How to choose e-invoicing software in Belgium: a buyer checklist
Criteria checklist for Belgian SMEs: send and receive, certified Access Point, UBL/BIS, lookup, credit notes, archive, and accountant export. Not a competitor ranking.
Updated
- Belgium
Buy capabilities, not logos
Belgian SMEs need a tool that sends and receives structured invoices on Peppol, keeps the accountant productive, and avoids PDF-only workarounds. This checklist covers buyer criteria only; it does not rank products.
Gateway role: Peppol Access Point. Onboarding: Peppol registration in Belgium.
Must-have criteria
| Criterion | Pass | Fail |
|---|---|---|
| Send and receive | Outbound + inbound in one product (or clear AP + inbox) | "We send Peppol" but inbound is email PDF |
| Certified Access Point | Named Peppol-certified AP (embedded or partner) | Vague "electronic delivery" with no AP |
| UBL / Peppol BIS Billing | EN 16931 UBL invoice + CreditNote profiles | Proprietary XML or "PDF with metadata" |
| Participant lookup | Check buyer ID before send | Blind send; failures only after transmit |
| Credit notes | Structured CreditNote with billing reference | Manual PDF credit only |
| Archive | Structured original retained with audit trail | Only rendered PDF kept |
| Accountant export | Stable export/API (UBL, CSV, or certified link) | Re-keying from screen or scattered downloads |
- Certified Access Point
A Peppol service provider authorised to connect participants to the network for discovery and document exchange under Peppol trust and conformance rules.
How to verify each criterion
Send and receive. Outbound-only tools leave supplier invoices in the wrong channel. Confirm a real inbound inbox before you sign.
Access Point. Ask which AP is used and whether it is Peppol-certified. Embedded or white-label is fine; "we email XML" is not an Access Point.
UBL / BIS. The product must produce Peppol BIS Billing documents, including CreditNotes with a billing reference (structured credit notes).
Lookup. Operators should run participant lookup (0208 + enterprise number) and see receive capability before transmit.
Archive and export. Keep the authoritative XML (plus optional PDF) for the retention period your advisor requires (invoice archiving). Your accountant should pull the same structured set via export, API, or portal, not rebuild invoices by hand.
Nice-to-have after must-haves
| Extra | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Validate-before-send | Catches EN 16931 / BIS errors early |
| IMR / delivery status | Shows accept, reject, under query |
| Multi-entity / multi-VAT | Groups without shared Peppol chaos |
| Role permissions | Separates issuer, approver, accountant |
| Fallback for offline buyers | Clear process when lookup fails |
Decision sequence
- Mark non-negotiables from the must-have table
- Shortlist only tools that clear send+receive + certified AP + BIS
- Run the trial script with your enterprise-number path
- Involve your accountant on export and archive (accountant Peppol onboarding)
- Sign when inbound, credit notes, and export are proven, not promised