What is Peppol? Everything about the e-invoicing network
Discover what Peppol is, how Peppol e-invoicing works in practice, and what the growing B2B mandates in Europe mean for your organization.
What is Peppol
Peppol is now the most widely used network for e-invoicing in Europe, used by both governments and businesses to exchange invoices in a structured, automated way.
Peppol stands for Pan European Public Procurement Online. It is an open and standardized network that enables businesses and governments to exchange electronic documents securely and efficiently. Peppol is designed to simplify cross border electronic invoicing and procurement across Europe and beyond, as described by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).
At its core, Peppol allows organizations to send and receive structured documents such as invoices, orders and dispatch advices using a common framework. This removes the need for individual technical agreements and manual processes. All participants use standardized document formats based on UBL (Universal Business Language) XML, ensuring compatibility and compliance.
How Peppol works
When a company joins the Peppol network, it registers its participant details and the document types it can handle. This information is published in the Peppol Service Metadata Locator (SML), a shared registry that allows other participants to discover and connect with one another.
To exchange documents, each participant uses a certified access point, which acts as the communication channel for sending and receiving messages over the Peppol network. It functions like an internet service provider, but for business document exchange.
Peppol e-invoicing: how does sending an invoice work?
Many organizations know what Peppol is, but are less familiar with what the invoicing process actually looks like in practice. The process starts in your own system: you create an invoice in your ERP or accounting software, just as you always do.
Your certified access point then takes over. The access point converts the invoice data into the standardized UBL format that Peppol requires, and looks up, via the Peppol Service Metadata Publisher (SMP), which access point your recipient uses. This lookup happens automatically, based on your customer's Peppol ID.
UBL (Universal Business Language) is the XML based document format that Peppol uses for invoices. It ensures that a Peppol invoice can be read and processed directly by any connected system, regardless of the recipient's country or software.
The invoice is then delivered via the Peppol network to the recipient's access point, which in turn processes the invoice in its own system. No manual steps, no file exchange by email, and no risk of loss or incorrect delivery.
The result is a fully automated invoicing process that is faster, more reliable, and demonstrably compliant.
Peppol for B2B invoices: what does the Belgian mandate mean for your organization?
Peppol has been mandatory for invoicing to the Dutch central government for years. The development now following quickly is its expansion into the B2B domain.
In Belgium, mandatory e-invoicing for B2B transactions between VAT registered businesses takes effect on 1 January 2026, with Peppol designated as the network for this. For Dutch businesses that legal obligation does not apply directly, but in practice things work differently.
Belgian VAT registered businesses are required to receive and process incoming invoices via the Peppol network. This means Belgian customers will increasingly ask for a Peppol invoice, simply because their accounting software will soon no longer accept a PDF or paper invoice. The legal obligation lies with your customer; the practical necessity lies with you.
Pressure is also increasing in the Netherlands and other European countries. The European ViDA directive (VAT in the Digital Age) is driving the broad adoption of e-invoicing, and this shift is already visible in concrete national legislation. France will make e-invoicing mandatory for large and medium sized businesses from 1 September 2026. Slovakia follows on 1 January 2027 with a Peppol based model for both B2B and B2G invoices. And the United Kingdom has confirmed Peppol as the central network for its e-invoicing mandate in 2029.
Organizations that connect to Peppol now stay ahead of obligations in multiple countries at once, while streamlining their invoicing process for all trading partners already using this network.
How we can help
At Type 2 Solutions, we provide access point services and full support to help you connect with the Peppol network. Our Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Platform enables you to:
- Connect to the Peppol network quickly and securely
- Send and receive standard documents in full compliance with Peppol guidelines
- Ensure data quality and completeness, even when your partner requests additional business specific information
- Implement and test your solution with our expert guidance
Getting started
- Contact us to discuss your goals
- Comply with Peppol requirements using our support
- Implement, test and go live with confidence
Whether you are responding to a customer's request or improving your own digital processes, we make connecting to Peppol simple and effective. Want to know how T2S connects your organization to thePeppol network? Check out our Peppol solution.