Getting started with Peppol

Do you want to send and receive e-invoices via Peppol? Then start with a clear step-by-step plan. A Peppol implementation is not a large IT project, but it does need good preparation and a careful choice of Peppol Serviceprovider. That choice shapes how the rest of the project goes.

This page covers the four main steps, how the approach differs by type of organisation, what to arrange in advance, and how to check that you are ready to go live. Want to know what e-invoicing costs first? Read What does e-invoicing via Peppol cost.

The 4 main steps

1

Analyse your situation and needs

Map out how your invoice flows work today. Which software do you use for invoicing and accounting? Do you want to receive e-invoices only, send them only, or both? Which trading partners or public-sector customers already ask for e-invoicing? And are there other document types you want to exchange, such as credit notes or orders? This gives you a clear list of requirements for any solution.

2

Select a Peppol Serviceprovider

This is the most important decision in the whole process. A Peppol Service Provider connects your organisation to the Peppol network, registers your Peppol ID and makes sure your e-invoices are sent and received securely and in the right format. What to look for in this choice is covered below.

3

Implement and test

Together with your Peppol Serviceprovider, you set up the connection. You register your Peppol ID, choose the document types you want to receive and connect your invoicing or accounting software. Then you test the whole chain: send and receive test invoices, check that all mandatory fields are filled in correctly and confirm that incoming e-invoices end up correctly in your administration.

4

Roll out and optimise

You can start with a small group of trading partners and expand from there. Let your customers and suppliers know that you can send and receive invoices via Peppol. After going live, improve your processes, for example by processing incoming e-invoices automatically and phasing out paper or PDF flows step by step.

What to look for when choosing a Peppol Service Provider

Service providers differ significantly. Because this choice has a big impact, it pays to compare several providers side by side in the comparison tool on peppol.nu.

Integration with your software

Can the solution connect directly with your accounting or ERP package, or do you work through a separate portal?

Supported document types and countries

Does the provider support the specifications you need, such as the European standard and any national variants?

Direction of traffic

Sending, receiving or both, and for how many entities?

Pricing model

A fixed subscription, per-document pricing, or a combination? Also check for one-off costs.

Support and onboarding

Do you get help with registration and testing, and in which language?

Certification

Is the party an officially certified Peppol Service Provider, or a reseller?

For software vendors

Want to offer Peppol in your own product? Then you choose between your own certification as a Peppol Service Provider or a partnership with an existing provider through an API integration.

How long does it take?

How long an implementation takes depends mainly on your situation. The analysis and the choice of provider are usually quick. Configuration and testing generally take longer, depending on how complex your systems are, how many administrations you have and how many integrations are involved. If you use standard software that already supports Peppol, the project is often simple. With custom software or a multi-entity ERP environment, testing in particular takes more time.

Choose your situation

Small and medium-sized business

Do you use standard accounting or invoicing software? Then first check whether your package already supports Peppol, possibly through a built-in Peppol Serviceprovider. Often you only need to switch on the feature and have your organisation registered.

Large enterprise

Large organisations usually have an ERP system, several entities and high invoice volumes. Choose a Peppol Serviceprovider that supports ERP-level integration, can manage several Peppol IDs and has enough capacity.

Public-sector organisation

In many countries, public bodies must be able to receive e-invoices that follow the European standard. Pay attention to the national procurement and invoice-receipt policy and to what your own financial systems need.

International trade

Do you do business in several countries? Then choose a Peppol Serviceprovider that supports the specifications of the countries where your trading partners are based. National e-invoicing obligations differ from country to country.

Pre-implementation checklist

A valid company registration number or other official identifier for your organisation (in the Netherlands, for example, the KvK number)
Invoicing or accounting software that supports Peppol or can be connected to it
A project lead or internal owner for the implementation
A clear view of your invoice volume: how many invoices you send and receive, and with which parties
IT support, internal or external, for connecting your systems
Clear goals: what do you want to achieve with e-invoicing via Peppol?

What this means for you: ready to go live?

Work through this checklist before you go live for good.

Go-live checklist

These points prevent surprises after go-live.

✓ Peppol ID: do you have a unique Peppol ID, registered through your Peppol Serviceprovider?
✓ Registration: is your organisation correctly listed in the Peppol address book (SMP), with the right document types?
✓ Test invoice: have you sent and/or received at least one test invoice before going live?
✓ Software integration: has the connection to your accounting or ERP software been tested for both incoming and outgoing e-invoices?
✓ Internal owner: is it clear who in your organisation owns the Peppol connection and handles errors?
✓ Trading partners informed: do your customers and suppliers know that you can send and receive invoices via Peppol, and under which Peppol ID?
✓ Outgoing checks: do your e-invoices fill in all mandatory fields, such as the buyer reference or purchase order number?

View the comparison tool on peppol.nu

The 4 main steps