The Peppol network: what it is and why it became mandatory

Updated 26 May 2026, by the by Watson editorial team.

Since the start of the year, everyone has been talking about Peppol. Accountants, software vendors, FPS Finance (the Belgian Federal Public Service for Finance). That makes Peppol sound like a new product. Or an app you have to install.

It is neither.

The Peppol network is the infrastructure along which electronic invoices are sent and received. Compare it to the mobile phone masts behind a phone call. You dial, the other person answers, and no one stops to think about which mast carries the signal.

That is how Peppol works too. Invisible, but essential.

As an SME (small or medium-sized enterprise), self-employed person or member of a liberal profession, you do not need to know all the technical detail. What does matter: understanding what Peppol is, why it became mandatory and what that means in practice for your invoicing.

At a glance

• Peppol stands for Pan-European Public Procurement On-Line. It is an open, international network for exchanging structured electronic documents, including invoices.
• Since 1 January 2026, the Peppol network has been mandatory in Belgium for all B2B invoicing.
• Your software sends your invoice via a Peppol access point to your customer’s access point.
• Three core features: open (no monopoly), standardised (Peppol BIS format), and closed and verified (no anonymous senders).
• Belgium chose Peppol because it is Europe-wide compatible, already in use in several countries and does not lock businesses in with a single vendor.

What is the Peppol network?

Peppol is an open network through which businesses and public bodies can exchange structured electronic documents. Think of invoices, credit notes, purchase orders and other business documents.

The abbreviation stands for Pan-European Public Procurement On-Line. The network was originally set up to make government procurement in Europe more efficient. Today, Peppol has grown into a standard for electronic invoicing between businesses.

Three elements make Peppol important.

Open network

Every software vendor can connect. No monopoly of one provider, no exclusive control for one party. The network operates on agreements managed by an independent organisation, OpenPeppol.

Standardised document format

The invoice is sent in a fixed format, Peppol BIS (Business Interoperability Specification). Whichever software generates the invoice, the recipient knows exactly where each field sits: supplier, customer, VAT number, item descriptions, amounts, VAT rate.

Closed and verified

Only registered participants can send invoices via Peppol. Each participant has a unique Peppol address, linked to their VAT number or another official identification number. That makes it harder to send fake invoices, a growing problem in the world of email invoicing.

‘Peppol is not software that you install. It is the standardised layer along which your software reaches all that other software.’

How does Peppol work in practice?

Suppose your business wants to send an invoice to another business. That happens in four invisible steps.

Step 1. You draw up your invoice in your accounting software. You click ‘send’.

Step 2. Your software sends the invoice to a Peppol access point: a service provider with the mandate to place documents on the Peppol network. That access point is usually already built into your software vendor’s offering, or arranged via an external partner. In Belgium, dozens of registered access points are active.

Step 3. The access point validates your invoice: is the format correct, is the recipient’s address correct? It then routes the document over the Peppol network to your customer’s access point.

Step 4. Your customer’s access point delivers the invoice into their accounting software. There it appears automatically as an incoming invoice, ready for processing.

For you as the sender, all of this is invisible. It feels like clicking ‘send’, just as with an email. The difference is that what leaves is not a PDF attachment, but a structured XML document that the software at the other end can process immediately.

Why Peppol and not a Belgian system?

A fair question. The Belgian government could also have built its own national solution. Three reasons explain the choice of Peppol.

One: Peppol works across Europe

The European Commission is working on a common framework for e-invoicing between member states, with Peppol as the logical backbone. By being on Peppol now, you as a Belgian business are ready to invoice Dutch, German, French or Scandinavian partners without obstacles, as soon as they make the switch too.

Two: Peppol is already in use

The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, France and several other countries already use Peppol for government procurement or B2B invoicing.

Belgium therefore joins an existing standard, instead of building a new system that only works here.

Three: you are not locked into one vendor

Peppol is open. If you decide tomorrow to switch to different accounting software, for example from Odoo to Horus or the other way around, both packages run on that same Peppol network. You are not held hostage by one vendor in order to keep invoicing.

What are the concrete benefits of Peppol?

Beyond the fact that it is mandatory, Peppol offers structural advantages over the old situation of PDF invoices by email.

Less fraud

A classic scam: send a fake invoice from a similar-looking email address. With Peppol that does not work. The sender has to be registered in the network, with a unique address linked to their VAT number. That significantly lowers the risk of invoice fraud.

No retyping errors

A PDF often has to be retyped or scanned at the receiving end. With a Peppol invoice the data flows straight into the bookkeeping. No reading errors, no incorrect amounts, no wrong VAT rates.

Faster processing

A Peppol invoice can sit in your customer’s bookkeeping within minutes. A PDF sometimes lingers three to five days in an inbox before someone gets round to it. For your administration and cash flow, that makes a big difference.

Better traceability

With Peppol it is clear when an invoice was sent and received.

Discussions such as ‘we never received that invoice’ become far less likely.

What is a Peppol access point?

An access point is the technical intermediary that connects you to the network. Compare it to a post office: you drop off your invoice, and they make sure it gets to the recipient’s post office.

In Belgium, dozens of access points are registered. You do not have to choose one yourself. Your accounting software or e-invoicing platform usually has one already integrated. The larger accounting packages work with their own or partner access points, generally without you having to set anything up.

Only those working with very specific niche software, or developing their own software, need to actively select an access point provider.

What is Peppol BIS?

Peppol BIS (Business Interoperability Specification) is the standard document format used within the Peppol network. For invoices, the relevant version is Peppol BIS Billing 3.0.

That sounds technical, but the principle is simple: every field in your invoice has a fixed place. That allows the recipient’s software to read the invoice automatically.

That is the real difference with a PDF.

A PDF is made above all for people. A Peppol invoice is made for software.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to install Peppol myself?

No. Your accounting software or e-invoicing platform arranges the Peppol connection for you. You do not need technical knowledge.

Is Peppol free?

The network itself is open. Access runs via your software vendor or access point, and there can be costs attached.

For many SMEs, Peppol is included in the software package. Sometimes you pay a separate subscription or transaction fee.

Who runs Peppol?

Peppol is run by OpenPeppol, an independent organisation. There is no commercial owner of the network.

Can Peppol also send documents other than invoices?

Yes. Peppol can also exchange credit notes, purchase orders, catalogues and despatch advices.

In Belgium, the obligation today mainly applies to B2B invoicing. Other document types are possible, but not always mandatory.

What if an access point shuts down?

Access points are accredited and supervised service providers. If something does change, your software vendor usually moves over to another access point.

You do not simply lose your Peppol address as a result.

Is Peppol secure?

Yes. Peppol works with verified participants, encrypted communications and a clear sending history.

That makes it safer than PDF invoices over ordinary email.

Does Peppol also work with international clients?

Peppol works in several European countries and beyond. The practical approach still depends on the country, the client and local rules.

Do you invoice internationally a lot? Best to align that with your accountant.

Any further questions about Peppol?

by Watson helps SMEs and self-employed people get their move to Peppol right. From software choice to first test invoices, with an eye on your bookkeeping and the tax framework. Schedule a conversation here.