How do I retrieve my invoices from Peppol?

"I want to log in to Peppol to see my invoices"

It's one of the most frequent questions we've received since electronic invoicing became mandatory: "How do I log in to Peppol to retrieve my documents?"

The answer might surprise you: you cannot log in to Peppol. There is no official peppol.com website where you enter a username and password to view your invoices. And that's perfectly normal, because Peppol is not a mailbox — it's just a gateway.

Your documents, on the other hand, live inside your software. And that's exactly what Peppol Box does for you: it gives you the software that puts your own invoices at your fingertips.

So what exactly is Peppol?

To get this clear, let's use a simple analogy with email.

When you send an email, the message travels over a protocol called SMTP. But SMTP is not a website. You can't log in to "smtp.com" to read your messages. SMTP is only the transport mechanism. To read your email, you log in to your mailbox: Gmail, Outlook, or another provider.

Peppol works exactly the same way. Peppol is:

• A network connecting service providers
• A secure transport protocol
• A directory that knows how to route your documents to the right recipient

But Peppol is not:

• A website you log in to
• A centralized inbox
• A place where your invoices are stored long-term

The real journey of a Peppol invoice, step by step

Here's exactly what happens between the moment your supplier clicks "Send" and the moment you actually retrieve the invoice:

1. The supplier creates the invoice in their software (invoicing tool, ERP, or Peppol Box). That's where it is written and stored.
2. The supplier's software hands the document over to its Peppol access point.
3. The supplier's access point packages the invoice, signs it, ships it onto the network, keeps a technical log of the send (date, acknowledgement, status), and moves on.
4. The Peppol network queries its directory and identifies the recipient's access point.
5. The customer's access point receives the document, verifies its compliance, also keeps a delivery log, and immediately forwards the invoice to the customer's software.
6. The customer's software (Peppol Box, for example) stores the invoice and makes it viewable.
7. The customer logs in to their software and views the invoice.

Important: access points (almost) don't store anything

This is a key point most people miss. Access points are not storage boxes. They're switches, sorting offices. Once they've done their job — receive and forward — they typically only keep a technical log:

• Date and time of the send/receive
• Document identifier
• Delivery status (ok, failure, acknowledgement received)
• Sender and recipient identifiers

The actual content of the invoice (amounts, line items, VAT, references) is not stored long-term by most access points. It's delivered, and that's it.

The invoice itself lives somewhere else: inside the customer's software. That software is what:

• Keeps the full document
• Lets you view it, download it, comment on it
• Notifies you when something arrives

In other words: without software, no invoices to view. The Peppol network alone is useless if you don't have a proper piece of software at the end of the chain.

Hence the killer question: what's your software?

If you're reading this article, it's probably because you don't really know where your invoices are. Here are the typical scenarios:

1. Your accountant signed you up to Peppol via their own software

This is by far the most common scenario in Belgium. Your accountant enabled Peppol through BOB, WinBooks, Horus, Yuki, Odoo… or an internal tool. As a result:

• The "customer's software" in the chain is your accountant's, not yours
• Your invoices are stored at their end
• You have no direct access to your own documents
• To retrieve an invoice, you have to ask, wait for an export, or browse a (usually limited) client portal

⚠️ This is the number-one reason people feel they've "lost control" since the move to Peppol.

2. Your invoicing software is itself a Peppol access point

Some tools include a built-in Peppol access point. Invoices show up under a "Received" tab. But these solutions are usually built around sending invoices, not receiving and reviewing them daily — the experience is limited and pricing scales fast with volume.

3. You use Peppol Box — the option we recommend

Peppol Box is built specifically to be your Peppol software, the place where your invoices live, under your control.

4. You don't know who your access point is

If you don't know where your invoices end up, ask your accountant whether they've activated Peppol for you, or check your company number on the Peppol Directory. And seriously consider getting your own Peppol software alongside.

Peppol Box: the software that gives you your invoices back

Peppol Box is a complete piece of software built for freelancers, SMEs and Belgian companies who want to stay in control of their Peppol documents.

✅ All your invoices, in a clear interface

Log in and see your sent and received invoices straight away. Sort by supplier, date, amount, status. Download the human-readable PDF or the structured XML in one click.

✅ All your invoices kept and accessible

All your invoices are stored securely. No more "I can't find March's invoice": everything is right there, accessible in a few clicks.

✅ Instant notifications

Email and badge in the app: as soon as an invoice arrives, you know about it. No more end-of-month surprises.

✅ iOS and Android mobile apps

View and approve your invoices straight from your phone, wherever you are. Perfect for managers on the move.

✅ Automatic accounting sync with Flexina Sync

Your invoices are pushed automatically to your accountant, into their software. You stay in control, they get their data. Everyone wins.

✅ Sending included

Peppol Box isn't just for receiving: you can also send Peppol invoices, sign quotes, and manage your Peppol address book. One single piece of software for the whole chain.

The classic trap: registered without knowing it, never seeing anything

A situation we see every week:

• A supplier says: "I sent you the invoice over Peppol"
• The owner searches their email: nothing
• They call their accountant: "yes, we received it, I'll forward it tomorrow"
• Meanwhile, the payment deadline is ticking, the invoice may contain an error, and the owner has zero visibility

It's not illegal, but it's operationally untenable. Your business documents should never be out of sight.

With Peppol Box, the problem disappears: every invoice that travels the network for your company number is immediately visible at your end, in real time, on any device.

Key takeaways

• Peppol is just a gateway: you don't log in, you don't store invoices on it
• The real flow is: supplier → software → access point → network → access point → software → customer
• The access points only keep technical logs (date, status, acknowledgement), not the invoice itself long-term
• Your documents live in your software, and nowhere else
• If you were registered via your accountant, it's their software that holds them — not you
• Peppol Box is the software that puts your own invoices back in your hands, with mobile apps and automatic accounting sync

Take back control of your Peppol documents

You don't need any technical skills, and no credit card to get started. In a few minutes, your company number is routed to Peppol Box, and all your Peppol invoices finally arrive at your end.

No credit card required • Cancel anytime • English support