E-Invoice Scenario Types

When issuing an e-invoice, you'll encounter a field called "scenario". Most people just leave it as default and move on.

However, this selection determines how the invoice will behave on the recipient's end — especially whether the buyer can reject that invoice or not.

Basic Invoice

In the basic scenario, the invoice is delivered to the buyer and stays there. The buyer does not have the ability to send an acceptance or rejection response via the system.

This seems safer for the seller: the invoice cannot be rejected. But when a dispute arises, the resolution moves outside the system; a cancellation request or external objection method is used.

The basic scenario is practical for cash sales, one-off transactions, and transactions with a low probability of returns.

Commercial Invoice

In the commercial scenario, the buyer responds to the invoice through the system: they either accept or reject it. If a rejection response comes, the invoice becomes void.

This makes error correction easier. An invoice issued with the wrong amount is cleanly closed when the other party rejects it, and a new one is issued.

There is a risk in return: the buyer might reject the invoice to delay payment. For continuous clients with whom you work on a reconciled basis, the commercial scenario generally works better.

We covered what to do when a rejection occurs in our invoice cancellation and objection process article.

Export and public scenarios

The export scenario is used for sales of goods made abroad. The invoice is associated with customs processes and buyer information is entered in a different format. Check out the export invoice article for details.

The public scenario is used for invoices issued to public institutions. It contains fields appropriate for the institution's own financial management system.

Apart from these, there are also special scenarios like passenger-accompanied baggage and wholesale market types; they won't come up unless your industry requires them.

How to make the choice?

The practical approach is this: instead of thinking about the scenario separately for each invoice, save it to the client's profile card. If you know which scenario you work with which customer, you won't have to make a decision every time you issue an invoice.

Another point: which scenarios the buyer accepts is registered with the Revenue Administration (GİB). If the other party does not support commercial invoices, you are forced to use the basic scenario. The system usually directs this automatically.

We discussed the other benefits of keeping your client cards organized in the current account tracking article.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change the scenario after the invoice is issued?

No. The scenario is part of the document. To change it, the invoice must be canceled and reissued.

Is there a scenario in e-archive invoices?

Since e-archive is issued to non-e-invoice taxpayers, there is no in-system response mechanism; the basic/commercial distinction does not apply to this document.

What if the buyer doesn't respond to the commercial invoice on time?

When the response period expires, the invoice is deemed accepted. In other words, silence works in favor of the seller.

Which one is more common?

The basic scenario is more common in retail and cash-heavy businesses, while the commercial scenario is more common in corporate businesses and those working with terms.

The scenario might seem like a small field of the invoice, but when a dispute arises, it becomes the most decisive detail you have.

You can open a free account on Qolay.App and manage your e-invoice processes from a single dashboard.