Comprehensive definitions of e-invoicing terms, Peppol concepts, and electronic document exchange terminology.
A certified service provider that connects businesses to the Peppol network, enabling them to send and receive electronic documents. Access Points handle encryption, routing, and protocol compliance.
Applicability Statement 4 - A secure, reliable messaging protocol used by Peppol for document exchange. AS4 provides end-to-end message security, reliability, and non-repudiation.
Electronic transactions between businesses, as opposed to between a business and a consumer (B2C) or business and government (B2G).
Electronic transactions between businesses and government entities. Many countries mandate e-invoicing for B2G transactions.
Peppol's standardized business processes and document specifications. Peppol BIS 3.0 is the current standard for invoices and credit notes.
A country-specific or industry-specific specification that restricts or extends the EN16931 standard. Examples include XRechnung (Germany), Factur-X (France), and FatturaPA (Italy).
A model where tax authorities receive invoice data in real-time or near real-time for compliance monitoring. Used in countries like Italy and Saudi Arabia.
An e-invoicing model where invoices must be approved by a tax authority or designated platform before being delivered to the buyer. Used in Italy (SDI) and Saudi Arabia (ZATCA).
Digital Business Networks Alliance - The Peppol authority for the United States, promoting electronic document exchange standards in North America.
A unique identifier in Peppol that specifies the type and version of a document being exchanged (e.g., invoice, credit note, order).
A legacy standard for exchanging business documents electronically between organizations. Often replaced by modern XML-based formats like UBL.
A structured electronic document containing invoice data that can be automatically processed without manual intervention. Not to be confused with PDF invoices.
The European standard for electronic invoicing, defining a semantic data model for core invoice elements. All EU member states must support invoices compliant with this standard.
A unique address identifying a participant in the Peppol network, typically consisting of a scheme identifier and participant identifier (e.g., 0088:1234567890123).
Italy's mandatory electronic invoice format, processed through the SDI (Sistema di Interscambio) clearance platform.
A Franco-German hybrid invoice format that combines a PDF with embedded XML data, compliant with EN16931.
The standard Peppol exchange model involving four parties: Sender → Sender's Access Point → Receiver's Access Point → Receiver.
The ability of different systems, networks, and applications to exchange and use information seamlessly across organizational and technical boundaries.
A Peppol document type used by receivers to acknowledge receipt of an invoice and indicate its processing status (accepted, rejected, or under query).
The non-profit organization that governs the Peppol network, defining specifications, managing authorities, and certifying Access Points.
Pan-European Public Procurement On-Line - A set of artifacts and specifications enabling cross-border electronic document exchange, now used globally beyond the EU.
A national or regional organization authorized by OpenPeppol to manage the Peppol network in their jurisdiction, including certifying Access Points.
A unique identifier for participants in the Peppol network, combining a scheme (e.g., GLN, VAT number) with the actual identifier value.
Peppol International invoice specification, designed for global use outside traditional Peppol regions, with country-specific extensions.
A Peppol identifier specifying the business process context for a document exchange (e.g., billing, ordering).
A rule-based validation language used to verify that XML documents comply with business rules beyond basic XML Schema constraints.
Italy's government-operated clearance platform that validates and routes all B2B and B2G electronic invoices.
A DNS-based lookup service in Peppol that helps locate the correct SMP for a given participant.
A registry service that stores metadata about Peppol participants, including their supported document types and Access Point endpoints.
An OASIS standard XML document format for business documents. UBL 2.1 is the primary syntax used by Peppol for invoices and other documents.
EU initiative to modernize VAT reporting through mandatory e-invoicing and digital reporting requirements across member states.
The process of checking an electronic invoice against technical schemas (XSD) and business rules (Schematron) to ensure compliance.
A markup language used for encoding documents in a machine-readable format. E-invoices are typically transmitted as XML files.
Germany's national CIUS (Core Invoice Usage Specification) based on EN16931, mandatory for B2G invoicing in Germany.
A schema language used to define the structure, content, and data types of XML documents. Used for syntactic validation of e-invoices.
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