On the e-Document side, costs depend on the number of documents rather than the number of users. This is a different logic from module licenses: the more documents you issue, the more consumption occurs.
While this flexible model is advantageous, it requires planning. Running out of credit in the middle of the month means an afternoon when no invoices can be issued.
In this article, we outlined practical ways to accurately estimate volume, handle seasonal spikes, and monitor consumption.
Table of Contents
How does the consumption-based model work?
Credits are deducted in exchange for document generation. Every issued e-invoice, e-archive, e-waybill, or receipt generates consumption. The model is independent of the number of users; if a team of ten issues few documents, the cost remains low.
The advantage of this approach is that costs scale together with growth. If you purchase a fixed package, you pay for unused capacity; in a consumption model, what you pay for is your actual business volume.
The same flexibility applies to the module side. Modules you do not use do not enter your invoice; we explained this logic in the modular licensing article.
Calculating monthly volume
The first step is to look at your historical data. Pull the document counts for the last twelve months. Focus not on the average, but on the top three highest months.
The second step is to count document types separately. Sales invoices, waybills, returns, and receipts all generate consumption. Counting only sales invoices results in a significant underestimation.
The third step is to think on a channel basis. Marketplace sales typically generate many low-amount documents, whereas dealer sales generate fewer high-amount documents. The same revenue can mean very different document counts. We covered this difference in the multi-channel sales management article.
The fourth step is to add a growth margin. Reflect your target growth rate for the upcoming year into your document counts as well.
Planning for seasonal spikes
Almost every sector has a peak period: campaign weeks in retail, pre-holiday periods in food, and the season opening in construction materials.
During peak periods, document volume can surge to two to three times the normal level. If your credit runs out during this time, it means sales stop on the busiest day of the year.
A practical approach is to schedule a credit level check before peak periods. We covered this aspect of demand planning in the seasonal demand planning article.
Reducing unnecessary consumption
Some consumption is unnecessary and can be reduced through process corrections. Here are the three most common sources:
Erroneous documents and re-issuances. Every rejected invoice consumes credit a second time. Most errors stem from missing current account info or incorrect pricing; we discussed prevention methods in the cancellation and objection article.
Unnecessarily fragmented invoicing. Issuing a single invoice instead of three separate invoices for three separate shipments to the same customer on the same day simplifies both credit usage and accounting.
Test documents. Documents issued for testing purposes in the live environment consume credits. Using a separate environment for testing is the right approach.
Tracking consumption and setting alerts
Finding out your credit level at the end of the month is too late. Tracking should have two layers: weekly observation and threshold alerts.
Weekly observation shows whether the consumption rate deviates from expectations. If half of the monthly quota is consumed in the first week of the month, something has changed.
Threshold alerts act as a safety net. When remaining credits drop below a certain level, a notification should be sent to the relevant person. Notifications deliver this signal to the right person—not to everyone, but to those responsible.
In multi-company structures, consumption must be tracked on a company-by-company basis. The total figure does not show where each company stands; we explained this distinction in the consolidated view article.
Relationship with module licensing
Document credit and module licenses are two separate items. The module license opens the e-Document module in your account, while the credit covers document generation.
This distinction makes budget planning easier. Module costs are predictable and fixed, whereas credit costs fluctuate alongside your business volume.
Keep this difference in mind when deciding which modules to enable initially. We detailed our recommendations in the which module to start with article.
The e-Document module keeps consumption trackable by document type and company, ensuring cost distribution remains visible.
Volume profiles by sector
Document volume is proportional to the number of transactions, not revenue. Two businesses with the same revenue can generate vastly different document counts.
In retail and e-commerce, volume is high; every order generates a document and amounts are small. During campaign periods, daily document counts multiply several times over.
In wholesale distribution, document counts are lower but steadier. End-of-month surges are common; for businesses that issue bulk invoices to dealers, the last three days of the month represent the peak.
In manufacturing, the shipment schedule is the determining factor. The number of waybills and invoices fluctuates based on the production plan.
For businesses purchasing agricultural produce, the seasonal effect is very pronounced; dozens of producer receipts are issued daily during the harvest season, and almost none off-season. We addressed this workflow in the e-producer receipt article.
Reflecting in the annual budget
Document credit should appear as a separate line item in the annual budget. When combined with module licenses into a single line, the cost impact of volume increases remains hidden.
There is a simple method for budget calculation: take last year's total document count, add the growth target, and multiply by the unit cost. Add a buffer on top for peak periods.
This calculation also generates cost awareness. When a team engaging in unnecessarily fragmented invoicing sees the cost, they change their habits.
In multi-company structures, costs must be allocated on a company basis. The total figure does not show how much each company consumes; you can check the cost center-based tracking article.
It is also beneficial to review the licensing structure during budgeting; total costs decrease when unused modules are turned off. Modular licensing provides this flexibility.
Frequently asked questions
Do incoming invoices also consume credits?
This depends on the model. Clarify how incoming documents are counted during the contracting phase.
Do unused credits roll over?
Rollover conditions depend on the provider. We listed comparison criteria in the integrator selection article.
Can I not issue invoices if my credit runs out?
Yes, which is why threshold alerts are critical. Top-up timeframes must also be factored into your planning.
Do cancelled documents refund credits?
Generally no; a generated document counts as consumption. This is another reason to prevent erroneous documents in the first place.
Credit planning essentially comes down to understanding your business volume. If you know your peak month and set up threshold alerts, this topic will be off your agenda.
By consulting with the EQLEM team, you can build a plan tailored to your document volume.