The complete guide to Peppol

Last updated September 2026.

Peppol is an open, standardized network for exchanging electronic business documents such as e-invoices and e-orders. Any organization can connect through a certified access point and reach every other participant worldwide — without bilateral agreements or custom setups. The network is governed by the non-profit organization OpenPeppol.

Invoicing has transformed remarkably from its traditional paper-based processes to the sophisticated digital networks we see today.

Historically, invoices were manually created, sent, and processed, which was not only time-consuming but also prone to errors. To this day, the vast majority are still paper-based. As businesses sought efficiency and accuracy, the shift towards electronic invoicing — e-invoicing — began.

Furthermore, this development has paved the way for increased digitization of the transactional landscape. A growing number of business messages exchanged between companies are now electronic. Orders, responses, and delivery messages are just a few examples. The impact is vast.

In the late 20th century, the advent of electronic data interchange (EDI) marked a significant leap in how businesses communicated financial transactions. The first EDI message was a shipping manifest sent in 1965 by the Holland-America Line using telex. FTP, The File Transfer Protocol, was introduced in the early 1970s and enabled easy file transfer via the Internet. In the 80s, large retail and car manufacturing companies started to induce their suppliers to use EDI. The adoption of electronic business messages has increased continuously ever since.

A Value-Added Network (VAN) is a hosted service that provides companies with capabilities to exchange business messages electronically, data interchange (EDI) documents. VANs act as intermediaries that handle the transmission of data in various formats across different communication protocols. They could offer additional services such as message encryption, transaction auditing, and management reporting, which enhance the data exchange process. Historically, VANs were pivotal in enabling EDI between businesses that may not have direct connections, thus facilitating smoother, more efficient B2B exchange. However, the costs associated with VAN services, due for example to the lack of international standardization and the need for testing and data transformation between formats, were restrictive. It led to the emergence of a more flexible, internet-based solution: the Peppol network.

Both direct EDI and VANs face challenges with flexibility and cost, particularly for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This has led to the rise of the more modern and open network Peppol — originally an EU project named “Pan-European Public Procurement On-Line,” today a standalone global brand — which offers a standardized, open network that any organization can join. Peppol simplifies the exchange of electronic documents across different systems and geographies without the need for custom setups for each new partner, making it more accessible and reducing overall transaction costs.

Unlike traditional EDI and value-added networks (VANs) that typically require specific, often expensive setup for each trading connection, Peppol is an open network that allows entities across different countries to exchange electronic documents over its standardized network. It simplifies the process by providing a uniform set of rules and a common legal framework, making it easier, faster, and more cost-effective for organizations to manage their invoicing and other business communications.

Originating in the EU to simplify procurement, Peppol has expanded globally, with registered participants in over 110 countries — including Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and the UAE.

For businesses engaged in public procurement, particularly in Europe, Peppol compliance is becoming essential. Legislation on e-invoicing and digital tax reporting is strengthening Peppol’s role further: the EU’s VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA) package, adopted in March 2025, mandates structured e-invoicing and digital reporting for intra-EU B2B transactions from 2030, and national B2B mandates are already in force or imminent in countries such as Germany, Belgium, Poland, and France.

The emergence of the Peppol network marks a significant evolution in the way businesses handle their invoicing and procurement processes, setting a new standard for digital transactions that is likely to shape the future of commerce. As we move forward, adopting networks like Peppol will be crucial for companies looking to stay competitive in an increasingly digital global market.

The three main methods to exchange electronic business messages.

Embracing digital transformation in all financial processes begins with enhancing data quality.

Switching from manual processes to e-invoicing and e-orders can initially seem challenging, requiring significant IT expertise and financial resources. However, adopting Peppol can simplify this transition significantly.

This guide will help you evaluate your current accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable (AR) processes, identify areas for improvement, and understand how Peppol can streamline your operations.

What’s your process for managing and exchanging transactions? Let’s deep-dive into the most common practices.

