Peppol (Pan-European Public Procurement Online) is an international network that allows you to securely send electronic documents—such as e-invoices—according to a fixed standard. Since it involves structured files, these can be automatically read by the recipient. No manual work needed.

Does that sound a bit vague? Don’t worry – we’ll make it concrete.

Instead of emailing a PDF invoice (or even printing and posting it), your invoice is converted into an XML file via Peppol: a kind of digital language that accounting software perfectly understands.

So you no longer have to manually enter that invoice or have it read by OCR software. No retyping, no mistakes. The invoice arrives automatically and structured in your customer's accounting system. And the same applies, of course, when you receive invoices from your suppliers.

All of this happens through Peppol: a kind of digital highway between your software and that of your customer or supplier.

From 1 January 2026, this highway will be mandatory for all B2B transactions between VAT obligated companies in Belgium. And the consequences are concrete: anyone who only sends a PDF will not comply with the law – and risks fines or rejected payments. The only legally valid invoice will then be a structured e-invoice via Peppol.

Less work, fewer errors

For many wholesalers and manufacturing companies, the processing of invoices today is still a slow and error-prone process. Incoming invoices are manually retyped or read via OCR software, with a chance of errors. Outgoing invoices are emailed as PDFs, which isn’t inherently a problem. But it can be better, and faster.

With Peppol, those manual intermediary steps are eliminated. You work with standardized XML files that are automatically booked. The data arrives in real-time and error-free in your system – ready for processing.

The result?

Faster processing of invoices
Fewer errors and duplicate actions
More time for accountants to add value

Especially in sectors with many transactions, such as wholesale, this automation makes a big difference. You increase your processing speed without additional staff – and that is more important today than ever.

How do you get started?

Peppol sounds logical. Efficient. Useful. But how do you handle it in practice?

The good news: Using Peppol costs nothing. The network is freely accessible, and there are no costs associated with sending or receiving invoices.

What you do need is an Access Point – a digital gate that securely and correctly sends and receives your invoices via Peppol. Many companies already have software that technically facilitates such a connection. But is your system already ready for it? And do you know what else is needed to get started?

By the way, did you know that the costs for setting up and using e-invoicing via Peppol are eligible for an increased cost deduction of 120%? This makes digitizing not only more efficient but also fiscally interesting.

Are you ready for Peppol?

2026 is coming faster than you think. But are you ready for it?

Is your system already compatible with Peppol? Are all settings correctly configured? And have you tested whether your invoices are sent correctly via Peppol?

Software vendors and implementation partners are increasingly being asked to provide Peppol. The pressure is rising, time is running out. Those who wait until the end of the year risk being too late.

The transition is mandatory. But whether you fall behind the facts or get ahead of the rest, you decide today.

What choice will you make?