Next time you receive an invoice from us for the user fees of your mite, you will not notice any difference, visually. We will continue to send it to you as a PDF via email.

However, the PDF will be smarter: in addition to the visible part, a small XML file is embedded that contains the invoice data in a machine-readable format.

ZUGFeRD / Factur-X is the name of this hybrid format. It offers the best of two worlds: humans can continue to view and check PDF invoices as usual with all common PDF readers. But additionally, the data is also available in a structured, standardized format. Accounting software like DATEV and various invoicing tools can thus process such invoices automatically.

eInvoicing – a collective term for electronic invoices according to standards like ZUGFeRD, Factur-X, or XRechnung – will become mandatory in Germany for B2B in several stages, starting in 2025. This is based on the EU Directive 2014/55 and thus affects all European countries. Further information on the topic of eInvoice obligations in Germany and a timeline can be found, for example, at the IHK (in German language). Machines ready to go!

Julia in Inside out

Hey there mite.de! After many years we were finally able to buy this domain, and are packing our bags. During the night from Friday to Saturday, February 18th, mite will move to its new home.

Of course we will automatically forward you, nobody will click into the void. Nevertheless we'd like to inform you about the upcoming changes.

Starting Saturday,

• the address of your account will move from https://[yourTeam].mite.yo.lk/ to https://[yourTeam].mite.de/ – please update your bookmarks
• this info website and blog will move from https://mite.yo.lk/en/ to https://mite.de/en/
• our e-mail address will change from   to  

We're sorry to cause you time and effort, but do think it's worth it. Finally mite will have a home address that doesn't have to be spelled over and over again and raise eyebrows. Hey mite.de!

Update: Welcome to mite.de – olé. The move went fine, our tests are looking good. In case you happen to stumble upon a problem nevertheless: Sorry, please get in touch and tell us so.

Julia in Inside out, Tech talk

A quick announcement on our own behalf: We changed the legal name of our company, but are still the same crew. Our Yolk – Sebastian Munz & Julia Soergel GbR is now called mite GmbH, still registered in Berlin, Germany. Besides the name, nothing changed for you, it was a so-called “identity-preserving conversion”.

Comprehensibly, it used to cause some confusion why our time tracking tool is called mite but the team developing it Yolk. Now, it should be much simpler: The software mite is a service run by the mite GmbH, period. Thanks for your attention, onwards to more important things!

Julia in Inside out

More customers can now choose how to pay user fees for mite: SEPA direct debit is now available to all customers who have a bank account in an EU country of the eurozone. Paying by credit card – Visa or MasterCard – stays available of course for customers from all countries. The account owner can pick his or her preferred payment method at the tab »Account => Payment«.

Thanks for your attention. Back to more interesting things soon!

Julia in Inside out

Please note: This info is only relevant to customers with German billing address

Due to Corona, Germany lowers VAT from 19% to 16%, starting on July 1st until December 31st, 2020. We voluntarily pass this support measure on to you.

For mite we set prices including VAT because we offer the service to businesses as well as individuals. Since launching the first paid version of mite 12 years ago, we have never raised prices. For German users, mite has always been €5.00 per user per month, including 19% VAT. It’s a simple, honest price.

From July 1st until December 31st, 2020, the gross price for customers with a German billing address will be different for the very first time. It will be lower. During the next six months, mite will be €4.87 per user per month, including 16% VAT. The net price will stay at €4.20.

It’s an ugly price – but well, there are far more important things right now. Stay healthy everybody, and all the best wishes to you: May you get through these complicated times economically as well!

Julia in Inside out

Corona won’t pause mite. We are used to home office and almost all of our processes run fully digitally. Thus we’re confident that mite will go on without any major changes or disruptions.

mite is a lucky exception. Especially freelancers and teams who rely on physical human contact and events are already experiencing a drastic reduction of their income, and this will probably worsen in the months to come.

If you or your team is financially strained already or will probably be soon: please get in touch via e-mail. To you, we’ll provide mite for free for the next three months.

Yes of course this is only a tiny, tiny solidarity action – but maybe other companies that have some reserves will join?

