How the IDR identifies suppliers via Purple Pages and company registration, and why the name in the e-invoice may differ from the PDF.
When processing a PDF invoice, the IDR must determine who the supplier is. This does not happen based on the name and address on the PDF, but via Purple Pages: eConnect's party database that is fed by the Chamber of Commerce. The supplier data in the e-invoice is therefore always the official company registration data.
A supplier name on a PDF invoice can be written in many ways: with or without "Ltd.", abbreviated, with a trade name instead of the statutory name. By identifying the supplier via company registration data rather than the text on the invoice, the identification is reliable and consistent, regardless of how the supplier writes their name on the invoice.
Purple Pages contains data for all Dutch organisations and is continuously updated. For foreign suppliers, identification is supplemented with data from other sources.
It may happen that the name in the e-invoice differs from what appears on the original PDF. This is normal behaviour: the e-invoice contains the official company registration data, not the text from the PDF. The data that the IDR recognises on the invoice as addressed to (the buyer) is separately included in an XML extension, including warnings if there are significant discrepancies (for example a different VAT number).
A known point of attention: with invoices from subsidiary organisations or foundations that are part of a larger organisation, the IDR may sometimes recognise the name of the parent organisation instead of the actual supplier. This happens when the name of the parent organisation is prominently present on the invoice.
If this occurs, correct the invoice manually and report it to support. The eConnect team will adjust the recognition so that future invoices from this supplier are correctly identified.
Note: every correction is fed back as training data to the IDR. The system learns from the report and recognises the supplier correctly on future invoices.
For suppliers that are part of a group with multiple legal entities in different countries (for example a Dutch and a Danish branch of the same brand), the IDR always identifies the actual supplier based on identifiers (company registration number, VAT number or local registers) and IBAN, not based on customer preference.
If the PDF shows a Dutch address and/or a Dutch IBAN, a match to the Dutch branch can be technically correct, even if you normally book the invoice to a different group entity (for example the Danish branch). That difference lies in your own accounting processing or ERP setup, not in an error by the IDR.
This is different from the point described above, where the IDR recognises the name of a parent organisation instead of the actual subsidiary: that situation is about name dominance on the invoice, this one is about a legally correct but potentially unexpected group entity.
No self-service option to change the entity. There is no setting (SampleStore or hint) that lets you force the IDR to a different, preferred country or group entity against the identifiers and IBAN. The workaround is on your side: map the supplier in your ERP system to the desired entity, or book the invoice manually to the correct group entity.
The e-invoice always contains the official company registration data from Purple Pages, not the text on the PDF. A supplier may write their name in different ways (with or without "Ltd.", as a trade name), but identification via company registration data is more reliable and consistent.
Correct the invoice manually and report it to support. The eConnect team will adjust the recognition so that future invoices from this supplier are correctly identified. Every correction is fed back as training data to the IDR, so the system learns from the report.
For Dutch suppliers, Purple Pages uses company registration data. For foreign suppliers, identification is supplemented with data from other sources, such as the VAT number or other country-specific registers. The IDR recognises invoices in over 200 languages.
The IDR matches on identifiers (company registration number, VAT number or local registers) and IBAN, not on the branch you expect. If the invoice shows a Dutch address or IBAN, for example, a match to the Dutch branch can be technically correct, even if you normally book to a different group entity. Resolve this via an ERP mapping or by booking manually to the correct entity; there is no setting to force the entity.
Want to know which fields the IDR recognises? Read Which fields does the IDR recognise?.
View all recognised fields