FACe and FACeB2B: A Practical Guide to e-Invoicing in Spain

Why FACe and FACeB2B Are Not InterchangeableIf you run an SME in Catalonia and you have started invoicing public bodies, you have probably come across...

Why FACe and FACeB2B Are Not Interchangeable

If you run an SME in Catalonia and you have started invoicing public bodies, you have probably come across a confusing alphabet soup: FACe, FACeB2B, Facturae, DIR3 and DIRe. They are all connected to electronic invoicing in Spain, but mixing them up is one of the fastest ways to get an invoice rejected, delayed, or simply lost in an administrative queue.

The single question that clears up most of the confusion is this: who is the recipient? FACe and FACeB2B are two different public entry points, each designed for a different commercial relationship. They are not two versions of the same platform, and you cannot use them interchangeably.

FACe: The General Entry Point for Public Administration

FACe is the General Entry Point for Electronic Invoices of the Spanish State Administration. It allows suppliers and private companies to submit, electronically, invoices for goods delivered or services rendered to bodies of the General State Administration and to other public administrations that have joined the service.

This system exists because Spanish law (Ley 25/2013) required the State, the autonomous communities and local entities to have a general entry point for invoices. It also allows one administration to adhere to the point provided by another. That is why, before issuing an invoice, it is worth checking which entry point the recipient body actually uses. An invoice being addressed to the public sector does not automatically mean it should go to FACe.

When the body you are invoicing does use FACe, the invoice must be submitted in a structured electronic format and must contain the codes identifying the accounting office, the managing body and the processing unit. These codes come from DIR3, the Common Directory that identifies units and offices across the public administrations. In practice, FACe is a channel for entry and distribution, not a program for creating invoices. It receives the document, records the date and time of submission, generates a receipt, and forwards it to the corresponding accounting office. The supplier can then track the processing status, which makes public sector e-invoicing traceable from the moment it is submitted.

FACeB2B: Invoices Between Companies Linked to Public Procurement

FACeB2B is a different public service, aimed at the distribution of electronic invoices between companies. Its original purpose is not to handle any private sector transaction, but specifically certain subcontracting relationships within public sector contracts.

In this scenario, the subcontractor does not invoice the administration directly. It issues the invoice to the main contractor, who is the party ultimately responsible for the public contract. FACeB2B acts as the intermediary channel for that B2B relationship, ensuring the invoice reaches the right company with a verifiable record of delivery.

So the distinction is straightforward once you frame it correctly:

FACe — you are invoicing a public administration body directly.
FACeB2B — you are invoicing a contractor or subcontractor within the framework of a public contract.

Facturae, DIR3 and DIRe: Three Different Jobs

These three terms are often lumped together, but they perform completely separate functions.

Facturae is the structured electronic invoice format required for these channels. It is the document itself, not a platform.
DIR3 is the Common Directory of administrative units. It supplies the codes that tell the system which office, body and unit should receive the invoice.
DIRe is the address book of suppliers and contractors used within FACeB2B, allowing companies to identify each other reliably when exchanging invoices.

Getting any of these wrong tends to produce the same outcome: a rejection notice and a delay in payment. For an SME in Lleida or Tarragona, that delay can have a real impact on cash flow.

What the New B2B e-Invoicing Regulation Means for FACeB2B

Spain is moving towards mandatory B2B electronic invoicing, following the framework set out in the Crea y Crece law. The direction of travel is clear: structured e-invoicing between companies will become the norm rather than the exception, and the systems that support it will need to interoperate smoothly.

For SMEs, this is less a threat than a prompt. Companies that already handle structured invoices — whether through FACe, FACeB2B or their own ERP — will find the transition far less painful than those still relying on PDFs sent by email. The organisations that adapt early tend to spend less time on remediation later.

Connecting FACe and FACeB2B to Your Business Systems

The real efficiency gain does not come from logging into a public portal and uploading invoices one by one. It comes from connecting your ERP, your accounting software and your document management tools to these channels so that invoices are generated, validated, submitted and tracked automatically.

That is where process automation changes the picture. Instead of an administrator manually keying in DIR3 codes, checking statuses and chasing receipts, an automated workflow can:

Generate Facturae files directly from your ERP when an order is fulfilled.
Validate DIR3 and DIRe codes before submission, catching errors early.
Submit invoices to FACe or FACeB2B and retrieve the official receipt automatically.
Monitor processing status and alert the finance team only when action is needed.
Archive every document with full traceability for audits and GDPR compliance.

Tools such as n8n make this kind of integration realistic for small and medium businesses, not just large corporations. By connecting your existing applications — ERP, CRM, email, document storage — into a single workflow, you remove the repetitive manual steps that consume hours every week and introduce errors that cost far more than the time saved.

At ALMC, we work with SMEs across Catalonia to design these integrations so that invoicing to public bodies and contractors stops being a monthly headache and becomes a background process. The goal is not just compliance with the current rules, but readiness for the B2B e-invoicing mandate that is already on the horizon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I send the same invoice to both FACe and FACeB2B? No. Each platform serves a different recipient. Sending an invoice to the wrong channel will result in rejection.

Do I need special software to issue Facturae invoices? You need a system capable of generating the structured Facturae format. Many ERPs support this, and automated workflows can handle it without manual intervention.

Is FACeB2B only for public contracts? Its original scope is subcontracting within public procurement. The upcoming B2B e-invoicing regulation is expected to broaden the landscape significantly.

How does automation help with GDPR? Automated workflows keep invoice data within controlled systems, with defined access and audit trails, reducing the risk of data being mishandled outside your organisation.

Conclusion: Control Before and After Submission

Understanding the difference between FACe and FACeB2B is the first step. The second, and more valuable one, is making sure your business systems speak to these platforms automatically. For SMEs in Barcelona, Girona, Lleida or anywhere else in Spain, the combination of clear rules and well-designed automation is what turns electronic invoicing from a compliance burden into a genuine productivity advantage.

Put these ideas into practice

Talk to ALMC about a solution for your business. Explore your options or contact our team.

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