Peppol is the new standard for electronic invoicing, not only in Belgium, but throughout Europe.
Peppol functions as a centralized directory. It is also a closed, secure network that serves as an intermediary for the transmission of business documents such as invoices. It is a framework established by Europe to make electronic invoicing widespread. Since 2023, it has been mandatory for certain public procurement contracts to use this network.
The UBL electronic invoice
✖️ Electronic invoicing does not mean sending invoices by email.
Electronic invoicing uses a specific format that enables software programs to read and process invoice information. Each PDF invoice is combined with a computer file in XML format. This XML file is structured according to a standard format, UBL (for Universal Business Language). This format has been in existence since 2008, and will be replaced by the Peppol exchange network in 2026.
The main data on an invoice is thus tagged. In this way, your software is able to recognize certain information with certainty: date, amount, VAT details, ECB number, etc.
⚡ Thanks to electronic invoicing, the invoice will arrive in your application with certain data. Encoding will then be highly automated.
However, some information will still need to be defined, such as the professional quota or the accounting category.
Peppol access point
The Peppol network operates on the basis of an access point (also known as an AP). The access point is the secure intermediary responsible for transferring invoices. There is one for the sender and one for the receiver:
Your bill's path
Here's how your invoice travels:
The sender sends his invoice to his access point (in your case, BILLY has developed an access point via a subcontractor called Digiteal)
The access point queries the network to see if the receiver is registered
If so, the invoice is sent to the receiver's access point
The receiver's access point issues and notifies the invoice in the receiver's tool
To summarize
⬆️ Sending: you cannot send your invoice directly to your customer. The invoice must pass through your secure access point. Your secure access point is responsible for sending your invoice, provided your customer is registered with an access point.
⬇️ On receipt: you must register with an access point. This way, your supplier's access point knows where to send the bill.
Peppol central directory
To help you find your way around this "big directory", each company has a unique Peppol ID (find out more about the Peppol Directory). This enables access points to find you with certainty. We can compare it to a telephone number to call someone.
👉🏻 What does a Peppol ID look like? It's quite simple. The identifier is made up of two parts:
First, a 4-digit code to indicate the type of number. For example, code 0208 is for Belgian companies only.
Next, your company number
BILLY's Peppol ID, for example, is 0208:0543450814.
Do you have any questions about Peppol? Contact us via live-chat 😇
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