Peppol Self-Billing: receive your self-billed invoices automatically

What is self-billing?

Self-billing is a mechanism where the buyer issues the invoice on behalf of the supplier. Rather than waiting for the supplier's invoice, the customer generates it and transmits it directly.

This process is common in several situations:

• Payment of commissions and royalties
• Framework contracts with regular suppliers
• Purchasing cooperatives and groups
• Platforms and marketplaces paying their sellers
• Recurring services with variable amounts

With mandatory electronic invoicing in Belgium from 2026, self-billing is also going electronic via the Peppol network.

How does self-billing reception work via Peppol?

When one of your clients practises self-billing, they generate an invoice on your behalf and send it via the Peppol network. But here is a point that is often misunderstood: self-billing relies on a separate Peppol document type from a standard invoice — the self-billing invoice and the self-billing credit note.

This has a key consequence: unlike a standard invoice where the customer registers as the recipient, with self-billing it is you, the supplier, who must enable reception of this document type on the Peppol network. Without this activation, your clients' self-bills will not reach you.

Once reception is enabled, the process is fully automated:

1. Your client generates the self-billing invoice in structured UBL format
2. They send it via the Peppol network to your identifier
3. The invoice arrives automatically in your Peppol Box
4. You are notified and can view, accept and export the document

Two conditions to meet before receiving self-billing

The Belgian FPS Finance recently reiterated two frequently overlooked points. Here they are clearly.

1. Enable reception of the self-billing document type

Because it is a separate document type, your Peppol identity must declare that it accepts self-billing invoices and self-billing credit notes. With Peppol Box, we enable this capability for you and inform you transparently — as recommended by FPS Finance whenever a service provider activates self-billing reception.

2. A prior bilateral agreement remains mandatory

Technical activation is not enough. Self-billing always requires a prior bilateral agreement between you and your client, as well as acceptance of each invoice or credit note issued on your behalf.

"Unlike a standard invoice (where the customer registers as the recipient), with self-billing it is the supplier or service provider who must register in order to receive the self-billing invoice or self-billing credit note. Please note: a prior agreement is still required, as is acceptance of each self-billing invoice or self-billing credit note." — FPS Finance, e-invoicing FAQ

Benefits of receiving self-billing via Peppol Box

Automatic centralisation

All your self-billing invoices arrive in the same place, regardless of origin. No more checking emails or hunting for PDFs: everything is centralised in a single interface.

Structured and usable format

Unlike a PDF sent by email, a self-billing invoice received via Peppol is in structured UBL format. The data (amounts, VAT, references) is directly readable by your accounting software, with no manual re-entry.

Complete traceability

Each received document has an automatic acknowledgement of receipt. You know exactly when the invoice was issued, transmitted and received. A complete history is maintained for your audit.

One-click accounting export

Export your self-billing invoices to your accounting software in one click: BOB, WinBooks, Horus, Exact, or any other compatible software. The standardised XML format ensures seamless integration.

Good to know: what is still evolving

No dedicated status messages yet

Today, the Peppol network does not yet provide a status message specific to self-billing (approved, rejected, paid…). A Request For Change (RFC) is under way within Peppol to address this gap. In the meantime, acceptance of each self-bill is handled according to the bilateral agreement with your client.

Uneven software support

Not all invoicing software yet supports issuing or receiving self-billing. On the reception side, Peppol Box guarantees that you can receive and export these documents, even if your accounting software does not yet support them natively.

Who is affected?

You are affected by self-billing reception if:

• You are a supplier to a major retailer or purchasing group
• You receive commissions or royalties from a partner
• You sell on a platform or marketplace that handles invoicing
• You have clients who use self-billing in their purchasing processes

To receive these documents, your Peppol identifier must have enabled reception of the self-billing document type — which Peppol Box configures for you — and a bilateral agreement must exist with the issuing client.

Legal compliance

Self-billing is governed by EU Directive 2006/112/EC (Article 224). In Belgium, it is authorised provided a prior agreement exists between the buyer and the supplier, and the supplier can accept or reject each invoice issued on their behalf.

With Peppol Box, you maintain full control: each self-billing invoice received can be viewed, verified and accepted before export to your accounting.

How to get started?

Self-billing reception is available with Peppol Box. Here are the steps:

1. Create your Peppol Box account and activate your Peppol identifier
2. We enable reception of the self-billing document type (invoice + credit note) and inform you
3. Conclude the bilateral agreement with clients who practise self-billing and share your identifier
4. Automatically receive all invoices issued on your behalf, ready to be accepted and exported

The logic is the same as for any other Peppol invoice. The difference is that the issuer is your client, not your supplier — and that reception goes through a dedicated document type.

Official sources

• efacture.belgium.be — official Belgian e-invoicing portal
• FPS Finance (Belgium)
• OpenPeppol — the official Peppol network organisation