Reference
Markdown exportPEPPOL
A network and specifications for exchanging e-procurement documents, including e-invoices.
Definition
A network and specifications for exchanging e-procurement documents, including e-invoices.
Why this term matters
Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 is the de-facto routing layer for cross-border B2B invoicing in the EU and is mandatory or near-default in NL, BE, DE federal, and the Nordics. Without a Peppol participant entry and Access Point, a supplier cannot programmatically deliver to many EU recipients — including many German states routing inbound invoices through Peppol since 2024.
Explanation
Often used via certified Access Points with participant identifiers.
PEPPOL BIS 3.0 defines invoice rules and UBL structures.
Common mistakes
Use these points as the practical checks for this section.
- Confusing Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 (the document profile) with the Peppol Network (the AS4 transport).
- Not registering an EAS scheme identifier — most common: 9930 for German VAT-ID, 0088 for GLN, 0184 for Danish CVR, 0190 for Dutch OIN.
- Using a self-hosted SMP without OpenPEPPOL certification — it will not be discoverable by other Access Points via the SML.
- Sending UBL with the wrong CustomizationID URI (e.g., generic EN 16931 instead of urn:cen.eu:en16931:2017#compliant#urn:fdc:peppol.eu:2017:poacc:billing:3.0).
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be Peppol-certified to send invoices?
No — only Access Point operators need OpenPEPPOL certification. Suppliers and receivers register a participant identifier with a certified Access Point provider and use that AP as their gateway.
How do I find a recipient’s Peppol address?
Look up their participant identifier (often shown as eas:value, e.g. 9930:DE123456789) in the Peppol Directory or directly via SML/SMP discovery. The recipient publishes which document types and profiles they accept in their SMP.
Is Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 the same as XRechnung?
No, but they are compatible. XRechnung is a German CIUS that adds BR-DE rules on top of EN 16931; Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 is a separate CIUS used for the Peppol network. A single UBL document can satisfy both if it declares the right CustomizationID and respects both rule sets.