Stay healthy everybody!

Julia in Inside out

On May 25th the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will come into force. While mite does support its principle guidelines since day one, we too have to adapt legal documents to meet the new requirements:

• Data Processing Agreement (new)
• updated Terms of Service
• updated Privacy Policy

Data Processing Agreement

When you input data into mite it isn’t stored locally on your device but centrally on special mite.servers in the data center of our hoster SysEleven in Berlin, Germany. Thus we process data on your behalf. And thus we now have to conclude a so-called Data Processing Agreement (DPA) in the meaning of Art. 28 GDPR with you.

In this DPA we promise to process your data only for purposes linked to mite. We explain which data exactly we collect, how we process and protect it, and which rights and duties you have.

Please conclude our DPA until May 25th. If you’re the account owner, we display a direct link within mite to take care of that. Alternatively please head over to the »Account« tab by yourself.

Updated Terms of Service

Due to the GDPR we also have to slightly update our ToS. Please find the new version at its usual place. You can still access the former version here.

In §13 Data protection you now commit to follow legal data protection guidelines, and to conclude a DPA (see above) with us.

Moreover our ToS now specify that not only companies but also consumers may use mite. This clarification results in new clauses and new rights for consumers: §1.3, §2.3, §3.6, §5.

Our updated ToS become effective automatically if you do not object within six weeks. Should you object, you or we are entitled to terminate our contract.

Updated Privacy Policy

Due to the GDPR we also have to fundamentally change our Privacy Policy. Please find the new version at its usual place. You can still access the former version here.

Until now we had a pretty tight text which we thought to be easily and quickly comprehensible. Now we have to explain everything in epic detail and legal language which we think makes it less accessible. But we do hope that you’ll still appreciate it because now you get access to much more information on how your data is handled by us.

In the end

Thanks for hanging on – until the bottom line of this long post as well as until days before the GDPR comes into force. We’ve been having the topic in mind for almost a year, but frankly it has been quite a challenge to find a good lawyer with time on his or her hands. Sorry. But hopefully, now that the updates have arrived, you’ll see them as a step forward. GDPR & mite: ahoy!

Julia in Inside out

Starting on January 1st, 2015, new VAT laws will apply for so-called electronic services in the European Union. These changes will affect mite, too. Our company is registered in Germany.

Until now, users from the EU are charged “our” German VAT rate of 19%. From 2015, users from the EU will be charged the VAT rate of their country of residence.

We do not want to raise the final price for mite. Thus, we implemented the tax changes in a way so all current customers will continue to pay the same price for mite, or even a couple of Cents less. In case of doubt, it’s on us to earn a little less.

Only future business customers from Luxembourg or Malta will have to pay some more Cents.

If you’re into EU tax laws, or wonder why you will have to pay even less in 2015: we got you covered. Please read-on for all the details and examples.

1. For businesses and individuals who reside in Germany (as stated in their invoice address), nothing changes. mite will continue to be €5.00 per user per month, including 19% VAT.
2. For businesses and individuals who reside outside of the EU, nothing changes. We don’t have to charge VAT. mite will continue to be €4.20 per user per month.
3. For individuals who reside inside the EU but outside of Germany, we keep the current price, too. mite will continue to be €5.00 per user per month, including VAT.
   From 2015, the VAT rate will change if your national VAT rate differs from the German one, 19%. E.g., for individual users from the UK, the final price of €5 will then include 20% VAT. And we’ll earn a little less.
4. For businesses who reside inside the EU but outside of Germany, not much changes. In most cases, mite will even be some Cents less.
   We still won’t have to charge German VAT, reverse charge applies. Until now, we charge “the German” net price, €4.20 per user per month. From 2015, we will calculate the net price depending on your national VAT rate. E.g., the net price for business customers from the UK will be €4.17, because VAT is 20% there. To prove that you’re a business, please fill in your valid EU VAT registration number at the tab »Account => Payment«.

Thanks for your attention. And back to more important things: happy holidays and cheers to a grand 2015!

