Peppol access point: certified provider in Belgium
What a Peppol access point is, how a certified provider in Belgium sends and receives structured invoices, and how SMEs choose one without confusing it with PDF email.
Updated
A Peppol access point is the certified service that connects your organisation to the Peppol network. You do not join Peppol by emailing a PDF or exporting a random XML file. A certified provider in Belgium registers your participant identity, looks up counterparties, and delivers structured invoices in both directions.
Network model: What is Peppol?. Getting listed: Peppol registration in Belgium. Buyer criteria for the surrounding tool: e-invoicing software in Belgium.
When you need an access point
You need a named access point when you:
- Must send or receive structured B2B invoices in Belgium
- Hear “we do e-invoicing” and the speaker means PDF by email
- Must publish a Peppol ID so suppliers can find you
- Already have an ERP and only need a network gateway
Belgian VAT-liable B2B in scope needs send and receive. An outbound-only “Peppol export” leaves suppliers without a clean inbound path.
What a certified provider does
Think of the access point as the mail service for structured invoices. Certification means the provider is authorised on the Peppol trust and conformance rules, not that FPS Finance approved your VAT treatment.
| Job | In practice |
|---|---|
| Put you on the network | Publishes your Peppol ID (in Belgium typically 0208 + enterprise number) |
| Send | Delivers your outbound invoice to the buyer’s access point |
| Receive | Lands inbound invoices in your inbox, accounting tool, or ERP |
| Discover | Looks up whether a counterparty can receive an invoice or credit note |
| Fail early | Surfaces validation and delivery errors before you treat the file as booked |
Many access points sit inside invoicing or accounting software. Others connect an existing ERP. Either way, the product must do real Peppol send and receive.
- Peppol access point
A certified Peppol provider that registers your organisation and sends and receives structured documents for you. It is not a PDF mailbox and not “any XML export”.
Certified versus “we email XML”
| Claim | What it usually is | Enough for Belgian B2B? |
|---|---|---|
| Named Peppol-certified access point (embedded or partner) | Real network connectivity | Yes, if send and receive both work |
| “Electronic invoicing” that only emails PDFs | A layout tool | No |
| “We export UBL and you attach it” | A file, not delivery | No |
| Outbound Peppol only | Half a gateway | No for in-scope receive |
| Buyer portal login | A private corridor | Not Peppol many-to-many |
Embedded or white-label is fine. You almost never need to run your own access point. Confirm the name of the certified provider and that inbound actually lands where finance works.
One product or a gateway into the ERP
- Invoicing product that includes the access point. Best for most freelancers and small companies. One identity, one inbox, one support path.
- Connectivity service into software you already use. Fits if you keep a separate ERP and add a gateway. Routing and archive still need an owner.
You do not need one access-point contract per legal entity. One certified provider can host several participant IDs. Identity still follows the company on the invoice: multi-entity Peppol.
Decision checklist (Belgian SME)
- Can I send and receive Peppol invoices, not only PDFs?
- Do inbound documents land where finance actually works?
- Is the provider certified, or clearly using a named certified access point?
- Who keeps registration if I change tools later? (Switching access point)
- On failure: clear error text and a support path?
- Can I look up a buyer before send, and look myself up after publish?
Test a real send and a real inbound receive before go-live. Publication without a working inbox is not “being on Peppol”.
What an access point is not
- Not your accountant (it does not approve VAT or commercial terms)
- Not the invoice content standard (EN 16931 / UBL define the document; the access point delivers it)
- Not a custom EDI link negotiated per customer
- Not your enterprise number on its own (the number exists; publication happens via the access point)
Worked example: Atelier Nord
Atelier Nord SRL (joinery, Namur) compared three offers labelled “Peppol”:
- A cheap PDF tool that promised “electronic invoices” and emailed attachments.
- An ERP export that produced UBL files for staff to send by mail.
- Invoicing software that named a certified access point, published
0208+ the KBO number, sent a tiny invoice, and received a test inbound into the same inbox.
Only the third is a Peppol access point. The first two never joined the network. After go-live, a timber supplier could look up Atelier Nord and deliver a structured invoice. The comfort PDF is generated from the same data; it does not replace the access point.
FAQ
What is a Peppol access point?
The certified service that connects your systems to Peppol: it publishes your identity and sends and receives structured invoices. It is not a PDF mailbox.
Do I need a certified Peppol access point provider in Belgium?
Yes if you must exchange structured B2B invoices on Peppol. Certification is the Peppol trust mark for the gateway, not an FPS product ranking.
Can I join Peppol by exporting XML or emailing a PDF?
No. Exporting a file and attaching it is not network delivery. A PDF remains a human copy. Delivery goes through an access point.
Must the access point send and receive?
For in-scope Belgian B2B, yes. Outbound-only tools leave suppliers unable to reach you cleanly.
Do I have to run my own access point?
Almost never. Pick a certified provider (often inside invoicing software) and focus on registration, inbox, and support.
Is the access point the same as EN 16931 or UBL?
No. EN 16931 / UBL describe the invoice content. The access point addresses and delivers the document.
What if I change software later?
The participant identity should move with you. Confirm who owns registration and how you switch access point before you sign.
How do I know the provider is certified?
Ask for the named Peppol-certified access point (embedded or partner). Vague “electronic delivery” with no name is not enough.