Troubleshooting18 min read

Fix a failed Peppol send or a rejected Peppol invoice

What each OrdoGrid Peppol error or customer rejection means, when to retry the same invoice, email it or credit and reissue it, and what Belgian law requires.

Updated: 13 October 2026
Content owner: Customer education team
For: Freelancers and small business owners · Office and finance staff who send invoices · Accountants supporting clients on Peppol

At a glance

A failed send is a transport problem: fix the cause and retry the same invoice with the same number, or email that same invoice if the customer cannot receive on Peppol. A rejection (RE) means the customer received the invoice but will not process it: the invoice stays in your books, and if its content is wrong you correct it with a Peppol credit note and a new invoice.

Before you begin

Owner or administrator access to the OrdoGrid company
The invoice number and the exact message or Outbox badge you saw
Access to Peppol → Outbox and to the customer's billing contact
Your accountant's view when the amount, VAT or customer has to change

What you will achieve

Tell apart a send that never left, a transport failure, an unknown outcome and a customer rejection
Retry or email the same invoice without creating a duplicate
Correct a rejected invoice with a credit note and a new invoice when its content is wrong
Keep the evidence your accountant and OrdoGrid support need

On this page

A failed Peppol send and a rejected invoice are different problems. A failed send means the network did not deliver: fix the cause and send the same invoice again, with the same number, or email that same invoice if the customer cannot receive on Peppol. A rejection means the customer received the invoice and will not process it: the invoice stays in your books, and you credit it only if its content is actually wrong.

This guide is for Belgian-established suppliers that send from OrdoGrid (Peppol sending requires a BE VAT number). It settles one decision: retry, email or credit. Checks before sending are in Peppol invoice validation errors; credit notes, balances and refunds in Correct, cancel or credit an issued invoice.

Four situations, four different fixes

Situation	Signal in OrdoGrid	Transmitted?	Fix
1. Stopped before transmission	A message in the Envoyer popover, or an error from the table in section A after Sauvegarder & Envoyer (Save & Send)	No	Fix the cause, send the same invoice (A)
2. Outcome not final or unknown	Créé (created), En file (queued), En attente (pending), Nouvelle tentative (retrying); or a retry OrdoGrid refuses	Possibly	Wait, check or ask support; never send twice (B, C)
3. Not delivered	Erreur (error), Pas sur Peppol (not on Peppol) or Déjà envoyé (already sent) in Peppol → Outbox	Attempted	Erreur: retry the same invoice once (C). Pas sur Peppol: check the number and registration, and email the same invoice if the customer cannot receive (D). Déjà envoyé: never resend; check with the customer, then support (D)
4. Delivered, then rejected	Traité (processed), then Rejetée (rejected) under Réponses reçues (responses received)	Yes	Clarify; credit note and new invoice if the content is wrong (E)

If the Peppol result after Sauvegarder & Envoyer reads "Peppol transmission failed; reconcile the archived transmission before retrying", or the invoice now appears in Peppol → Outbox, an attempt was made: treat it as situation 2 or 3, not situation 1.

A transport failure does not change what the invoice says, so nothing needs correcting. A rectifying document, in practice a credit note, is required when an invoice has to be corrected after issue (Royal Decree no. 1, art. 12): situation 4 when the customer is right, never situations 1 to 3 on their own.

Invoice Response: A Peppol message in which the customer's software reports its decision on your invoice, such as AP (approved), RE (rejected) or UQ (under query). It is separate from delivery: Traité means the network delivered the invoice, not that the customer accepted or paid it. Sending a response is optional in standard Peppol BIS.

