Peppol (Pan-European Public Procurement OnLine) is an international network for the secure exchange of electronic business documents such as invoices, orders, and despatch advices. Via Peppol you send an e-invoice to any organisation worldwide that is connected to the network, regardless of which software or service provider they use.

The idea behind Peppol is simple: you connect through a certified service provider (a so-called Service Provider, such as eConnect) and immediately have reach to all other Peppol participants. You do not need to make separate agreements with each recipient. The network handles the routing, security, and format conversion.

Think of it like the telephone system: you choose a provider, receive a number, and can call anyone who also has a phone, regardless of their provider.

Peppol operates on a 4-corner model. This means that sender and recipient each choose their own Service Provider:

1. Sender: the organisation sending an e-invoice
2. Sender Access Point: the Service Provider of the sender (e.g. eConnect)
3. Recipient Access Point: the Service Provider of the recipient
4. Recipient: the organisation receiving the e-invoice

The two Access Points communicate with each other via the Peppol network. The fundamental difference from older networks is that sender and recipient do not need to use the same provider. This prevents vendor lock-in and gives organisations the freedom to choose.

The diagram below shows how an invoice travels from sender to recipient via the 4-corner model, including the SML/SMP lookup that takes place in the background.

The network uses two components to find the correct recipient:

• SML (Service Metadata Locator): a central register that points to the recipient's SMP
• SMP (Service Metadata Publisher): the technical register of a Service Provider that contains the metadata of a recipient: which documents they can receive and through which Access Point delivery takes place

When you send an invoice, the system automatically looks up the recipient's SMP via the SML, determines the correct Access Point, and delivers the invoice. All of this happens in the background; you do not need to do anything.

In addition to the SMP, there is the Peppol Directory (directory.peppol.eu): a publicly searchable register of Peppol participants. Through the Directory you can search by name or identifier to see whether an organisation is connected to Peppol. The difference: the SMP is the technical register used for routing and delivery, while the Directory is intended for looking up participants. Not all Peppol participants appear in the Directory, as publication via a businessCard is optional. The SMP is authoritative for actual reachability.

Peppol was designed with security as a core principle:

• PKI (Public Key Infrastructure): digital certificates guarantee the identity of participants
• AS4 + TLS: encrypted communication between Access Points
• Digital signatures: every invoice is signed for authenticity and integrity
• KYC (Know Your Customer): all participants are screened and validated
• End User Identification: verification that the sender is actually authorised to act on behalf of the organisation

The Peppol network is continuously being developed further. OpenPeppol is taking over technical management of the SML from the European Commission. The transition period runs until the end of August 2026. For end users and organisations on the network, nothing changes: the takeover is purely operational and is handled entirely by the Service Providers (such as eConnect).

In March 2026, the migration of DNS CNAME records to NAPTR records for SML lookups was completed. NAPTR has been mandatory since 1 February 2026 and the old CNAME records have been removed from both the test network and the production network. End users do not notice this either, as the routing is performed automatically by the Access Points.

Peppol supports much more than just invoices:

For logistics Peppol documents (including despatch advice), the Peppol Logistics specification applies; version 1.2 has been mandatory since 16 March 2026. See Peppol network for details on releases and document types.

Peppol started as a European project but has grown into a global network. In the Netherlands, e-invoicing to the government via Peppol is already mandatory (B2G). In Belgium, B2B e-invoicing via Peppol has been mandatory since 1 January 2026. More countries are following: France, Poland, Germany, and countries in Asia-Pacific (Singapore, Australia, Japan) and the Middle East (UAE).

eConnect is a certified Peppol Service Provider with both its own Access Point and its own SMP implementation. As co-founder of Simplerinvoicing (now the Dutch Peppol Authority) and board member of OpenPeppol, eConnect plays an active role in the development of the network. Approximately 30% of all Dutch organisations on Peppol are registered via eConnect, and around 40% of all Dutch Peppol transactions run through the eConnect network.

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• What is my Peppol ID?
• Register on Peppol for sending and/or receiving
• Peppol in the Netherlands and internationally
• What is the difference between XML, UBL, Peppol BIS Billing V3 and NLCIUS?
• Upcoming releases and updates