What is Peppol BIS? Format and uses explained

Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 is an invoice specification from OpenPeppol: a UBL 2.1 XML invoice or credit note that follows the European standard EN 16931 with extra Peppol rules. It is the format exchanged over the Peppol network, where registered access points deliver documents between businesses and public bodies. In Belgium, it is the usual format for in-scope domestic B2B e-invoices since January 2026.

What makes an invoice Peppol BIS?

Property	Value
Maintained by	OpenPeppol (Peppol BIS Billing 3.0)
Syntax	UBL 2.1
Based on	EN 16931, plus Peppol rules (codes starting PEPPOL-EN16931)
Identifiers	customisation and profile IDs, and electronic addresses for seller and buyer
File type	`.xml`

The electronic addresses (endpoint IDs) tell the network where to deliver the invoice. A missing or invalid required endpoint ID can lead to rejection; see why e-invoices are rejected.

How does it travel?

Through Peppol access points: your software or provider sends the file to the recipient's access point, which delivers it to their software. In Belgium, in-scope businesses must exchange structured domestic B2B invoices since 1 January 2026. Peppol is the usual route, but FPS Finance describes conditions for agreed alternatives. See e-invoicing in Belgium.

What can Klarbon do with Peppol BIS?

Task	Tool
Read it, print it, save it as PDF	Open a Peppol BIS invoice, free
Check the selected Peppol rule set, in beta	Validate a Peppol BIS invoice
Convert a structured e-invoice to Peppol BIS	Convert an e-invoice

Reading plain PDF invoices is not available yet.

Klarbon is not a Peppol access point: it makes and checks files, and you send them through your own access point.

Invoice and bank format glossary

Frequently asked questions

Is Peppol a file format or a network?

Both words are used. Peppol is the network that delivers documents between access points. Peppol BIS Billing is the invoice format the network carries.

Do I need an access point to send a Peppol BIS invoice?

To send it through the Peppol network, yes, usually through your accounting software or a service provider. A file viewer or converter is not an access point.

Which countries use Peppol BIS?

Since January 2026, in-scope Belgian domestic B2B invoices must be structured; Peppol is the usual route, with agreed alternatives under conditions. Check the receiving authority's requirements in other countries.

What is Peppol BIS?