What the law requires, whatever went wrong

Rule	Source	For you
The invoice must be issued by the 15th of the month after the chargeable event	Royal Decree no. 1, art. 4	A Peppol failure does not move the deadline
If the customer technically cannot receive a structured invoice, you still issue the invoice in another form, such as a PDF	Art. 53 §2bis VAT Code, last paragraph (Law of 10 February 2026, in force 20 February 2026; applied by FPS Finance, the Belgian federal tax administration, since 1 January 2026)	Email the same invoice; a customer that is itself obliged to receive remains in breach of that duty
Once the customer can receive, earlier invoices are not resent as structured invoices	FPS Finance B2B FAQ, Q8	Never push an emailed invoice through Peppol later
A structured invoice is corrected by a document that refers to it, in the same format	Art. 53 §2bis VAT Code; FPS Finance FAQ, Q5	Send the credit note on Peppol
Each invoice has a unique sequential number	Royal Decree no. 1, art. 5 §1 1°	A retry keeps the number; a replacement gets a new one
Peppol cannot tell whether an invoice is a duplicate	FPS Finance FAQ, Q4	Avoiding double sending is up to you
An invoice sent to the wrong company stays in your books	FPS Finance FAQ, Q29	Credit it, then invoice the right company

What we recommend: one channel per invoice. On 8 September 2026 the Belgian Peppol service providers' forum recommended not emailing a copy to a customer that receives on Peppol; a recommendation, not a ban.

What OrdoGrid does: it validates and archives the exact XML and PDF before transmission, resends that archive on a retry, refuses a new attempt while an earlier outcome is unresolved, and never switches to email by itself. It has no Peppol test mode.

Can you still change the invoice?

OrdoGrid locks an invoice's amounts, VAT, customer and number once it has found the customer on Peppol and started preparing the transmission, even if that transmission then fails. A recorded payment locks them too. Notes stay editable, but a retry resends the invoice as it was prepared. Trying to change a locked invoice shows this message, in your interface language:

This saved document cannot be changed. Undo your edits to resend it, or open its details from the document list to record a correction.

Undo and retry the same invoice (section C), or record a correction, which in OrdoGrid means a credit note started from the invoice in Factures (section E).

The invoice stays editable when OrdoGrid stopped before preparing anything (section A) and no payment is recorded. Even then, edit it only if the customer has not received it another way, such as by email.

Fix it in OrdoGrid

A. Peppol was skipped or the send stopped

Before sending, the Peppol block of the Envoyer popover shows the state. After Sauvegarder & Envoyer, the results list Sauvegarde, Email and Peppol, with Des erreurs sont survenues. (errors occurred) if one failed. Errors also flash up as a notification: take a screenshot, because the Outbox row later shows only a badge.

Message	Cause	Fix
Signature requise pour activer l'envoi Peppol (signature required)	No signed authorisation for your VAT number	Click it, then Sauvegarder et signer; on Autorisation Peppol enter Nom complet du signataire, tick the declaration, click Signer et confirmer l'autorisation
Peppol — ignoré: Pas de numéro de TVA client (no customer VAT number)	No customer VAT number on the invoice	Business: add N° de TVA in Base Clients, then pick the client again in the invoice (Sélectionner un client), which copies the data. Private person: send by Email
Peppol — ignoré: Le client n'est pas enregistré sur le réseau Peppol, or "The Peppol client could not be found."	No registration found for that VAT number	Check number, legal entity and registration (section D)
Peppol — ignoré: Impossible de vérifier le statut Peppol du client	The check itself failed	Try later or use the globe icon in Factures
"This invoice cannot be sent via Peppol."	Missing invoice number, customer VAT number or address, or your VAT number or address; or your VAT number on the invoice does not start with BE or differs from the one in Profil entreprise	Complete the invoice or Profil entreprise
Limite du plan gratuit atteinte (free plan limit reached)	Monthly Peppol sends used up; on the Free plan a failed attempt also counts, so a retry in the same month can hit this limit	Change plan under Billing & Subscription; a plan limit is no reason to email a customer that receives on Peppol

Then open the same invoice, click Envoyer, keep Envoi électronique via Peppol ticked, untick Email unless the customer wants a copy, and click Sauvegarder & Envoyer once.

Your own set-up is in Peppol → Statut: Envoi (Outbox) must read Autorisé. Réception (Inbox) matters only for receiving, including customers' Invoice Responses, which reach OrdoGrid only in Mode : Envoi + réception. Do not move your Peppol reception away from an existing provider just to clear a send error. See Set up Peppol in OrdoGrid.

