Can I Pay for Bags by Company Card and Get a VAT Invoice?

Yes, you can pay for custom-printed tote bags with a company card, and a VAT invoice arrives by email right after you pay.

The invoice is a PDF with our VAT number, your company name and address, the net price, the VAT, and the total. With a valid EU VAT number entered at checkout, a company in another EU country is normally charged 0% VAT.

In this guide, I go through cards, PayPal and bank transfer, what the invoice shows, how the VAT number works, and what real company orders from this year looked like.

 

In this article

• Paying with a company card
• Other payment methods
• The VAT invoice
• Ordering without VAT
• VAT if you have no VAT number
• If the VAT number is not accepted
• Bank transfer on an invoice
• Payment terms
• Companies outside the EU
• Currency
• Purchase order numbers and supplier forms
• Order and pay, step by step
• Which bags suit a company order
• Frequently asked questions

 

Can you pay for printed tote bags with a company card?

Yes, you pay online at checkout with Visa, Mastercard or American Express, and a company card works the same way as a private one.

Maestro and UnionPay are accepted too. If you use Shop Pay, Apple Pay or Google Pay, those appear at checkout when your device and browser support them.

You do not need to ask for a quote first or wait for an offer. You choose the bag on the product page, upload your logo and pay.

Card payments are processed through Shopify Payments, and we do not store your full card details.

Paying online is not only for small orders. This September, a technology company from the US paid at checkout for bags for a team event in Spain, and the total was €3,233.12 including Spanish VAT.

For a larger order, check the limit on your company card before you start.

For most companies, the card is the quickest way from a logo file to a confirmed order.

 

Which other payment methods can a company use?

Besides cards, you can pay with PayPal, and in some countries with a local payment method.

The local methods depend on the country you order from: Bancontact in Belgium, BLIK in Poland, and Klarna, MobilePay or MB WAY where they are available. The checkout shows only the methods that work for your country and device, so you do not have to guess.

PayPal is not only for private shoppers. At the end of September, a school in Germany ordered 25 navy bags and paid €253.57 with PayPal, and the invoice was sent the same minute.

You find the full list on our payment information page.

Whichever method you choose, the order is confirmed as soon as the payment goes through.

 

Do you get a VAT invoice for your tote bag order?

Yes, an invoice is sent as a PDF to the email address you enter at checkout, right after the payment.

The email has the subject "Your order at Prints & Bags", and the invoice is attached. In the recent orders we looked at for this guide, it was sent within the same minute as the payment.

This is what the invoice shows:

• Our details. Prints & Bags, our address in Tallinn, Estonia, and our VAT number, EE102818093.
• Your details. Your company name and billing address, as you entered them at checkout, and the delivery address if it is a different one.
• The order. The order number, the order date, and each product with the quantity, the price per piece and the line total.
• The amounts. The subtotal, the VAT as a separate line with the country and the rate, for example German VAT at 19%, and the total.

Write your company name in the Company field at checkout, because the invoice takes the name and the address from there. One recent invoice went out with only a person's name on it, simply because the Company field was left empty.

Does your accounts team need something more on the invoice, such as your own VAT number, a reverse charge note or a purchase order number? Reply to the invoice email, and we will send you an invoice that includes it.

An invoice that is right the first time saves an email thread with your finance team later.

 

Can a company order printed tote bags without VAT?

Yes, a company in another EU country that enters a valid VAT number at checkout is normally charged 0% VAT.

This is called the reverse charge: we do not add VAT, and your company accounts for it in its own VAT return. The official Your Europe page on cross-border VAT explains the rule.

The field for the VAT number is easy to miss. It appears below the phone number, and only once you have filled in the postal code and the city of the delivery address.

This works on real orders. Since July, orders from companies in the Netherlands, Denmark and Italy have gone through with no VAT added, and the largest of these invoices was €876.00 for 300 printed cotton totes.

The number has to be valid in VIES, the EU system for checking VAT numbers. You can check yours on the VIES page of the European Commission before you order.