No digitization has been made, and it might have worked fine for you. With just a few suppliers and customers per month, adopting digital solutions hasn’t been worth the investment besides handling PDFs. However, the method comes with costs and risks. Typical pain points include manual, monotonous process steps, manual errors, and insufficient analytics capabilities. The process is costly for both suppliers and buyers.

Assessment: Do I have time to enter my invoices into my ERP manually? Does the process create errors? What is the regulatory landscape?

You are using optical character recognition (OCR) software to interpret supplier invoice information, so you don’t need to enter it into your accounting software or workflow manually. A decade ago, OCR was a state-of-the-art technology that was more convenient than handling paper invoices. It is now regarded as a legacy tech with significant downsides compared to modern alternatives.

The main challenge is that OCR can’t perfectly interpret the information from PDFs. Image files like PDFs lack the structured normalized data that e-invoices and other electronic business messages contain. Missing or misinterpreted information is a key source of errors in the financial process, which requires ongoing manual attention for quality assurance. Often, only header data is captured, and scanned invoices must be transferred to the ERP.

Assessment: Do I have a sufficient process to monitor and ensure quality? Is my process scalable? What is the cost compared to electronic business messages?

You rely on PDFs but use a service provider to scan paper formats and do the OCR. It makes internal processes more efficient and automatically scales according to your transaction volumes.

Regardless of whether the work is done outsourced or in-house, OCR has the same technology issues. PDFs do not provide the structured, normalized data found in e-invoices and other electronic business messages. This regularly leads to errors due to missing or incorrectly interpreted information, necessitating continuous manual oversight to ensure data quality. Furthermore, the dependence on an external part for manual work in critical processes exposes you to additional risks like missing invoices and late deliveries. High costs per transaction and support make, in general, these services expensive.

Assessment: Does the service provider have a sufficient process to monitor and ensure quality? Do I have a sufficient process to monitor and ensure quality? Is my process scalable? What is the cost compared to electronic business messages?

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is the collective term for establishing and maintaining unique connections between two business partners. Once set up as point-to-point, the connection is hardcoded and robust. The practice uses fully digital formats, lossless transmission, and machine-readable normalized data.

Connecting new suppliers is a substantial IT undertaking. Custom conversion and mapping between data formats efforts alone demand 40-80 hours of work. Any modifications to the ERP system on either side often necessitate a complete redo. This setup also requires continuous maintenance, demanding a high level of internal IT expertise.

Using a solution provider for point-to-point EDI connections is convenient compared to setting up and maintaining connections with internal IT resources. The service provider takes care of all technical aspects, integrations, and file transformations which makes handling easy, but the costs for implementation and support, as well as fixed and volume-based transaction fees, are often considerable.

VAN service providers, also called operators, provide a more convenient solution compared to business messaging using point-to-point EDI by enabling access to the Value-Added Network (VAN). By using a four-corner model, VAN offers a connection to the customer’s ERP, and/or a complementary web-based portal, and maintains connections and interoperability with other VAN operators. Incoming business messages are transformed to the customer’s inhouse format, the so-called canonical format. The VAN operator makes the necessary transformations for outgoing messages.

VAN operators act as gatekeepers to a semi-open network, which contributes to high transaction costs. One message includes fees for the sending party, the receiving party, and for transformations in both ends.

Traceability is also a limiting factor, as VAN operators only can provide information about processed messages. Support is needed every time a user wants to investigate if a sent business message has been received.

Peppol is a game-changer in electronic business messaging. Instead of building point-to-point connections or routing through a VAN, companies connect once to a certified access point and can immediately exchange e-invoices, e-orders, catalogues, despatch advice, and more with any of the 4.4 million+ registered participants across 116 countries (Peppol network, June 2026). One setup. One standard. Global reach.

Standardization radically simplifies integration and reduces costs throughout the supply chain. Peppol is well established across Europe — where it underpins mandatory e-invoicing in Belgium, Germany, France, and the Nordic countries — and is expanding rapidly in Asia-Pacific (Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan) and beyond.

