Peppol for Beginners: A Simple Guide for Luxembourg Businesses

What Is Peppol?

Think of Peppol as a digital postal service for business documents. Just as traditional mail uses standardised addresses and postal networks to deliver letters, Peppol uses standardised digital identifiers and a secure network to deliver invoices and other business documents electronically.

The name stands for Pan-European Public Procurement Online. It was originally created for government procurement, but it has grown into a widely used network for all types of business transactions. Today, over 300,000 organisations across more than 30 countries are connected to Peppol.

In Luxembourg, Peppol is one of the two official channels for submitting electronic invoices to the government, alongside MyGuichet.lu. But its usefulness extends far beyond government invoicing.

How Does Peppol Work?

The Peppol system has three key components that work together:

• Peppol ID — a unique identifier for your business on the network, similar to an email address but for invoices
• Access Point — a certified service provider (like Peppol Box) that connects you to the network and handles the technical transmission of documents
• Peppol Network — the secure infrastructure that routes documents between access points

When you send an invoice via Peppol, your access point transmits it through the network to the recipient's access point, which delivers it to their system. The process is fast, secure, and fully automated.

You do not need to worry about the technical details. Your access point handles everything behind the scenes. All you need to do is create your invoice and send it.

Why Is Peppol Important for Local Businesses?

There are several compelling reasons why businesses operating in the Grand Duchy should pay attention to Peppol:

It Is Mandatory for Government Invoicing

Since March 2023, all businesses invoicing the public sector must use electronic invoicing via Peppol or MyGuichet.lu. If you work with any government entity, municipality, or public institution, Peppol compliance is not optional.

Belgium's 2026 Mandate Affects You

The close economic ties with Belgium mean that the Belgian B2B e-invoicing obligation starting in 2026 will directly impact many businesses here. If you trade with Belgian companies, being on Peppol ensures you can continue to exchange invoices smoothly.

It Saves Time and Money

Manual invoicing is slow, expensive, and error-prone. Peppol automates the entire process, reducing costs associated with printing, postage, manual data entry, and error correction. Studies show that e-invoicing can save businesses up to 60% on invoice processing costs.

Peppol vs. Traditional Invoicing

Here is how Peppol compares to the methods you might be using today:

• Paper invoices — slow delivery, risk of loss, no tracking, high cost per invoice
• PDF by email — faster delivery but still requires manual processing by the recipient, no guarantee of receipt
• Peppol e-invoice — instant delivery, automatic processing, delivery confirmation, structured data that integrates directly with your accounting software

The difference is clear: Peppol is the modern, efficient way to handle business invoicing.

Getting Started: A Step-by-Step Guide

Starting with Peppol is much easier than you might think. Here is what to do:

1. Sign up with an access point — choose a provider like Peppol Box that is suited for businesses in the Grand Duchy
2. Register your business details — provide your company name, business number, and VAT number
3. Receive your Peppol ID — your unique address on the network, ready to use
4. Start sending and receiving — use your provider's platform to create and manage invoices

With Peppol Box, you can complete this entire process in just a few minutes. No technical skills are needed, and support is available every step of the way. With Flexina Sync, your accountant can automatically retrieve your invoices from Peppol Box — free of charge and with no effort on your part.

Common Questions from Beginners

Do I need special software? No. An access point like Peppol Box provides everything you need, including a web platform for creating and managing invoices. If you already use your own management solution, many tools offer Peppol integration.

Is it expensive? Not at all. Peppol access points offer affordable plans, and the government's SME Packages Digital programme can subsidise up to 70% of your digitalisation costs.

Can I use it for all my invoices? Yes. While currently mandatory only for B2G in the country, you can use Peppol for all your business invoicing, including B2B transactions with partners locally and across Europe.

What if my client is not on Peppol? You can still receive invoices from non-Peppol senders through other means. But as adoption grows, especially with Belgium's 2026 mandate, more and more of your business contacts will be on the network.

Take the First Step Today

Peppol is not complicated, and you do not need to be a technology expert to use it. Thousands of small businesses across the country and Europe are already benefiting from faster, cheaper, and more reliable invoicing through the Peppol network.