VAT number validation

VIES confirms whether an EU VAT number is registered and active. When a customer enters or updates their VAT ID, a Beam agent submits it to the VIES API, reads whether it validates, and applies your rule: confirmed numbers unlock the correct tax treatment, invalid ones are held. The agent writes the result and the returned trader details onto the account. Numbers that fail because the member state service is temporarily down, rather than because the number is wrong, are routed to a person so a genuine customer is not blocked in error.

Cross-border trade checks

Zero-rated EU sales depend on a valid counterpart VAT registration. Before an invoice is raised, a Beam agent checks the counterparty through VIES, reads the validity response, and applies your rule for whether the sale qualifies for cross-border treatment. It updates the order with the outcome and the date checked, which matters for audit trails. Cases where the number validates but the trader name does not match your records are flagged for a person, since a mismatch can point to fraud or a stale registration that needs confirming first.

Registration record updates

VAT details on file go stale as customers restructure or move. On a periodic sweep, a Beam agent re-checks stored VAT numbers against VIES, reads any change in status, and applies your rule to update accounts whose registration lapsed or changed. It marks each record with the latest check date and result. Accounts that flip from valid to invalid, especially active paying customers, are escalated to a person rather than being downgraded automatically, so billing and tax handling change only once someone confirms the customer's real situation on the ground.