Julia in Inside out

Here at mite, we’re migrating to the new European payment standard SEPA, too. Although this affects you only a little bit, we have to and want to let you know about all upcoming adjustments that will become effective on February 1st, 2014.

If you pay user fees per direct debit from a German bank account, we will start SEPA direct debiting your bank account as of February 1st. Your account number and the bank code will become IBAN and BIC. We already converted your bank information for you. Nevertheless, please have a look at the tab »Account => Payment« and double-check. You can find your IBAN and BIC on your bank statement.

For now, paying user fees for mite via direct debit continues to be available for German bank accounts only. As soon as our payment partners will implement direct debit for other SEPA countries, we’ll consider this enhancement too, yes of course.

Due to SEPA, we also updated our Terms of Service. We only adjusted §6 Payment/Invoice. The term »direct debit« now reads »SEPA direct debit«. And we added a single phrase: »The pre-notification period of a SEPA direct debit is shortened to 1 day.«.

Our updated ToS will become effective on February 1st, 2014. Please find them right here. If you do not object within six weeks in textual form (e.g. via e-mail), you accept our updated ToS. Should you object, we’re entitled to terminate and end our contract on February 1st, 2014.

Thanks for your attention. Now back to more important things!

Julia in Inside out, Tech talk

We updated our Terms of Service. The new version is located at its usual place, the former version can still be accessed here.

Bottom line

Nothing fundamental changes, and nothing changes to your disadvantage.

Quick overview

One, we adjusted some minor things due to new German legal directives.

Two, we aligned the ToS to how we really handle mite. E.g., there hasn’t been a single newsletter during the last few years. Thus, we don’t really need a clause dealing with newsletters.

Three, we changed our 30-day trial. Every now and then, users were irritated how we handled the trial payment. This should not happen. Before, it was a nonbinding trial: if you decided to use mite, we charged this period retroactively. Now, it is a completely free trial: you won’t have to pay for the trial phase even if you become a paying customer. The first month is on us, period.

Four, we wanted to make our ToS easier to read and understand. We revised every phrase and simplified it if possible. Plus, we reorganized and repositioned some clauses. Last but not least, every clause in “legal speak” is now accompanied by a short summary in plain English. We saw these snippets at 500px for the first time, and got excited. To us, this seems to be the way to go if you really want to commit to simplicity and transparency.

Detailed changelog

Changes in wording and positioning excluded, our ToS have changed as follows:

1. Clause 1
   New comment dealing with the short summaries


2. Clause 3
   Changed trial handling: completely free instead of nonbinding


3. Clause 3 & clause 5
   New German legal directive (»Button-Lösung«)


4. Clause 4
   New clause dealing with beta users


5. Clause 7 (former clause 11)
   Adjusted deadline for data removal after cancellation: 14 days after cancellation instead of 7 days after the end of last billing cycle


6. Clause 7 (former clause 11)
   Changed deadline for possible cancellation after delay of payment: 8 weeks instead of 4


7. Clause 8 (former clause 5)
   More precise definition of data that has to been specified truthfully


8. Clause 8 (former clause 5)
   Removed paragraph pointing to German law


9. Clause 8 (former clause 5)
   Softened definition of abusive useage


10. Clause 9
    New clause dealing with our API


11. Clause 12 (former clause 9)
    Updated liability limitation


12. Former clause 12
    Removed clause dealing with (non-existing) newsletters


13. Clause 14 (former clause 13)
    Updated objection period if ToS change: 6 weeks instead of 14 days

For current customers our updated ToS will become effective in six weeks, for new customers with the creation of an account or the conclusion of a contract. If you do not object within six weeks in textual form, you accept our updated ToS. Should you object, we’re entitled to terminate and end our contract.

That’s it

Hopefully, you appreciate our updated ToS, especially the idea to accompany each clause with a short version in plain English! ToS should be understandable per default. We’d love to see this idea spread—or similar approaches such as the early-stage project Terms of Service; Didn’t Read. If they got well-know, they could apply sometimes much needed pressure from the outside.

Julia in Inside out