B. The transmission is still running

Créé, En file, En attente and Nouvelle tentative mean the attempt is under way. Click Vérifier on the Outbox row or Actualiser at the top. FPS Finance says most invoices arrive within minutes to a couple of hours; after one working day without Traité, contact OrdoGrid support. Do not click again, email a copy or duplicate the invoice. Badges in detail: Peppol delivery status.

C. Erreur: retry the same invoice

Fix the cause first; if it was the customer's registration, confirm it is solved (section D).
In Factures (Invoices), click the globe icon on the invoice's row (tooltip Envoyer à Peppol). It is active again only after an error; otherwise it reads Déjà envoyé sur Peppol.
Check the PDF preview and Client inscrit sur Peppol, then click Envoyer à Peppol once. Do not attach files under Fichiers additionnels (optionnel): a retry ignores them and reuses the archived XML and PDF (same number, amounts and customer). OrdoGrid transmits again only if the access point refused the first attempt outright. If the network had already accepted the invoice and the error was reported afterwards, OrdoGrid does not send it a second time: you may see a success message, but the Outbox badge does not change.
In Peppol → Outbox, click Vérifier until the row shows Traité. If it still shows Erreur after the retry, contact support rather than clicking again.

If OrdoGrid refuses the retry because the earlier transmission must first be reconciled, that attempt may have reached the network. Stop, and send support the details listed under "Contact support". If the invoice itself is wrong, a retry would deliver a wrong invoice: credit and replace it (section E).

D. Pas sur Peppol, or the customer cannot be found

Compare the VAT number on the invoice with the customer's record in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (KBO/BCE). Another group company's number can look right and point elsewhere.
Search lookup.peppol.org, as FPS Finance advises: 0208: plus the ten-digit enterprise number. It shows whether the customer can receive. More: Check whether a Belgian customer can receive invoices on Peppol.
Ask the customer's billing contact for its Peppol registration, or written confirmation that it cannot receive yet.
Wrong number and OrdoGrid stopped before sending: correct the customer (section A) and send. Invoice delivered to another company: wrong recipient (section E).
Customer confirms it cannot receive: email the same invoice. Click it in Factures, choose Envoyer in the side panel, keep Attach the document PDF ticked in Send by email and click Send email. Same number, no new invoice.
Remind the customer that, since 1 January 2026, a taxable person established in Belgium must be able to receive structured invoices, unless it makes only VAT-exempt supplies under art. 44 VAT Code. Lacking the technical means to receive is fined €1,500 for a first infringement (Royal Decree no. 44, annex, section 2, heading I, point C). Send future invoices on Peppol, never this one again.

Déjà envoyé means the network reports the invoice as already sent: do not resend; ask the customer whether it received the invoice, and contact support if it did not.

E. The customer rejected the invoice

The Récent and Inbox tabs of Peppol show a banner such as 1 nouvelle réponse reçue (1 new response received). Open the invoice in Outbox: Réponses reçues shows each response with its badge and Note. In Mode : Envoi seul (send-only), responses do not reach OrdoGrid; ask the customer.

Response	Meaning	What to do
RE Rejetée	The customer will not process this invoice any further; final	Read the reason. Wrong: full credit note on Peppol and a new invoice. Right: discuss; it stays in your books
UQ Sous question	No acceptance without clarification	Answer the customer by email or phone (OrdoGrid cannot reply to a response on Peppol); no new document unless the content is wrong
CA Acceptée conditionnellement	Accepted under the conditions in the note; the customer will pay accordingly unless you dispute them	Read the condition. If you agree to a lower amount, issue a credit note on Peppol for the difference; if you do not agree, tell the customer at once, outside Peppol
AB, shown as Acceptée avec erreurs	In Peppol: a readable invoice was received	Nothing to fix
AP Acceptée, PD Payée	Approved; payment initiated	Record payment when the money arrives

OrdoGrid shows the response badge and the customer's Note, not the reason code itself. If the note does not say what is wrong, ask the customer which reason it gave. Reason codes a customer may cite (Peppol list): REF references incorrect (reissue with the customer's PO number; if N° bon de commande is not shown, tick Exiger un bon de commande pour les factures on the client); PRI, QTY, ITM prices, quantities or items not as expected; LEG legal information incorrect (check with your accountant); REC, UNR receiver unknown or transaction not recognised (possibly the wrong company); PAY, FIN payment or finance terms; OTH other.

