# PEPPOL

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

- 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.

## Related resources

- [PEPPOL network guide](/resources/compliance/peppol-network-guide)

## Related terms

- [PEPPOL BIS](/resources/glossary/peppol-bis): Business Interoperability Specifications defining document rules (commonly BIS 3.0 for invoices).
- [Access Point](/resources/glossary/access-point): Certified provider that sends/receives PEPPOL documents on your behalf.
- [SMP](/resources/glossary/smp): Service Metadata Publisher used to publish recipient capabilities in PEPPOL.
- [SML](/resources/glossary/sml): Service Metadata Locator used to find which SMP is responsible for a participant.
- [Participant ID](/resources/glossary/participant-id): Identifier used in PEPPOL to address a sender/receiver (e.g., with a scheme).