For decades, operator networks have been the dominant infrastructure for the electronic exchange of e-invoices and other business documents between businesses and organizations.

These networks connect various service providers, known as e-invoice operators or Value-Added Network (VAN) services, facilitating access to business messaging. We call it the closed network setup.

The traditional closed network setup has been somewhat problematic, creating barriers to faster adoption of e-invoicing. Typically, companies have had to navigate through these steps:

This gatekeeping by traditional operators has maintained a “closed network” structure, built barriers to innovation, and kept e-invoicing costs high for users. However, this practice is changing.

The emerging open network Peppol enables companies and organizations to quickly exchange e-invoices and other business messages using their Peppol Participant Identifier (Peppol ID). This process is as simple as sending an email.

Peppol simplifies e-invoice and business message management for companies, organizations, and the public sector. The name originates from the EU project Pan-European Public Procurement On-Line, but Peppol is today a standalone brand with global scope. It provides both an infrastructure for message exchange and standardized formats for procurement processes.

Peppol’s message formats, called BIS, and open infrastructure promote digitalization in B2B commerce. Following an EU e-invoicing directive, many European public entities now require e-invoices for new contracts.

Managed by OpenPeppol, the network is expanding globally, with countries like Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and the UAE joining. Messages are exchanged via Peppol service providers, using the recipient’s Peppol ID to ensure delivery. In Europe, the e-invoice format is called Peppol BIS Billing; markets outside Europe use specializations of PINT, the Peppol International invoice model, such as PINT A-NZ, JP PINT, and MY PINT.

To exchange e-invoices within the Peppol network, business partners need to sign up at a certified Peppol access point, also called a Peppol service provider, often an e-invoicing solution or an operator of business messages.

E-invoices and other business messages can be easily created and exchanged by integrating your ERP with an access point or using an online solution from a Peppol service provider.

Unlike VAN, agreements or custom setups between access points are not needed; business messages can be exchanged across the network much more easily and cost-efficiently.

The next step is to obtain a dedicated Peppol ID, required to receive Peppol e-invoices and other e-documents within the network. However, sending e-invoices within the Peppol network does not require a Peppol ID.

Depending on your setup, the operator may provide tools for managing messages, commonly through a web-based interface or integration into your ERP. Fees for registering and exchanging e-invoices may vary, but some providers, like Qvalia, offer free sign-up and transactions.

Free tools for small businesses are crucial for digitizing a greater part of the supply chain and support the digitization of all parts.

A Peppol ID is the unique electronic address that identifies a company or organization in the Peppol network, used to route e-invoices and other business documents to the right recipient.

A Peppol ID consists of two parts: an initial four-digit code specifying the identifier type and a unique identifier number for a particular company or organization, divided by a colon. For example, the code for a Swedish organization number is “0007”, making Qvalia’s Peppol ID “0007:5567321707”.

Exchanges within Peppol can also use GLN numbers to direct e-invoices and other documents to the right recipient. For companies using GLN numbers, the code “0088” is followed by 13 digits, e.g., “0088:1234567891234”. These codes differ between countries.

With Peppol, there is no need for local network operators with Peppol Access Point status to make specific setups in advance. Most e-invoice operators today are access points, minimizing the risk of transaction issues.

The profiles below are the European Peppol BIS 3.0 message types. Markets outside Europe use invoice formats based on PINT, the Peppol International invoice model (e.g., JP PINT, PINT A-NZ).

Sähköisen laskun muoto Peppolissa. Viestissä on oltava ostajan viite tai ostotilauksen viite, ja laskun riveillä voi olla tuotteita tai palveluja, määrä, nettomäärä, ostajan kirjanpitoviite, ajanjakso, tilauksen viite jne.

