Peppol Access Point — what it is and why it matters
A Peppol Access Point is a certified gateway to the Peppol network. Understand its role for sending, receiving, and complying with Belgian e-invoicing.
Updated
The gateway to the network
A Peppol Access Point is a certified service that connects your organisation to the Peppol network. You do not connect “directly to Peppol” as an end user; you connect through an Access Point that implements the Peppol protocols and operates under Peppol governance.
Think of it as the mail server for structured business documents: it knows how to address recipients, deliver messages, and confirm outcomes according to network rules.
What an Access Point does
An Access Point typically:
- Registers your Peppol participant identity so others can find you
- Sends structured documents (outbound) to other participants
- Receives inbound documents into your inbox or business software
- Validates messages against the relevant Peppol BIS / EN 16931 rules where applicable
- Reports delivery status and technical errors
Some Access Points are embedded inside accounting or invoicing products. Others are standalone connectivity services that integrate via API.
Certification and trust
Not every software vendor may call itself a Peppol Access Point. Providers must meet Peppol Authority requirements for their region. That certification is what allows interoperable delivery: your Access Point can talk to another provider’s Access Point without a bilateral integration project for each customer.
Access Point versus SMP and SML
Two related Peppol concepts often appear next to Access Points:
- SMP (Service Metadata Publisher) — publishes which document types a participant can receive and which Access Point serves them
- SML (Service Metadata Locator) — helps locate the right SMP entry for a participant
As a business user you rarely configure these by hand. Your Access Point provider manages registration and metadata so counterparties can discover you.
Choosing connectivity for a Belgian SME
For most freelancers and SMEs, the practical question is not “which SMP” but:
- Can I send and receive Peppol invoices required under Belgian rules?
- Are documents available in my day-to-day tool (inbox, archive, accounting export)?
- Is the provider a certified Access Point (directly or via a partner)?
- Access Point
A certified Peppol service that sends and receives structured documents on your behalf and registers your participant identity on the network.
Relationship to OrdoGrid
OrdoGrid connects Belgian businesses to Peppol through certified Access Point infrastructure so you can send and receive structured invoices without operating network components yourself.