choosing a peppol access point
Choosing a Peppol Access Point

The Peppol network is an open network: you freely choose your own Access Point provider and can switch at any time. That makes the choice for the right provider important, but also low-barrier.

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open network
No vendor lock-in

Peppol is designed without vendor lock-in. Every Access Point provider is certified by a national Peppol Authority and must comply with the same base standards. You can switch without data loss, retaining your Peppol registrations. Your Peppol ID stays the same, regardless of your provider.

CriterionWhat to look forAvailabilityWhat uptime does the provider contractually guarantee? Is the service available 24/7, including outside office hours?RedundancyDoes the provider run multiple Access Points, so that if one goes down, traffic is taken over?VolumeHow many documents does the provider process annually? Scale says something about proven reliability.Peak capacityCan the infrastructure handle peak loads? Ask about processing capacity per hour, not just annual volume.MonitoringIs there active monitoring with proactive alerting for disruptions?SLAAre there formal service level agreements with defined response times and availability guarantees?
reliability
Reliability and scale

If your Access Point goes down, your invoices do not arrive. Uptime is therefore the most important selection criterion. Ask the provider explicitly what availability is contractually guaranteed and how the infrastructure handles peak loads.

how econnect does this
99,99% uptime, 24/7/365

The PSB has a contractual availability of 99,99% and is reachable 24/7/365, including Peppol connections and REST API. In practice, an unbroken track record of 100% uptime. A minimum of five redundant Access Points together process large document volumes per year for thousands of organisations, with a peak capacity of high peak capacity per hour. Volume is automatically distributed; in case of failure, another Access Point takes over seamlessly. Minute-level monitoring watches every transaction.

View the PSB SLA

CriterionWhat to look forDocument typesDoes the provider support credit notes, orders, order confirmations, despatch advices and status messages in addition to invoices?Format conversionCan the provider automatically convert between UBL, CII, PINT and country-specific formats such as XRechnung, Factur-X and ISDOC? And are sector standards like SETU, DICO and SEEF supported?Delivery channelsPeppol only, or also hybrid delivery (email, PDF, post) and automated B2B connectivity (SFTP/API)?Country coverageWhich countries and local formats are supported?ValidationPre-validation and error detection before the message enters the network?
document types
Document types and networks

E-invoicing is more than just invoices. The broader your Access Point's offering, the fewer separate solutions you need.

how econnect does this
Multichannel from a single integration

Via the PSB you have access to Peppol and other procurement networks through a single integration. We support the full purchase-to-pay chain: from order and despatch advice to invoice and status message. Format conversion happens automatically between Peppol BIS, UBL, CII and country-specific formats such as XRechnung, Factur-X and NLCIUS — including sector formats such as SETU, DICO and SEEF. The PSB automatically routes to the correct delivery channel per receiver (Peppol, email, PDF or physical post) from the same API or platform integration.

CriterionWhat to look forAPIIs there a full REST API with documentation for direct integration?Standard integrationsOut-of-the-box integrations with your ERP or accounting software?OnboardingGuidance during implementation and go-live?Test environmentSandbox with the same functionality as production?WebhooksReal-time status updates to your own system?Invoice portalCan you also send and receive invoices manually without software?
integration
Integration and onboarding

The technical connection determines how much work your team has during implementation and in daily use.

how econnect does this
From first API call to production in days

Standard integrations with more than 100 financial software packages, including AFAS, Exact Online, Unit4, SAP, Dynamics 365 Business Central and SnelStart. A full REST API with Swagger UI, OAuth2 authentication, SDKs for PHP and .NET, and a sandbox that works identically to production. Webhooks deliver real-time status updates. Via the free invoice portal you send e-invoices directly via Peppol, at no cost and without technical knowledge. The average technical integration is production-ready within two to four weeks.