The law requires only a rectifying document that refers to the invoice. After an RE we recommend a full credit note and a new invoice rather than a partial credit: the customer will not process the rejected invoice, so a partial credit would refer to an invoice it never booked. Your accountant may decide otherwise.

In Factures, tick the invoice and click Note de crédit (credit note). Keep every line and add the reason in Notes. OrdoGrid adds the VAT refund mention itself when the credit note refunds Belgian VAT to a customer with a VAT number.
Check Aperçu du PDF (PDF preview), click Envoyer, keep Envoi électronique via Peppol ticked, untick Email and click Sauvegarder & Envoyer.
Click Dupliquer (Duplicate) on the original, correct the copy (for a wrong recipient, select the right client with Sélectionner un client), check the new N°, note "Remplace la facture …" (Replaces invoice …) in Notes and send it on Peppol.

Details: Correct, cancel or credit an issued invoice and Peppol invoice responses.

Worked example 1: the customer is not on Peppol

Graphisme Delvaux SRL (Liège) designs a logo and menu for Brasserie du Parc SRL (Namur), a VAT-registered company established in Belgium. The work ended on 28 September 2026, so the invoice must be issued by 15 October.

Invoice F-2026-0042, 2 October 2026	Amount
Logo and menu design, 8 hours × €125.00	€1,000.00 net
VAT 21%	€210.00
Total	€1,210.00

In Envoyer, the Peppol block shows Peppol — ignoré: Le client n'est pas enregistré sur le réseau Peppol. Nothing was transmitted; the invoice is still editable.
The VAT number matches the KBO/BCE record; lookup.peppol.org finds nothing under 0208: and the enterprise number.
The brasserie confirms by email that day that it has no Peppol provider yet.
With only Email ticked, Graphisme Delvaux clicks Sauvegarder & Envoyer: F-2026-0042 leaves as a PDF, same number and amounts, and becomes Envoyée. Under the fallback rule this is a valid invoice.
On 20 October the brasserie joins Peppol. The November invoice goes on Peppol; F-2026-0042 is never resent.

Evidence: the dated lookup screenshot, the customer's email and the email sent.

Worked example 2: rejected for a wrong price

Kobalt IT SRL (Wavre) audits the network of Transport Wauters SA (Charleroi) in September 2026 for €900.00 excluding VAT, quote D-2026-0031. Kobalt receives on Peppol through OrdoGrid (Mode : Envoi + réception), so customer responses reach it.

Document	Date	Net	VAT 21%	Total
Invoice F-2026-0043 (list price by mistake)	1 October	€1,000.00	€210.00	€1,210.00
Credit note NC-2026-0007 (full)	6 October	€1,000.00	€210.00	€1,210.00
New invoice F-2026-0044	6 October	€900.00	€189.00	€1,089.00

1 October: F-2026-0043 shows Traité within minutes.
5 October: 1 nouvelle réponse reçue; under Réponses reçues, Rejetée with the note "PRI – prix convenu 900 EUR HTVA, devis D-2026-0031" (agreed price per quote), in which the customer has written its reason code, PRI. The quote confirms the price.
6 October: Kobalt creates NC-2026-0007 with Note de crédit, keeps the full line, notes "prix erroné, voir devis D-2026-0031" (wrong price, see quote) and sends it on Peppol. F-2026-0043 shows Annulée.
Kobalt duplicates F-2026-0043, sets €900.00 and links D-2026-0031 under Devis lié. N° proposes F-2026-0044; Notes: "Remplace la facture F-2026-0043, créditée par la note de crédit NC-2026-0007". VAT €900.00 × 21% = €189.00, total €1,089.00, sent on Peppol before the 15 October deadline.
Kobalt's VAT: €210.00 charged, €210.00 credited, €189.00 charged: €189.00 due.

