Why invoice migration breaks after go-live
Most WooCommerce invoice plugins can generate a fresh PDF for a current order. Migration risk is different: can the store prove what was issued before the switch, continue legal numbering, handle refunded orders, and keep old VAT evidence available for finance?
Use this checklist before replacing your invoice plugin, moving from spreadsheets, or rebuilding a B2B checkout that already has EU VAT invoices in circulation.
Invoice plugin migration checklist
1. Freeze current invoice evidence
Export existing invoice numbers, PDF URLs, order IDs, VAT rates, VAT/BTW numbers, reverse-charge notes, refund records, and accounting export files before switching plugins.
Buyer question: Can the new plugin preserve old evidence instead of only regenerating PDFs from current order data?
2. Map invoice numbering rules
Document the last invoice number, credit-note sequence, prefix format, yearly reset rule, and how draft/proforma documents are excluded from the legal invoice sequence.
Buyer question: Can the plugin continue a sequence cleanly without duplicate or skipped legal invoice numbers?
3. Rebuild VAT and reverse-charge fields
Check VAT number capture, country logic, exemption reasons, reverse-charge wording, and line-level tax display before accepting new B2B orders.
Buyer question: Does the plugin store VAT evidence with each order and invoice, not only in a temporary checkout field?
4. Test refunds and credit notes
Create a test refund, issue a credit note, verify numbering, link it to the original invoice, and confirm the accounting export shows both documents correctly.
Buyer question: Are credit notes real documents with their own number and PDF, or just edited order totals?
5. Verify delivery and customer access
Test invoice PDF email attachments, customer My Account downloads, resend flows, BACS/proforma timing, and accountant export before changing the live checkout workflow.
Buyer question: Can finance, customers, and support retrieve the same retained document without asking a developer?
Common migration scenarios
Migrating from a basic PDF invoice plugin
Risk: The old plugin may not store VAT validation, reverse-charge reasons, or original PDF snapshots.
Lattice angle: Use the migration review to identify which fields need retention before Lattice Invoices becomes the source of truth for new documents.
Migrating from manual invoices outside WooCommerce
Risk: Order IDs, payment status, invoice numbers, and accountant exports often live in separate spreadsheets.
Lattice angle: Map BACS/proforma, final invoice, due-date, and reconciliation steps so the WooCommerce order becomes the workflow anchor.
Migrating after EU B2B growth
Risk: Stores add VAT IDs, reverse charge, multiple currencies, or Peppol requests after their first invoice plugin was chosen.
Lattice angle: Prioritize VAT evidence, credit-note handling, customer downloads, audit trail, and accounting export before expanding B2B checkout.
Early-access offer: €49 migration review
Send your current invoice plugin, last invoice number, VAT workflow, refund process, payment methods, and accounting software. Lattice will map the migration risks and the fields that must be preserved before switching your WooCommerce invoicing workflow.
Send my migration detailsFAQ
Can I switch WooCommerce invoice plugins without losing old invoices?
You can switch safely only if you first export or preserve old invoice PDFs, invoice numbers, VAT evidence, credit notes, and accounting records. Do not assume the new plugin can reconstruct legally issued documents from current WooCommerce order data.
What is the biggest migration risk for EU VAT stores?
The biggest risk is losing the original evidence behind zero-VAT, reverse-charge, refunded, or B2B invoices. A migration should protect invoice numbers, VAT/BTW numbers, tax rates, exemption reasons, PDF snapshots, and credit-note links.
Should old invoice numbers continue in the new plugin?
Usually yes: finance needs a clear numbering trail. Before switching, document the last invoice number, prefixes, credit-note sequence, and reset rules, then test the next generated invoice and credit note in staging.
Where does Lattice Invoices fit in a migration?
Lattice Invoices is the early-access WooCommerce EU invoicing path for stores that need a practical migration review before replacing a PDF invoice plugin with a VAT-ready workflow covering retained PDFs, VAT evidence, credit notes, BACS/proforma timing, customer downloads, audit trail, and exports.