Question 1

What is the cost difference between Phase One and Phase Two?

Accepted Answer

Phase One is issuing and storing the invoice electronically; Phase Two is integrating your system with the Authority's platform to transmit and clear invoices. The practical cost difference is that many cheaper plans stop at Phase One, so at your integration date you discover that compliance requires moving to a higher plan — a permanent increase in the subscription rather than a one-off fee. Ask which plan Phase Two starts from before you subscribe, not after.

Question 2

Does the invoice cap really matter?

Accepted Answer

It matters more than it looks, because it counts issuance rather than sales: a credit note is an invoice, and in some systems a cancelled invoice counts too. A retail shop issuing a hundred invoices a day passes a three-thousand monthly cap easily. Ask what the cap is and what happens when you cross it: does invoicing stop, is there a per-invoice charge, or does the plan upgrade automatically?

Question 3

Do I need invoicing software separate from accounting?

Accepted Answer

An invoice is an accounting entry: it records revenue, a receivable, and tax due. If your invoicing software is separate from your books you will need a monthly transfer of figures and a VAT reconciliation before every return. When both live in one system the entry posts as the invoice is issued — a real cost item that appears on no pricing page, because it is time rather than an invoice.

Question 4

Do the prices include VAT?

Accepted Answer

Ask explicitly. Some vendors show prices inclusive of VAT and others exclusive, and the 15% difference shows up on the invoice rather than on the pricing page.

Question 5

What does non-compliance cost?

Accepted Answer

This is the item missing from every price comparison, and the only one with no ceiling: the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority levies penalties on businesses that do not meet e-invoicing requirements by their wave date. So before comparing two subscriptions that differ by tens of riyals, check that the cheaper one actually makes you compliant on your date — otherwise you are comparing a system against one that does not do the job.

Component	The question that reveals it	At Snad
The compliance level included	Does the plan include Phase Two (integration) or only Phase One? From which plan does Phase Two begin?	ZATCA-compliant invoicing is available from Basic — there is no upgrade to unlock compliance
The invoice cap	How many invoices does the plan include per month or year? What happens when you exceed the cap?	No cap on the number of invoices on any paid plan
Base subscription and users	How many users does the price include? Is it inclusive of VAT?	Basic is 149 SAR with three users, Pro is 399 with five, and an extra user is 20 SAR per month
Integration and implementation	Is there a one-off fee for platform integration, certificate issuance, or migrating your data?	No integration or setup fees — sign-up is self-service and you start immediately
Support and regulatory updates	Who covers updating the system when requirements change? Is support included or sold separately?	Support is included on every plan, and regulatory updates arrive automatically at no charge

How much does e-invoicing software cost in Saudi Arabia?

The five cost components

A worked example: a business issuing its own invoices

Frequently asked questions

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