Peppol: Network & BIS Billing 3.0 Explained Simply

Updated: 2026-06-25

Peppol (Pan-European Public Procurement OnLine) is the European network for the secure exchange of electronic invoices and other business documents.

The principle: connect once, reach everyone

Instead of setting up a separate connection with every business partner, you connect to the Peppol network once and can exchange documents with all other participants. The network is operated by the non-profit OpenPeppol AISBL.

The four-corner model

An invoice travels via four “corners”:

1. C1 – Sender creates the invoice.
2. C2 – Sender’s Access Point sends it into the network.
3. C3 – Recipient’s Access Point receives it.
4. C4 – Recipient processes it.

Transmission between the Access Points uses the secured transport protocol AS4.

The key building blocks

• Access Point (AP): a certified service provider that connects you to the network.
• Peppol ID (Participant Identifier): your unique address in the network.
• SMP (Service Metadata Publisher): publishes which documents a participant can receive.
• SML (Service Metadata Locator): the central directory that finds the right SMP.

Peppol BIS Billing 3.0

The invoice format in the network is Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 — a UBL-based CIUS of the EN 16931 norm. Since the XRechnung is also based on EN 16931, the formats are closely related; an XRechnung in UBL can be transported over Peppol.

Peppol in Germany

In Germany, many public bodies use Peppol as a transmission channel — for example via the receipt portals for B2G invoices. Peppol is also gaining importance in B2B, because it enables fully automated exchange.

First the format, then the delivery channel

Peppol is the transport channel — the format remains an e-invoice under EN 16931. You can create a suitable e-invoice and check it before sending, directly in your browser.