CriterionWhat to look forCertificationCertified Peppol Access Point via a national Peppol Authority?ISO 27001International standard for information security. Mandatory in the Netherlands for Peppol Service Providers.NEN 7510Additional standard for information security in healthcare. Relevant if your invoice flows contain healthcare information.ISAE 3402Independent assurance on internal controls. Necessary for organisations that must provide demonstrable control.GDPRProcessing within the EU, DPA available?Penetration testsDoes the provider conduct annual independent pentests?ArchivingRetention obligation and audit trail?
compliance
Compliance and certification

E-invoicing is subject to regulations that differ per country and change rapidly. In sectors such as healthcare, government and construction, strict requirements apply to information security. Your Access Point must keep pace.

how econnect does this
Compliant without your own compliance department

eConnect is a certified Peppol Access Point, ISO 27001 certified, NEN 7510 certified and ISAE 3402 Type II audited. We commission annual independent penetration tests. All processing takes place within the EU. This combination of certifications is unusually broad in the Dutch market and makes eConnect suitable for the most demanding sectors, from healthcare to government. The PSB automatically follows changes in Peppol standards and country-specific mandates, so your invoice flow stays compliant without manual intervention.

CriterionWhat to look forSMP technologyOwn SMP or dependent on a third party's technology?SMP complianceIs the SMP implementation validated against the OASIS standard?Registration managementCan you create and modify registrations yourself?MigrationHow does migration from another provider work?API accessRegistration management via API available?AvailabilityDoes the provider have caching and redundancy on the SMP, so lookups are always available?
SMP
SMP management and registration

The SMP (Service Metadata Publisher) is Peppol's address book. It determines where invoices are routed and which document types an organisation can receive.

how econnect does this
Own SMP with full API access

eConnect has its own SMP implementation validated against the OASIS SMP standard. The European Commission lists eConnect on the official list of eDelivery SMP conformant solutions, which has only ten solutions worldwide. Creating, modifying or migrating registrations is done via the platform or the API. With built-in caching, the SMP is always available, independent of the uptime of other providers. a strong position in the Dutch Peppol network are in our SMP. When migrating from another provider, the switch happens without interruption to your invoice traffic.

CriterionWhat to look forViDA-readyIs the provider prepared for the European obligation for digital reporting (DRR) to tax authorities?International coverageDoes the provider support country-specific formats and rules for the countries where you do business?Standards developmentIs the provider actively involved in the development of Peppol standards?RoadmapIs the product roadmap transparent?ScaleCan the provider grow with your volumes?
future
Future-readiness

The e-invoicing market is developing rapidly. European ViDA regulations, the Belgian B2B mandate and the French CTC reform are changing the playing field. Your Access Point provider must move with it.

how econnect does this
Continuously evolving

eConnect is ViDA-ready and is preparing for certification as Plateforme agréée (PA) for the French CTC reform. We support country-specific formats such as XRechnung (Germany), Factur-X (France) and UBL.BE (Belgium). As a board member of OpenPeppol and co-founder of the Dutch Peppol Authority (NPa), we are directly involved in tomorrow's standards. The PSB is actively developed with monthly releases and a transparent roadmap. From 8 million documents in 2023 to large volumes in 2025, with architecture that scales effortlessly.

CriterioneConnectCertified Access PointYes, audited by the NPaUptime99,99% contractual, 100% track recordRedundancy5+ Access PointsVolumelarge document volumes per yearConnected organisationsduizendenNL registration market share~30%NL transaction market share~40%Document typesInvoices, credit notes, orders, order confirmations, despatch advicesStandardsUBL, CII, NLCIUS, Peppol BIS 3.0, DICO, SETU, SEEFDelivery channelsPeppol, email, PDF, post, SFTPAPIFull REST API with Swagger UI and OAuth2Integrations100+ standard integrationsFree invoice portalYesCertificationPeppol AP, ISO 27001, NEN 7510, ISAE 3402 Type IIAnnual pentestYesOwn SMP (OASIS-compliant)YesSandboxFull acceptance environmentViDA-readyYesInvolved in standards developmentBoard member OpenPeppol, co-founder NPaDutch Government AP supplierYes (Digipoort/Logius)
overview
Comparison at a glance

Use this overview as a checklist when comparing Peppol Access Points.

Frequently asked questions
Can I switch from another Access Point provider?

