Full EDI from 2026: closing documents will be “collapsed” in the UPD — otherwise reconciliation and accounting will begin to break
Since January 1, 2026, the previous electronic formats of individual primary documents (invoices/acts) have lost their relevance, and it is more logical (and often technically unavoidable) for businesses that exchange primary documents in electronic form to switch to the 5.03 format as a universal "invoice + primary" or "primary only" container (depending on the status).
At the same time, it is important to avoid the myth of "now nothing but UPD is allowed at all": companies can still keep part of the primary on paper or use non-standardized electronic documents where this is acceptable. But if you really have a complete EDI (and the closing documents follow formalized formats), then the separate scheme "act separately, invoice separately, invoice separately" begins to break down organizationally and technologically - and this is where the UPD becomes not a "convenient option", but the basic discipline of the process.
Why is this critical for marketplaces and management
The marketplace economy consists of thousands of similar operations: shipments, refunds, adjustments, bonuses, services, logistics, and commissions. Any "swimming" in the closing quickly turns into four typical problems:
- Reconciliation gaps: the amount is recorded, but there is no document (or it is in a different form/status).
- Suspended periods: the closing of the month is postponed due to tails on acts/invoices/invoices.
- Duplicates/discrepancies: the same turnover was closed with two documents or different dates.
- Disruption of margin control: the management team counts on accruals/payments, and the primary one "catches up" later — the result is distorted.
The UPD here works as a "single point of truth": one document — one status — one amount — one date of recognition (according to the chosen policy). This reduces the friction between accounting and financial control, because there is no longer anything to argue about: either the UPD is signed / not signed, or passed / failed control.
What can we do to prevent 2026 from turning into chaos?
- Clearly define the “full EDI": which counterparties, which types of documents, which formats and through which operator they go; where the paper remains / unformalized.
- Appoint the owner of the process (not the "responsible for the EDI", but the owner of the closing ones): who is responsible for the rules, deadlines, escalations, reports.
- Enter the closing register: counterparty/period/amount/type of operation/status (created-sent-signed-cancelled)/discrepancy/reason.
- Short-cycle reconciliation (weekly): on marketplaces, an error caught after 7 days is several times cheaper than "at the end of the quarter."
- The rule “no UPD — no recognition" (for management): otherwise, financial control will live in a parallel reality.
The main conclusion is that the UPD in 2026 is not a "new piece of paper", but a management tool. Whoever puts the closing numbers and statuses in order first will benefit in closing speed, reconciliation quality, and money forecasting.