Edge cases and common mistakes

Case	Why it matters	Do this
New invoice number after an Erreur	Two numbers for one sale; the customer may pay twice	Retry the same invoice; credit any duplicate that went out
Updating the client record after an attempt	The invoice keeps its own copy of the customer's details	Pick the client again in an editable invoice; otherwise credit and reissue
The customer joins Peppol after you emailed	Resending creates a second original (B2B FAQ, Q8)	Leave it; use Peppol for new invoices
The credit note's send shows Erreur	A transport problem like any other	Retry the credit note; never create a second one
Rejected because no PDF is attached	A PDF is not mandatory and no ground for rejection (B2B FAQ, Q12); OrdoGrid embeds one anyway, so the customer's software may not be showing it	Point the customer to that answer

Evidence to keep

The exact message or a screenshot, with date and time.
The transmitted XML and PDF from the Outbox row's download menu (or a ZIP of selected rows).
Customer unable to receive: dated lookup result, its written confirmation, the email you sent.
Rejection: the Réponses reçues entry, the customer's emails, the credit note and the replacement invoice.
Your exchanges with support.

Keep invoices and credit notes for 7 years from 1 January of the year after issue (VAT Code art. 60, as amended by the Law of 18 December 2025). OrdoGrid archives what it transmitted but is not a legal archive.

Contact support: what to send

Write to OrdoGrid support at contact@ordogrid.com:

Subject: Peppol send F-2026-0045 – outcome to check
Company and VAT number: …
Invoice: F-2026-0045 – customer and VAT number: …
Sent: 12 October 2026 around 14:20, with Sauvegarder & Envoyer
Message shown: "…" (screenshot attached)
Outbox badge: Erreur – retry refused / not attempted
Customer contacted: yes or no, and their answer

Through the public API, the codes are PEPPOL_CLIENT_NOT_FOUND (nothing sent; check the customer), PEPPOL_TRANSMISSION_REJECTED (the transmission was refused: a known transport failure, not a customer rejection; retry the same document), PEPPOL_TRANSMISSION_UNCERTAIN (do not resend; read transmission_state and reconcile with OrdoGrid) and DOCUMENT_FINANCIAL_CONTENTS_LOCKED (credit and reissue). A timed-out response does not prove failure: never retry with a new external_id.

FAQ

Does a failed Peppol send mean I must issue a credit note?

No. A credit note corrects an invoice whose content is wrong. A transport failure changes nothing in the invoice: retry it, or email it if the customer cannot receive on Peppol.

Can I delete the failed invoice and start again?

No. Once OrdoGrid has prepared a Peppol transmission, the invoice cannot be deleted and its number stays in your sequence. Retry it, email it, or credit it if it is wrong.

Will my customer receive the invoice twice if I retry?

A retry resends the same invoice and number, and OrdoGrid refuses a new attempt while an earlier outcome is unknown. Peppol itself does not detect duplicates, so do not add an email copy.

My customer is not on Peppol. Is an emailed PDF a valid invoice?

Yes. When the customer technically cannot receive a structured invoice, you must still issue the invoice in another form, such as a PDF (art. 53 §2bis VAT Code). Keep proof, and do not resend that invoice on Peppol later.

Does a rejection cancel my invoice?

No. An RE means the customer will not process it, but the invoice stays in your outgoing-invoice book. If it is wrong or went to the wrong company, cancel it with a Peppol credit note and issue a new invoice.

The customer already paid. What now?

If only the send failed, the invoice is correct: record the incoming payment with Record payment in Settlement. If you credit a paid invoice, Settlement shows Refund due; record the refund once the money has left your account.

Can I test my fix on a Peppol test network first?

Not in OrdoGrid: there is no Peppol test or sandbox mode, and every send reaches the real network. Check the invoice with Aperçu du PDF first.

Sources and references

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