The Peppol Network
Peppol (Pan-European Public Procurement OnLine) is a global network that enables businesses and governments to exchange electronic documents, primarily invoices.
What is Peppol?
Peppol is:
- A network of connected access points
- A set of standards for document formats
- A governance framework managed by OpenPeppol
- Active in 30+ countries worldwide
How Peppol Works
The Peppol network uses a "4-corner model":
┌─────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐
│ Sender │───▶│ Sender's │───▶│ Receiver's │───▶│ Receiver │
│ (Corner 1) │ │ Access Point │ │ Access Point │ │ (Corner 4) │
│ │ │ (Corner 2) │ │ (Corner 3) │ │ │
│ Your │ │ GoRoute │ │ Receiver's │ │ Customer │
│ Business │ │ POP000991 │ │ AP │ │ Business │
└─────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └─────────────┘
The 4 Corners
| Corner | Role | Description |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | Sender | The business sending the invoice |
| C2 | Sender's Access Point | GoRoute - transmits to the network |
| C3 | Receiver's Access Point | The recipient's Peppol service provider |
| C4 | Receiver | The business receiving the invoice |
Key Components
Access Points (AP)
Access Points are certified service providers that:
- Connect to the Peppol network
- Transmit documents using AS4 protocol
- Validate documents before sending
- Provide delivery confirmations
GoRoute is a certified Peppol Access Point: POP000991
Service Metadata Publisher (SMP)
The SMP is a directory that stores:
- Participant registrations
- Document capabilities
- Access Point endpoints
When you send an invoice, GoRoute:
- Looks up the receiver in the SMP
- Finds their Access Point
- Delivers the document to that AP
Service Metadata Locator (SML)
The SML is the "DNS of Peppol" — it tells Access Points which SMP contains a participant's information.
Document Types
Peppol supports various document types:
| Document | Process ID | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice | BIS Billing 3.0 | Standard invoices |
| Credit Note | BIS Billing 3.0 | Corrections/refunds |
| Order | BIS Ordering 3.0 | Purchase orders |
| Order Response | BIS Ordering 3.0 | Order confirmations |
| Catalogue | BIS Catalogue 3.0 | Product catalogs |
| Despatch Advice | BIS Despatch 3.0 | Shipping notices |
Peppol Identifiers
Every participant has a unique Peppol identifier:
scheme:identifier
Examples:
0106:12345678(Netherlands KVK)0204:DE123456789(German VAT)0195:SGUEN123456A(Singapore UEN)
See Peppol Identifiers for the full list of schemes.
The AS4 Protocol
Peppol uses the AS4 messaging protocol:
- Based on SOAP/HTTP
- Provides reliable messaging
- Includes message receipts
- Supports encryption and signing
You don't need to implement AS4 yourself. GoRoute exposes a simple REST API and handles all AS4 complexity internally.
Peppol BIS 3.0
BIS (Business Interoperability Specification) defines:
- Required document fields
- Validation rules
- Code lists
- Business rules
GoRoute validates all documents against:
- UBL 2.1 XSD — Structure validation
- EN16931 — European standard
- Peppol BIS 3.0 — Peppol-specific rules
Geographic Coverage
According to OpenPeppol, these jurisdictions have their own Peppol Authority:
Europe
Belgium • Denmark • England • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Iceland • Ireland • Italy • Luxembourg • the Netherlands • Norway • Poland • Portugal • Slovakia • Sweden
Asia-Pacific
Australia • Japan • Malaysia • New Zealand • Singapore • Taiwan
Middle East
Oman • United Arab Emirates
Africa
Nigeria
Elsewhere, OpenPeppol is "the Peppol Coordinating Authority, which also acts as the Peppol Authority in jurisdictions where no Peppol Authority exists".
Source, as of 9 October 2026: OpenPeppol, Peppol Authorities.
Benefits of Peppol
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Interoperability | One connection reaches 500,000+ participants |
| Standardization | Consistent format across all countries |
| Automation | Structured data enables straight-through processing |
| Compliance | Meets EU and national e-invoicing mandates |
| Cost Reduction | Lower processing costs vs paper/PDF |
| Speed | Real-time delivery and confirmation |
GoRoute's Role
As a certified Peppol Access Point, GoRoute:
- Simplifies Access — REST API instead of AS4/SOAP
- Validates Documents — Ensures compliance before sending
- Manages Registration — Handles SMP registration
- Provides Reliability — 99.9% uptime SLA
- Offers Support — Expert assistance for Peppol compliance