Business Invoicing – FAQs
Do you have any questions about billing at SNCF Voyageurs? Who does it apply to? How can you receive your bills? What should you do if you have a billing issue?
Find the answers to your most frequently asked questions.
As part of the Electronic Invoicing Reform, SNCF Voyageurs is required to issue invoices to all its VAT-registered customers (private or public organisations, whether French or foreign) when they identify themselves as such by entering an FCE code.
Invoicing is not required for private customers.
Consequently, any purchase made without using an FCE code will not be invoiced.
Billing applies to journeys operated by SNCF Voyageurs: TGV INOUI, INTERCITÉS, OUIGO, TER (excluding ZOU! trains operated by Transdev), as well as discount cards and season tickets, provided that the purchase was made by entering an FCE code.
For international journeys, the invoicing terms depend on the agreements between SNCF Voyageurs and its partner carriers, as well as the tax rules applicable in each country. Eurostar train tickets are not invoiced by SNCF Voyageurs.
The invoice is issued in the company’s name and is not addressed to the traveller. The proof of purchase can be obtained by the traveller; it is issued in their name and does not go through an authorised platform.
The FCE code (Business Customer Reference) is a unique identifier that enables a business to receive its invoices. For businesses with a TGV INOUI PRO Contract, this same FCE code also entitles them to specific fare benefits.
For an organisation subject to VAT in France, creating an FCE code requires administrative details (SIREN, SIRET, intra-Community VAT number, postal address, ..), as well as the addressing code under which the company wishes to receive electronic invoices from SNCF Voyageurs, provided that it is active in the State Register. An email address for a billing contact must also be provided.
For a foreign company, only the administrative details and the email address of the invoicing contact are required.
To do this, simply complete the form to create an FCE code, which is available on the SNCF Voyageurs Business Billing page. This code must be used for every booking.
For any organisation, whether private or public, subject to VAT in France, invoices are issued and sent in electronic format (structured data feeds transmitted via approved platforms) and sent to the addressing code specified in the FCE. For businesses that do not yet have an active addressing entry in the directory, invoices will be sent by email, in PDF format, to the invoicing contact email address specified in the FCE. They are therefore not received by the traveller.
All invoices issued in the name of customers not liable for VAT in France will be sent by email, in PDF format, to the invoicing contact email address provided in the FCE.
Invoices will be issued on an ongoing basis, approximately 48 hours after the purchase (one invoice per order/purchase session).
Any changes made to an invoiced purchase will automatically generate a credit note, cancelling the original invoice, and a new invoice, in the case of an exchange. These documents are issued in the same name as the original invoice and follow the same procedure.
Customers using travel agencies may, in certain cases, agree with those agencies on different arrangements for the receipt and processing of invoices issued by SNCF Voyageurs (Case No. 39).
If this applies to you, please enquire about the procedures for managing your invoices.
No. When travelling on business, it is always possible (and legal) to submit proof of purchase or travel to your employer as part of your expense claim in order to be reimbursed.
From now on, any purchase made using the FCE Contrat Pro code will result, in addition to the price benefits, in an invoice issued in the company’s name (electronic or PDF).
When launching Electronic Invoicing, it is essential that the invoice address code has been updated in the FCE via the ‘Corporate Invoicing’ page.
Simply go to the FCE creation/amendment workflow, which can be accessed via the Business Invoicing page. Details of businesses verified against the Electronic Invoicing Register cannot be amended.
You can, however, edit the other fields. If you wish to change the SIRET or the addressing code for your FCE, click on “I wish to change my addressing identifier”.
Simply go to the FCE creation process, which can be accessed via the Business Invoicing page, enter your SIREN and VAT numbers, and click on ‘Forgotten FCE’.
If any FCEs linked to this SIREN number already exist, the relevant details will be displayed.