There is one exception. We are based in Estonia, so an Estonian company pays Estonian VAT even with a VAT number, because that is a sale within one country.

Our guide to EU VAT and OSS for bag orders explains the rules behind this in plain language. It is general information and not tax advice, so please ask your accountant about your own situation.

Fill in the full address first, and the VAT number field will be there.

 

How much VAT is added if you have no VAT number?

The VAT of the country where the bags are delivered is added at checkout.

That applies to associations, schools, public offices and small businesses that are not registered for VAT, and to companies outside the EU. All prices on our site are shown without VAT, and you see the VAT amount in the checkout before you pay.

Here is what 100 natural cotton totes with a one-colour logo cost with VAT in some of the countries we deliver to, at today's price of €2.60 per bag:

 

 

The rates in the table are the ones charged on real orders to these countries this year.

Delivery within the EU is included in the price, so there is nothing else to add. Our guide to printed tote bags in Ireland shows the same calculation for more bags and quantities.

The price on the product page plus the VAT of your country is the full amount.

 

 

What if the checkout does not accept your VAT number?

Then VAT stays on the order, and it is better to stop and check than to pay first and correct it later.

There are three usual reasons:

• The number is not a VAT number. A national company registration number is not automatically a VAT number. Use the number exactly as it is printed on your own invoices.
• The number is not valid in VIES. The checkout then shows a message such as "Enter a valid Germany VAT number".
• The checking service does not answer. Once, our checkout showed "Validation service unavailable" for a Danish number, because the Danish part of VIES was down. That is on the EU side, so the only fix is to try again a little later or to write to us.

Changing the VAT after the payment means a credit note and a new invoice, which takes much longer.

If your number is valid in VIES and the checkout still refuses it, write to us before you pay.

Two minutes on the VIES page can save a whole round of invoice corrections.

 

Can a company pay by bank transfer on an invoice?

For larger company orders, payment by bank transfer on an invoice may be possible by agreement, before production starts.

This is for companies whose rules do not allow card payments, or where the amount is above the card limit. Please write to us before you place the order, so we can agree on it first.

You then get an invoice with our bank details. Production starts once the payment has arrived and you have approved the print proof.

Card first, bank transfer by agreement - that is the simple rule.

 

What are the payment terms for company orders?

Every order is paid in full before production starts.

We do not offer payment after delivery, such as 30 days net. In return for paying first, you get a fixed price that you can see on the product page, a low minimum of 25 bags per design, and a digital proof to approve before anything is printed.

Production begins when four things are in place: the order is placed, the payment is received, your artwork is checked and you have approved the proof. From that approval, production and delivery typically take 10 to 15 working days.

Paying first is what lets even a small order of 25 bags go through without a contract.

 

Can a company outside the EU pay by card and get an invoice?

Yes, your company and your billing address can be anywhere in the world, as long as the bags are delivered to an address in the EU.

The invoice shows your billing address and, separately, the delivery address in Europe.

The VAT of the delivery country is added, because the bags are delivered there. A tax number from the US or the UK does not change that, since the 0% rule needs a valid EU VAT number.

At the end of September, a company billed in the US ordered bags for an event in Amsterdam. The invoice showed €353.25 net, €74.18 Dutch VAT at 21% and a total of €427.43.

This year, orders billed in the US or the UK were delivered to Spain, Portugal, Italy, Ireland and the Netherlands. Our guide for non-EU companies ordering tote bags for delivery in the EU lists what to check first.

What counts for the VAT is where the bags are delivered, not where the card was issued.

 

Which currency does a company pay in?

Our prices are in euros, and in six EU countries the shop shows them in the local currency.

Those six are Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Czechia, Hungary and Romania. Everywhere else in the EU, and for buyers outside Europe, the prices are in euros.

If your company card is in another currency, such as US dollars or British pounds, your bank converts the amount and may add its own fee.

The checkout shows the exact amount before you confirm the payment.

 

Can you add a purchase order number or fill in a supplier form?

