# Frequently asked questions ## What does edi-service.eu cost? €890 per month, excl. VAT. This includes setup, ERP integration and connecting any number of customers and suppliers. There is no fee per partner and no fee per message. On top of that come your own server and your AI usage, which your AI provider bills you for directly. ## Who is it worth it for? For companies that need to connect several partners via EDI, typically from around ten. With small EDI service providers in Germany (clearing centres), costs grow with every partner and every message type. With ten partners and three message types each, they come to roughly our fixed price; beyond that, they are considerably higher. If you only supply a single retailer and can use its web portal, you will often pay less. The calculation is on our page “What does an EDI connection cost?”. ## Which formats and transmission methods are supported? Formats: EDIFACT (including EANCOM), VDA (for example 4905, 4913, 4906), XML, CSV and JSON. Transmission methods: OFTP2, AS2, SFTP, HTTPS and email. Both apply in both directions: orders and delivery schedules come in, despatch advices, invoices and order responses go out to your partners. The platform connects to your ERP system via a REST interface, via interface tables in a database or via files (CSV, XML, JSON). We check what your partner actually requires against its implementation guide before you sign. Not offered: X.400 and VAN mailboxes, a web EDI portal for your own suppliers, and Peppol. ## Is the OFTP2 connection Odette-tested? No. The OFTP2 component we use is not on Odette's list of tested software. If your automotive customer requires this, we will tell you before you sign. ## What is the difference between EDIFACT, AS2 and OFTP2? EDIFACT is a message format; AS2 and OFTP2 are transmission methods. The format defines how an order or invoice is structured (for example ORDERS, DESADV, INVOIC). The transmission method defines how the file reaches the partner, encrypted and with an acknowledgement of receipt. OFTP2 is widespread in the automotive industry, AS2 mainly in retail. Which applies is usually set by your customer. ## How quickly is a connection ready? The technical setup takes 30 minutes, and each additional partner a few minutes. The joint test with your partner takes as long as the partner needs for checks and sign-off. ## What do I need to provide myself? A dedicated server running Debian 13 used only for edi-service.eu (a VM is enough, at least 8 GB of RAM), on which someone runs the installation command once with sudo rights. The server needs outbound access to the package sources, to our central service and to your AI provider. On top of that come your own contract with an AI provider and your partners' documents. You do not need to set up SSH access for us. For the ERP integration, we need someone who knows how orders and invoices come into and go out of your ERP system. ## Why do I need my own AI contract? The AI works with your documents, and that should happen under your contract. You choose the provider (for example Anthropic or OpenAI) and, when you sign, show that you have access to a capable model, as of October 2026 for example Claude Opus 5.5 or GPT 6. We keep the list of suitable models in line with the market. ## How much does the AI cost on top? That depends on the scope and quality of your partners' documents. AI usage is billed directly between you and your AI provider. It arises during setup, for new partners and for mapping changes, not in day-to-day operation: daily processing runs on fixed rules without AI. The dashboard shows the usage per setup and per partner connection so you know your costs. ## Does my data leave the company? Your day-to-day business data does not: the software processes orders, despatch advices and invoices on your server. For the setup, the AI reads your partners' implementation guides and sample messages; these documents go to your AI provider. You can have the sample files anonymised beforehand. No business messages pass through our website or our services. ## Can the AI do anything it likes on my server? No. The base installation runs from fixed, versioned installation scripts. The AI has no access to your server's command line: it works only through the platform's configuration interface, with a token that you create in the dashboard and can revoke at any time. With it, the AI selects and configures components, generates mappings and tests them, in TEST mode only. Every change is logged with its old and new value. Critical steps such as switching to PROD, certificates or activating a partner can only be proposed by the AI; a person in your company has to approve them. ## What happens if the AI gets a mapping wrong? Then it shows up in testing. Every connection runs in TEST mode against test messages first, as often as you like. It only goes live when you approve it. Every change is logged and can be traced. ## My customer prescribes a particular service provider. Can I still use this? That depends on exactly what is prescribed. If your customer only specifies the format and transmission method, you can connect directly with edi-service.eu. If it contractually requires a particular service provider, or a portal you can only join by invitation, there is no room for manoeuvre. Send us the customer's letter and we will tell you which case applies. ## Who owns the mappings? You do. Mappings and configuration are stored on your server. You can export them in full as a readable file (JSON) at any time, also after the contract ends. ## Who runs the server? You or your IT service provider provide the server, on your network or with your hosting provider, and back it up according to our specification. There is no SSH or root access for us. You start the installation yourself with one command; after that, your server fetches updates itself as signed packages and checks the signature before applying them. For the setup, your server opens an outbound connection to our central service. Through it, the central service only reaches the configuration interface, with a token that you create and revoke in the dashboard. The command `sudo edi-service-access revoke` cuts the connection completely; the platform keeps running, but no more updates arrive. ## What happens if the server goes down? Then exchange pauses until the server is running again. The platform is a single server without high availability. Whether a partner resends in the meantime depends on its settings. If you need guaranteed round-the-clock availability, a managed EDI service is the better choice. ## Can suppliers without EDI be connected too? Yes, via CSV files or email. A web portal where your suppliers type in documents is not part of the scope. ## How long does the contract run, and how is it paid? The minimum term is 6 months; after that, the contract can be cancelled monthly. Payment is by invoice, and you choose the interval: monthly, quarterly or annually. ## Is there a trial version? Yes, for 30 days without payment: one trading partner, one message type, TEST mode only. After you order, the order page shows you an installation command for your server; we do not send it by email. [Order the trial](https://app.edi-service.eu/order?lang=en) ## In which languages is support available? German and English. The website is available in further languages, but onboarding and support are provided in German or English. The contract is governed by German law. ## Who is behind it? fokus it solutions in Sindelfingen, Germany, owned by Jens Musleh. He has worked with interfaces, data transformation and EDI projects since 1995 and is your contact. fokus it solutions is a small company; there is no 24/7 hotline. That is precisely why everything stays with you: server, mappings, configuration and log.