PEPPOL

PEPPOL (Pan-European Public Procurement On-Line) is a network and a set of standards for exchanging structured e-invoices and other business documents between buyers and suppliers through accredited access points, used across the EU public sector and increasingly mandated for B2B.

Applies in: European Union Global

PEPPOL solves a coordination problem: the EU's public sector wants every supplier to be able to send a structured e-invoice without each supplier having to integrate separately with each government department's system. The PEPPOL network sits between them, in a four-corner model. The supplier's access point (one of many accredited providers) sends to the buyer's access point (also accredited), with both ends translating between local invoicing software and the common PEPPOL format.

The format is built around UBL (Universal Business Language) XML, with country-specific extensions for tax and legal requirements. Member states publish their own PEPPOL BIS (Business Interoperability Specification) that defines exactly which fields are required in their jurisdiction. So a supplier sending into Belgium uses PEPPOL BIS Billing 3.0; into Norway uses the Norwegian variant; into Singapore uses the Singaporean variant.

Coverage is expanding from B2G to B2B. The EU's ViDA (VAT in the Digital Age) framework treats PEPPOL as the reference architecture for cross-border digital reporting from 2030. Several non-EU countries (Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia) have joined the OpenPeppol network or built compatible systems. A small business does not interact with PEPPOL directly; they use an accredited access point, which JupiterInvoice integrates with for relevant transactions.

Common questions about PEPPOL

Is PEPPOL required for my invoicing?

Depends on who you invoice. For EU public-sector buyers, PEPPOL (or a national equivalent that interoperates with it) is the standard route. For B2B in EU member states with active mandates (or coming-soon ones), PEPPOL is increasingly required. For B2B in the US, UK private sector, or many other regions, it is optional today but coverage is expanding.

How does a small business join PEPPOL?

Through an accredited access point. You do not connect to PEPPOL directly. Instead, you use an invoicing tool (or service) that has an access-point accreditation, and it handles the network connectivity. Most accredited access points charge a per-document or subscription fee. Some EU countries' public-sector portals also offer free upload paths for occasional senders.

What is the difference between PEPPOL and a national e-invoicing portal?

National portals (Italy's SdI, Mexico's SAT, Poland's KSeF) are clearance systems: every invoice routes through the tax authority for validation before reaching the buyer. PEPPOL is a four-corner exchange network without a central clearance step. Some countries combine both: their portal validates, then PEPPOL delivers. The trend, especially in EU member states, is toward national clearance systems that interoperate with PEPPOL for cross-border traffic.

Use JupiterInvoice for PEPPOL

PEPPOL on a JupiterInvoice invoice is a field, a label, and an audit trail your buyer can act on without an email back-and-forth.

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Related terms

E-invoicing ZUGFeRD FatturaPA VAT

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