Yes, switching Access Point provider is standard within Peppol and technically supported, without having to change your Peppol address. The transfer is handled via a migration key, so trading partners continue to reach you at the same address. For your customers and suppliers, mainly the handling behind the scenes changes. That is exactly how Peppol's open network model is intended.

A good switch is primarily about controlled execution. That is why the migration is planned, monitored and carried out step by step to minimise the risk of missed messages. During the transition period, the invoice flow is monitored to maintain continuity. This allows you to switch provider without unnecessary disruption to your operational process.

This approach also makes it easier to get internal stakeholders to approve impact and risk scenarios in advance.

After migration you benefit from the infrastructure and service agreements of your new provider. Want to see how this works in practice? Read the in-depth page: More about the eConnect Access Point.

How long does a connection take?

Via the free invoice portal you can start sending e-invoices via Peppol immediately. You create an account, compose your invoice in the browser and send it within minutes. This makes the invoice portal ideal for getting started quickly or for trying out Peppol before setting up a full integration.

A software integration with one of the more than 100 supported financial packages is typically operational within a few days. The integration is set up once, after which invoices are automatically sent and received via Peppol from your own software.

For a direct API integration via the PSB (Procurement Service Bus), the lead time depends on the complexity of your integration. The API is fully documented with Swagger UI and SDKs are available in PHP and .NET, which shortens development time. For more complex implementations (large organisations, multiple locations, custom transformations), our specialists guide the process with a personal onboarding plan.

View the API documentation

What does a Peppol Access Point cost?

Via the eConnect invoice portal you can create and send e-invoices via Peppol for free. This makes the entry threshold low for any organisation, regardless of size or budget. The invoice portal is completely free, without transaction costs and without time limit.

For automated invoicing, where your accounting software or ERP system sends and receives invoices directly via the API without manual steps, transaction costs apply that decrease at higher volumes. There are no hidden costs for Peppol registration, SMP registration or format conversion. Automatic conversion between e-invoice formats (UBL, CII, XRechnung, Factur-X and others) is included as standard.

eConnect offers four SLA levels: from a free entry tier to Gold with fully guaranteed response times and a dedicated account manager. Each level is tailored to a different profile: from sole traders who occasionally send an invoice to enterprise organisations processing millions of documents per year. Costs are always proportional to usage. Contact us for a quote that matches your volume and needs.

View the options

Is the Access Point only for invoices?

No, an Access Point is not just for invoices; it also supports other messages in the purchase-to-pay chain. Think of purchase orders, order confirmations, despatch advices, credit notes and status messages. By exchanging these documents via the same infrastructure, you get one consistent process line from ordering to payment. This makes automated processing and control much simpler.

Status messages are particularly valuable because they provide direct feedback on document processing. You can see, for example, whether an invoice has been received, approved or rejected, including the reason for rejection. This shortens recovery time and prevents lengthy email threads between accounts payable and suppliers. Especially at higher volumes, this delivers significant operational calm.

This keeps your chain more quickly correctable without extra manual searching.

In addition to general messages, there are sector-specific document types, such as SETU messages in the staffing industry and DICO-related flows in construction. Want to see exactly which chain you can cover with a single connection? Go to the in-depth page: Read more about e-procurement via Peppol.

How do I know if my software is already connected?

eConnect has standard integrations with more than 100 financial software packages. Well-known packages such as AFAS, Exact Online, Unit4, SAP, Dynamics 365 Business Central, SnelStart and Moneybird are already connected. We also support various industry-specific packages for sectors such as construction, healthcare, transport and energy.

The complete and up-to-date overview of all integrations is on our documentation site. If your package is not listed, there are two alternatives. Many accounting software has a built-in UBL export function that lets you invoice directly via Peppol. In that case, a standard integration is often not even necessary. For packages without an existing integration, the PSB REST API provides a direct integration route. The API is fully documented and comes with SDKs in PHP and .NET.

It may also be the case that your software vendor wants to set up the integration with eConnect themselves, for example as a white-label partner. In that case, eConnect guides the technical integration and the software vendor operates under eConnect's Peppol certificate.

View all software integrations

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