Peppol is an international framework for exchanging business documents such as invoices between organisations through certified service providers (access points). Instead of connecting to every customer separately, a company connects once to an access point and can then reach anyone else on the network.
The format: Peppol BIS Billing 3.0
The invoice and credit-note format used on the network is Peppol BIS Billing 3.0. It implements the European standard EN 16931 in the UBL syntax and adds Peppol-specific validation rules. OpenPeppol's own documentation notes it can be mandated as the basis for national or regional e-invoicing initiatives.
How a Peppol invoice travels
- Your ERP or invoicing tool produces the invoice data.
- Your access point validates it against the BIS rules and sends it over the network.
- The receiver's access point delivers it to the receiver's system.
Where Peppol matters in Europe
In our data, 20 countries name Peppol as a network or Peppol BIS as an accepted format, for example for invoices to public bodies:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Cyprus
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- Germany
- Greece
- Ireland
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Sweden
- United Kingdom
Belgium is the clearest B2B example: since 1 January 2026, Peppol is the default exchange method for domestic B2B e-invoices; other channels need mutual agreement.
Limitations
- Peppol is a delivery network, not a tax system: clearance or reporting countries (for example Italy or Poland) use their own government platforms.
- National rules may add requirements on top of Peppol BIS (a CIUS), so "Peppol-ready" software still needs country-specific checks.