Peppol in Germany: Sending E-Invoices via the European Network

While many businesses in Germany are still getting to grips with XRechnung and ZUGFeRD, another topic is gaining importance: Peppol. The European network for electronic business document exchange is already a firmly established part of the e-invoicing infrastructure in many countries. In Germany, its role is steadily growing. This article explains what Peppol is, how it works, and why it could become relevant for your business.

What Is Peppol?

Peppol stands for Pan-European Public Procurement OnLine. What started as an EU project for public procurement has evolved into a global network for exchanging structured business documents. Today, Peppol is managed by the non-profit organization OpenPeppol, headquartered in Brussels.

Peppol is not a file format but a transport network. It defines how e-invoices and other documents are securely and standardly transmitted between business partners. As its invoicing format, Peppol uses the Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 standard, which is based on UBL 2.1 and compliant with the European standard EN 16931.

How Does the Peppol Network Work?

The 4-Corner Model

Peppol is based on a so-called 4-corner model:

Corner 1 (Sender): The business sending the invoice
Corner 2 (Sender's Access Point): The Peppol-certified service provider through which the sender is connected
Corner 3 (Receiver's Access Point): The Peppol-certified service provider of the receiver
Corner 4 (Receiver): The business receiving the invoice

The sender submits the invoice to their access point (Corner 2). This access point forwards the invoice through the Peppol network to the receiver's access point (Corner 3), which delivers it to the receiver. Communication between the access points is standardized and encrypted.

The Peppol ID

Every participant in the Peppol network is identified by a unique Peppol Participant Identifier. In Germany, this is often based on the VAT identification number or the Leitweg-ID. The Service Metadata Publishing (SMP) registry records which document types a participant can receive and through which access point they can be reached.

Peppol in Germany

Current Status

In Germany, Peppol is primarily used in the public sector. The federal administration receives e-invoices through the federal invoice receipt platform (OZG-RE), which also supports Peppol as a transmission channel. Some German states and municipalities have also set up Peppol as a receiving channel.

In the B2B sector, Peppol adoption in Germany is not yet widespread but is gaining momentum. With the mandatory e-invoicing requirement from 2025, many businesses are looking for a standardized transmission channel, and Peppol offers exactly that.

Future Role

Peppol is expected to play an important role as a transport channel within Germany's B2B e-invoicing mandate. The Federal Ministry of Finance has announced plans to develop a reporting system for e-invoices. Peppol is considered one of the most likely candidates for the underlying infrastructure.

At the European level, the EU Commission's ViDA (VAT in the Digital Age) initiative envisions the use of standardized networks like Peppol for cross-border e-invoicing. The mandatory EU-wide Digital Reporting Requirements are set to take effect from July 2030. Those who familiarize themselves with Peppol today will be well positioned for these developments.

How to Participate in the Peppol Network

1. Choose an Access Point

To use Peppol, you need a certified Access Point Provider. This provider handles the technical connection to the network. In Germany, there are several providers available, including both specialized Peppol service providers and larger software vendors.

2. Register a Peppol ID

You register a Peppol ID for your business with your access point. This ID is published in the Peppol directory (SMP), so that other participants can find you and send you documents.

3. Create Invoices in the Correct Format

Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 is based on UBL 2.1. Your invoices must comply with this standard and meet the Peppol-specific rules. The good news: if your invoices are already XRechnung-compliant in UBL format, the step to Peppol BIS Billing is minimal.

Creating Peppol-Compliant Invoices with invapi

invapi generates invoices in UBL format that are compliant with both XRechnung and Peppol BIS Billing. Through the API, you can automatically convert invoice data into the appropriate format and validate it before sending. The XRechnung Validator also checks your invoices against the Peppol rules.

If you want to try Peppol, start with the free invapi plan and create your first Peppol-compliant UBL invoices.

Conclusion

Peppol is evolving from a niche topic in public procurement to a central building block of the European e-invoicing infrastructure. For German businesses, it is worth keeping Peppol on the radar early, even though B2B usage is not yet mandatory. Connecting via access points is straightforward, and the technical requirements for the invoice format are compatible with existing XRechnung workflows.