Peppol and electronic invoicing: benefits and exchange procedures

Discover how Peppol simplifies e-invoicing and ensures efficient document exchange across Europe.

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Peppol (Pan-European Public Procurement On-Line) is a decentralised network of technical specifications that enables standardised exchange of electronic invoices and other business documents between companies and public administrations across Europe and beyond, through accredited intermediaries called Access Points.

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In brief

• Peppol is not a platform but a network connecting different systems through accredited Access Points
• Launched in 2008 for B2G document exchange, it is now widely used for B2B exchanges as well
• Italian companies must use an Access Point also authorised to send invoices to the Sistema di Interscambio (SdI), Italy’s national exchange system
• The EU’s ViDA (VAT in the Digital Age) framework makes e-invoicing mandatory for cross-border B2B transactions within the EU from 1 July 2030
• Italy has secured an extension of its national e-invoicing derogation until 31 December 2027 (Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/3150)
• As of 2026, the Peppol network counts nearly 50 member countries and territories under OpenPeppol, confirming its growing global reach

What is Peppol

Peppol stands for “Pan-European Public Procurement On-Line”, a set of technical specifications for the standardised exchange of documents through a secure network. Originally created for document exchange between public administrations in Europe, Peppol is now widely used globally for both B2G and B2B exchanges.

Peppol is not a stand-alone platform: documents can be exchanged over the Peppol network while continuing to use the business tools already in place, simply by contacting an Access Point. In simple terms, Peppol can be described as a network that connects different platforms, translating systems and standards for invoice exchange.

How Peppol works for electronic invoicing

Although Peppol can be used for any document in the order-to-cash cycle, it is currently used mainly for exchanging electronic invoices, both B2G and B2B, across Europe. Peppol falls within the decentralised models for electronic invoicing, as defined by the Digital B2b Observatory of Politecnico di Milano: a system built on several nodes (known as corners), where a network of private service providers handles document exchange while the regulator sets a unified format and exchange methodology.

In practice, the sender forwards the invoice from its own portal to its chosen Peppol Access Point, which translates it into the technical specifications required by the network and sends it to the recipient’s chosen Access Point. The recipient’s Peppol Access Point then translates it further into the agreed technical specifications.

For Italian companies, it is essential that the Access Point handling the invoice recipient is also authorised to submit invoices to the Sistema di Interscambio.

Benefits of using Peppol for electronic invoicing

As the electronic invoicing landscape evolves rapidly, more and more countries are designating their national Peppol Authorities — the government bodies that supervise Peppol adoption within their territory. As of 2026, the network counts nearly 50 member countries and territories under OpenPeppol, confirming that it is well on its way to becoming the world’s most widely used tool for exchanging electronic invoices globally, and is unlikely to be displaced by any future regulatory obligations at EU or national level.

Exchanging electronic invoices through Peppol also helps to:

• reduce invoicing errors, including on international invoices
• expand international trade
• ensure compliance with regulations
• prepare adequately for regulatory changes across different countries

Following the entry into force of the ViDA framework (14 April 2025), which allows Member States to introduce mandatory e-invoicing independently, without needing prior EU authorisation, a growing number of European countries are choosing the Peppol network as the infrastructure to comply. This is the case, for example, in Belgium (B2B mandate from January 2026), Poland (from February 2026) and France (from September 2026), joining Denmark, Norway and Sweden, where Peppol is already required for public procurement and increasingly adopted in the private sector too.

How to adopt Peppol for electronic invoicing

To use the Peppol network for exchanging electronic invoices, companies need to engage an Access Point authorised by the relevant Peppol Authority. In Italy, Peppol Access Points must also be authorised to send the same invoices to the Sistema di Interscambio, as is the case with Intesa (Havant Group). Once the reference Access Point has been identified, exchange formats and integrations with existing management software can be agreed.

International and European electronic invoicing: Intesa’s solution

Intesa, as a Peppol Access Point and an entity authorised to send electronic invoices to the Sistema di Interscambio, is the ideal partner for Italian companies looking to exchange electronic invoices abroad through Peppol — and beyond: thanks to a partnership with Pagero, an international business network, Intesa can support clients who need to exchange invoices and carry out B2B partner onboarding, removing language and time-zone barriers.

Intesa has built its own international e-invoicing platform, with multi-connector and multi-format capabilities, creating a smart business network that consistently ensures e-invoicing compliance and LTA (Long Term Archiving) compliance, regardless of sector or geographic area.

Glossary

• Access Point: accredited intermediary that allows a company or public administration to send and receive documents on the Peppol network, translating them into the technical specifications required by the recipient
• Peppol Authority: government body (in Italy, AgID) that supervises Peppol adoption within its territory, accredits Service Providers and monitors compliance with Peppol standards
• Corner model: the decentralised architecture underlying Peppol, in which sender, sender’s Access Point, recipient’s Access Point and recipient form the four “corners” of the document exchange
• Sistema di Interscambio (SdI): the Italian Tax Agency’s platform through which all electronic invoices in Italy must pass; Italian Peppol Access Points must also be authorised intermediaries for this system
• ViDA (VAT in the Digital Age): the EU regulatory package that introduces, among other measures, mandatory e-invoicing for cross-border B2B transactions from 2030

Conclusion

In conclusion, relying on a Peppol Access Point for exchanging electronic invoices helps companies stay ahead of any future developments in European e-invoicing regulation: with the ViDA mandate for cross-border transactions set for 1 July 2030 it is unlikely that the European Commission will overlook the Peppol network, given the investments already made in this exchange model. Intesa (Havant Group) has been managing document exchange for over 35 years and has been a Peppol Access Point since 2016.

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Discover the solutions for your company’s digital transformation:

• Electronic Archiving
• Identification
• EDI – Electronic Data Interchange
• Electronic Invoicing
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• Electronic Signature
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• Supply Chain Management