now.
All invoices sent during this phase go to a test account – not to your members or the DGFiP.
No real invoices are transmitted until the regulation goes live.
This is a good time to get familiar with the setup before it becomes mandatory.
💡 Tip: Join our beta Slack channel to stay up to date and share feedback. Contact our team to be added.
Going live in September 2026
If you've set up your credentials during the sandbox phase, you'll be ready to go when the regulation comes into effect in September.
Questions? Reach out at support@cobot.me!
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