Hyvityslaskun/hyvityslaskun viesti Peppolissa. Se on Peppol BIS Billing 3 -profiili, jossa käytetään negatiivisia summia asiakirjatasolla.

BIS Invoice Response mahdollistaa viestinnän koko laskutusprosessin ajan, esimerkiksi laskun tilasta tiedottamisen.

BIS Order Only on yksinkertaistetun sähköisen tilauksen viestiprosessin profiili. Se voi sisältää esimerkiksi tietoja tuotteista ja palveluista, kirjanpitotietoja, arvoja ja määriä sekä arvonlisäveroa. Lisäksi viesti tukee varastotietoja, kun tilaukset perustuvat luetteloihin.

BIS Ordering on laajennetun sähköisen tilauksen sanomaprosessin profiili. Se sisältää kaikki BIS Order Only :n ominaisuudet, mutta antaa esimerkiksi myyjille mahdollisuuden hyväksyä tai hylätä tilauksia tai tehdä muutoksia.

BIS Advanced Ordering on edistyksellisin profiili sähköisten tilausviestien lähettämiseen Peppolissa, joka mahdollistaa kaksisuuntaisen viestinnän asiakkaan ja toimittajan välillä.

BIS Catalogue Ilman vastausta on tuote- ja palveluluetteloviesti. Tavarantoimittajat voivat antaa asiakkaille hinnoittelua ja tuotteisiin liittyviä tietoja, kuten kuvaukset, niihin liittyvät puitteet, pakkaukset ja veroluokat.

BIS Despatch Advice on ilmoitussanoma tapahtuman toteutusprosessissa. Sanoma mahdollistaa kuljetukseen, tilaukseen ja vastaanottoon liittyvät tiedot ja toiminnot. Tuetaan skenaarioita, joissa on erilaisia päätepisteitä ja maksamattomia tavaroita.

Punch Out on dynaaminen ostoskori B2B-verkkokauppaa varten. Asiakkaat voivat lisätä tuotteita ja palveluja ostoskoriin verkkoluetteloista, tehdä määrityksiä ja lähettää tilauksen toimittajalle.

BIS Order Agreement mahdollistaa toimittajien ja asiakkaiden väliset sopimukset. Tavarantoimittajat voivat toimittaa dokumentaatiota ostosta tai kerätä useita ostoja puitesopimukseen.

BIS Message Level Response helpottaa viestintää liiketoimen aikana. Osapuolet voivat kuitata prosessin vaiheet ja ilmoittaa poikkeamista tai virheistä. Tärkeimpiä sanomatyyppejä ovat kuljetuskuittaukset, muiden sanomien tietoihin liittyvät vastaukset ja liiketoimintatapahtumiin liittyvät vastaukset.

Improving the quality of your transactional data is key to successfully navigating digital transformation in business messaging. The way you structure your data, the formats you choose, and the type of content you exchange with business partners don’t just affect what you can do now — they play a crucial role in making sure your financial processes are ready for the future.

Effective data management in finance relies on two critical factors: data quality and data structure.

Data quality ensures the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of financial data, enabling informed decision-making and regulatory compliance. Meanwhile, a robust data structure organizes and integrates data in a way that allows for efficient automated processes, analysis, and reporting. Together, these factors form the foundation of a resilient financial data management strategy, driving operational efficiency and strategic insight.

Data quality is crucial for accurate decision-making, efficient operations, and regulatory compliance. High-quality data is determined by several attributes.

Data structure refers to how data is organized, formatted, and stored in transactional documents; business messages such as e-invoices and e-orders, and systems.

The caliber of the content in your transactions not only sets the bar for how you can streamline operations and reduce errors but also has the potential to fuel the decision-making process.

Eliminating analog formats, reducing the need for transformations, and increasing the utilization of the Peppol network are three important actions for enhancing data quality. These improve data accuracy and reliability and drive greater efficiency and operational excellence.

The implementation of Peppol varies depending on the complexity of each specific company. These steps provide common guidance for how to get started.