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What is a PEPPOL access point - and what your ERP still has to do
A PEPPOL access point moves e-invoices between companies on the PEPPOL network. It does not create the invoice. This guide explains what the access point does, what stays your job, and where your ERP output fits.
Many companies meet PEPPOL for the first time when an e-invoicing mandate arrives. The usual first step is to find an access point provider. That is necessary, but it is only half of the work. The invoice still has to leave your ERP complete, correct and in the right format.
What PEPPOL is
PEPPOL is an international network and set of specifications for exchanging business documents such as invoices and orders electronically. It is governed by OpenPeppol, a non-profit association based in Brussels. Several countries use PEPPOL for public or B2B e-invoicing - in Belgium, for example, B2B e-invoicing over PEPPOL has applied since 01-01-2026.
See the current rules per country on our e-invoicing mandates page.
The four-corner model
PEPPOL connects senders and receivers through access points, so a company only needs one connection to reach every other company on the network.
To find where to send an invoice, the sender's access point looks up the receiver's participant ID. A Service Metadata Publisher (SMP) holds the receiver's details, such as which access point they use and which document types they accept. A central Service Metadata Locator (SML), operated for the whole network, points to the right SMP.
What an access point does
- Connects your company to the PEPPOL network.
- Looks up the receiver and checks that they can receive the document type.
- Sends the document securely to the receiver's access point, and receives documents sent to you.
Access points are run by certified PEPPOL service providers, which are overseen by national PEPPOL Authorities. Most companies use a provider rather than running their own access point.
What an access point does not do
An access point transports documents. It does not know your ERP. These steps stay with you, or with the system that produces your documents:
- Get complete data out of the ERP - every field the format requires, such as buyer reference, tax breakdown and payment details.
- Map it to the required format - PEPPOL BIS Billing 3.0 on the PEPPOL network, or a national format such as XRechnung, ZUGFeRD, Factur-X or OIOUBL.
- Validate before sending - an invoice that fails the rules is rejected, and the correction starts in your ERP.
- Handle customers who are not on PEPPOL - they still need a PDF by email or a printed invoice.
- Keep a copy - archive what was sent, in a readable form, for audits.
Where InterformNG2 fits
InterformNG2 sits between your ERP and your access point. It reads the invoice data from your ERP, transforms it into the required format, validates it and hands it to your chosen PEPPOL access point. The same flow sends a PDF by email or print to customers who are not on PEPPOL, and archives what was sent.
- Formats: PEPPOL BIS, XRechnung, ZUGFeRD, Factur-X and OIOUBL.
- Validation of every invoice before it is sent.
- Any ERP: SAP, Infor, Microsoft Dynamics, IBM i and others, without ERP changes.
InterformNG2 is not a PEPPOL access point. It prepares, validates and delivers the invoice to the access point provider you choose. We integrate with access point providers; we do not operate one.
Questions to ask an access point provider
- Are you a certified PEPPOL service provider, and in which countries?
- How do we connect - API, SFTP or another method?
- Do you also handle incoming invoices and responses?
- Do you connect to national platforms where the country requires it?
- How is the service priced - per document, per company or per connection?
- What service levels and support hours do you offer?
Frequently asked questions
What is a PEPPOL access point?
A connection point to the PEPPOL network, run by a certified service provider. It sends your e-invoices to your customers' access points and receives documents sent to you.
Do I need my own access point?
Usually not. Most companies connect through a certified PEPPOL service provider instead of running their own access point.
Is PEPPOL mandatory?
It depends on the country. Belgium uses PEPPOL for B2B e-invoicing from 01-01-2026. Germany's mandate sets the invoice format, such as XRechnung or ZUGFeRD, rather than one network. Check each market on our e-invoicing mandates page.
What is PEPPOL BIS Billing 3.0?
The standard invoice and credit note format used on the PEPPOL network, based on the European standard EN 16931.
Can InterformNG2 send invoices to PEPPOL?
InterformNG2 prepares and validates the invoice and hands it to your chosen PEPPOL access point, which sends it on the network. InterformNG2 is not an access point itself.
Related reading
Preparing for an e-invoicing mandate?
Talk to us about your ERP and your markets, or download InterformNG2 and try it yourself.