SD / O2Cintermediate

SD Billing Part 2: Billing Type Configuration and Copy Control

Key takeaway

Configure billing types (VOFA): number ranges, document category, cancellation billing type, posting block, account determination procedure, output, invoice list type, and connect them via copy control from deliveries (VTFL), orders (VTFA) and billing documents (VTFF) with quantity and pricing rules.

Explanation

📌 KEY POINTS
✅ Billing type (VOFA, table TVFK) controls numbering, document category, cancellation type, posting block, account determination procedure, output and invoice list type.
✅ Order types point to billing types in VOV8 (delivery- and order-related).
✅ Copy control defines billing from deliveries (VTFL), orders (VTFA) and billing documents (VTFF) — including billing quantity and pricing type.
✅ A posting block keeps invoices out of FI until released (e.g. for approval).
⚠️ A copied billing type without cancellation type or account determination procedure fails at cancellation or posting.

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▶ WHERE WE ARE
Part 1 showed what billing does. Now its configuration.

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▶ 1. BILLING TYPE (VOFA)

Number ranges (internal), document category (invoice, credit memo, cancellation…).
Cancellation billing type (F2 → S1), copying requirements for cancellation.
Posting block, transfer to accounting.
Account determination procedure (KOFI00), document pricing procedure.
Output procedure, invoice list type (LR).

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▶ 2. ASSIGNMENT

VOV8: delivery-related and order-related billing type per order type.
Delivery type/copy control can propose billing types.

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▶ 3. COPY CONTROL

VTFL: delivery → billing (billing quantity, pricing type, copying requirement 004).
VTFA: order → billing (order-related, requirement 002/012).
VTFF: billing → billing (e.g. F2 → G2 credit memo with reference).

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▶ 4. SPLIT-RELEVANT SETTINGS

Data transfer routines in copy control can add split criteria (Part 4).

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▶ 5. PRO FORMA AND SPECIAL TYPES

F5 (order-related pro forma), F8 (delivery-related): no accounting, repeatable.
FAZ down payment request for billing plans with down payments.

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▶ STEP BY STEP

Copy F2 to ZF2 in VOFA (with copy function).
Set number range, cancellation type, account determination procedure.
Assign ZF2 in VOV8 and maintain VTFL/VTFA.
Create, post and cancel a ZF2 invoice.

✅ CHECKPOINT: ZF2 posts to FI and can be cancelled with S1.

Code example

ABAP Code

===== STEP 1: billing type (SPRO > Sales and Distribution > Billing > Billing Documents >             Define Billing Types)  (VOFA)  table TVFKZF2: number range 19 | document category M (invoice) | cancellation type S1     posting block –  | acct determination procedure KOFI00 | output procedure per output mgmt     invoice list type LR | document pricing procedure (if different) ===== STEP 2: assignment =====VOV8 ZOR: delivery-related billing ZF2 | order-related billing ZF2 ===== STEP 3: copy control =====VTFL LF → ZF2 : item TAN requirement 004, billing quantity (delivered less invoiced), pricing type GVTFA ZOR → ZF2 : item TAD requirement 012 (order-related item)VTFF ZF2 → G2  : credit memo with reference to invoice, pricing type D

Real project scenario

A client copied F2 to ZF2 by creating a new entry, not with the copy function. Invoices posted fine, but cancellation failed ("cancellation billing type not defined"), and no output was determined. The team compared ZF2 field by field with F2, added S1 as cancellation type and the output settings, and added cancellation and output to the billing-type test checklist.

Common mistakes

Creating billing types from scratch.
Missing cancellation billing type.
Forgetting VOV8 assignment or copy control.
Posting block without release process.
Using pro forma types for real invoicing.

Best practices

Copy standard billing types with the copy function.
Test posting, cancellation and output for each type.
Keep billing types few and documented.
Define release owners for posting blocks.
Maintain copy control together with billing types.

Interview angle

Questions: "What do you configure in VOFA?", "How is the billing type for an order determined?", "What is VTFL used for?"
Strong answer: VOFA numbering, category, cancellation type, posting block, account determination procedure, output, invoice list; VOV8 assignment; VTFL/VTFA/VTFF copy control with billing quantity and pricing type; pro forma types without posting.

Practice this lesson

Quick check

1. A billing type ZF2 posts correctly, but cancellation fails. What is most likely missing in VOFA?

2. Which mechanism determines which output (such as print form or EDI message) is automatically triggered when a billing document is saved?

3. Which copy control transaction defines billing from outbound deliveries?

Interview questions

1. What key configuration settings on a billing document type control how it behaves during invoice creation and posting to FI, and how would you configure a credit memo billing type to differ from a standard invoice?

Answer it in your own words first, then compare.

2. A new billing type configured as a copy of F2 is posting revenue to the wrong revenue account for a specific customer group, while other billing types post correctly. What would you investigate in the billing type and account determination configuration?

Answer it in your own words first, then compare.

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Reference-verified: the steps are checked against official SAP documentation and tutorials, and object and field names in the sample code are checked for consistency. The code has not been compiled or run on an SAP system by ERPClimb. Syntax marked release-dependent varies by SAP release, so check it in your own system.