Electronic Invoicing for Restaurants in Saudi Arabia - A Simple Guide

Electronic invoicing is now a basic part of running any restaurant or cafe in Saudi Arabia, and a lot of owners hear about it and assume it is something complicated or technical. The truth is it is much simpler than you think, especially when you have a POS that handles it for you automatically. In this guide we explain it in plain words: what it is, why it matters to you, that it really does apply to your restaurant, the two phases in simple terms, what a compliant invoice needs, and how the right system makes it automatic with nothing to do by hand.

What is an electronic invoice?

In short, it is the same sales invoice you already hand your customer, except instead of a slip from an ordinary machine or something written by hand, it becomes a digital invoice in a standard format that systems can read. Every invoice carries the details of the sale: the items, the price, VAT, and your restaurant's information. The point is that all your invoices become accurate, clear, and easy to go back to, instead of loose paper and notebooks that get lost. To see how this fits with the rest of your operation, take a look at the features.

Why it matters and applies to your restaurant

If you run a restaurant, cafe, or bakery registered for VAT, then e-invoicing is required of you, not optional. It is a system introduced by the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority so that invoices are organized, trusted, and easy to review. The reassuring part: when you have the right system, you barely notice it, because it becomes a natural part of every sale. The invoice goes to the customer, the tax is calculated, and everything is saved, without you having to think about it.

The two phases in plain words

E-invoicing rolled out in two phases. You don't need to memorize the technical details, just get the general idea of each one so you can be sure your system covers both:

1. 1
   Phase one: generation

   Instead of a handwritten paper invoice, the system generates a structured digital invoice for every sale, carrying a QR code the customer can scan. This phase makes your invoices consistent and clear.

2. 2
   Phase two: integration

   Invoices are linked with the Authority's platform in a standard format, so each one is verified and approved. The system handles the integration in the background, and all you see is that the sale goes through as normal.

What a compliant invoice needs

A compliant invoice has to include certain information, and the system fills all of it in for you automatically, without you typing a thing:

• Your restaurant's name and tax number
• The date and time of the sale
• The items sold and their prices
• VAT calculated on every sale
• The total including tax
• A QR code the customer can scan to verify the invoice

How Loqma makes it fully automatic

Here is the part that puts you at ease: in Loqma, electronic invoicing is built into the system and compliant with both phases. With every sale on the cashier, a compliant e-invoice is issued and VAT is calculated automatically, with no manual step from you. And because the cashier keeps working even with no internet and syncs everything the moment the connection returns, you never lose an invoice or a single sale. You sell, and the rest runs on its own in the background. You can see the other ways your restaurant takes orders on the channels page, and the plans on the pricing page.