If your company needs a purchase order number on the invoice, or a supplier form filled in, write to us before you order.

Larger organisations often have to register a new supplier before they can pay. The details they usually ask for are on every invoice we send: our company name, our address and our VAT number.

Tell us early what your finance team needs, and we will tell you honestly what we can do. What we cannot change are the payment terms: the order is still paid before production.

A short email before the order is easier than a long one after it.

 

How does a company order and pay, step by step?

You order on the product page and pay at checkout, without asking for a quote first.

1. Choose the bag, the quantity and the number of print colours. The price per bag updates as you change the number.
2. Upload your logo or design. A PDF, AI or EPS file is best.
3. Write your date in the cart. There is a box that asks when you need your bags.
4. Fill in the delivery address. Put your company name in the Company field.
5. Enter your VAT number. The field appears below the phone number once the postal code and the city are filled in.
6. Check the VAT and the total, then pay. Use your company card or another method shown at checkout.
7. Save the invoice and approve the proof. The invoice comes by email, and we print only after you have approved the digital proof.

Our post about ordering custom tote bags online without a quote follows one real 50-piece order from start to finish.

From the product page to the invoice in your inbox, the whole order can be done in one sitting.

 

Which printed tote bags suit a company order?

For a company event or a gift, three natural cotton bags cover most needs.

The natural cotton tote with logo print in 140 g/m² is the light everyday bag. From 50 pieces on, it has the lowest price per bag of the three: €2.60 at 100 pieces and €1.49 at 500.

The Natural White classic tote costs the least for a small order, at €5.15 per bag for 25 pieces. The tote with side and bottom gussets in 220 g/m² is the sturdier choice, for example for a conference where people carry more than a few sheets of paper.

All three bags are 38 × 42 cm, and the minimum order is 25 bags per design. Our guide to what custom printed tote bags cost shows how the quantity and the print colours change the price.

The right bag is the one people still carry after the event.

 

 

 

 

Frequently asked questions about paying for printed tote bags as a company

 

Can I pay for printed tote bags with a company credit card?

Yes, you pay online at checkout with Visa, Mastercard or American Express, and Maestro and UnionPay are accepted too.

You do not need a quote first, and the payment is processed through Shopify Payments.

 

Do I get an invoice that shows the VAT?

Yes, a PDF invoice is sent to your email address right after the payment.

It shows the net price, the VAT as a separate line with the country and the rate, and the total.

 

Where do I enter my VAT number?

In the checkout, below the phone number, in a field that appears once the postal code and the city are filled in.

With a valid EU VAT number, a company outside Estonia is normally charged 0% VAT.

 

Can I pay by bank transfer instead of by card?

For larger company orders, a bank transfer on an invoice may be possible by agreement.

Write to us before you order, and note that the invoice is paid in full before production starts.

 

Do you offer 30 days payment terms?

No, every order is paid in full before production starts.

In return, the price is fixed on the product page and you approve a digital proof before anything is printed.

 

Can a US or UK company pay by card?

Yes, the billing address can be anywhere in the world, as long as the bags are delivered to an address in the EU.

The VAT of the delivery country is added to the order.

 

Is VAT included in the prices on the website?

No, the prices are shown without VAT, and delivery within the EU is included.

The VAT of the delivery country is added at checkout, so 100 natural totes at €260.00 come to €309.40 in Germany.

 

Can I pay with PayPal?

Yes, PayPal is available at checkout.

Depending on your country and device, you may also see Apple Pay, Google Pay, Shop Pay or a local payment method.

 

Learn More About Custom Printed Bags

EU VAT and OSS Explained for Bulk Custom Bag Orders

Order Custom Tote Bags Online Without a Quote: A 50-Piece Order

Custom Tote Bags for EU Delivery: 7 Things Non-EU Companies Should Check First

How Much Do Custom Printed Tote Bags Cost? 5 Factors That Set Your Price

 

Pick your bag, enter your VAT number, pay by card, and the invoice is in your inbox a minute later.