The four-corner model describes the technical implementation of file transmission within the Peppol network. Corner 1 is the invoice sender, while corner 4 is the invoice recipient. Invoice recipients need to be registered with the Service Metadata Publisher (SMP) server. When a Peppol participant is registered, the SMP server contacts the Service Metadata Locator (SML) server. There is only one such server in the entire Peppol network: it is centrally operated by Peppol. Based on specific data, a DNS entry is created for this participant. The address of the DNS entry for the registered participant points to the SMP server where the latter was registered.
To send an invoice via Peppol, the sender (corner 1) needs to connect to an access point(corner 2). When sending an invoice, the invoice sender sends along the recipient’s participant ID. Based on this ID, the access point of corner 2 generates the correct DNS name of the invoice recipient, thus connecting to the appropriate SMP server. Worldwide, there are a host of SMP servers which are used or operated by access points of corner 3. All recipients connected to the access point of corner 3 are registered with these servers. This registration includes the recipient’s unique participant ID as well as specific settings regarding the documents that can be received via Peppol. At the request of the access point of corner 2, the SMP server checks which access point of corner 3 is to be targeted and whether that access point will accept the attached document (compatibility check). Upon approval and feedback of other specific data, the access point of 2 can now exactly target the recipient’s access point of corner 3, which will then make the invoice available to the recipient (corner 4).
To ensure standardised document exchange within the Peppol network, communication is implemented on the basis of what is known as BIS (Business Interoperability Specification). The BIS document establishes a clearly defined standard for exchanging documents within the network. For example, if an e-invoice in XRechnung format is to be sent to a recipient via Peppol, a standard business document (SBD) serves as the technical envelope in which the e-invoice (together with the SBD header) is enclosed. It is not necessary to make any changes to the invoice.
It is not necessary to make any changes to the invoice even though the standard of the Peppol network is used. BIS 3.0 is compatible with XRechnung invoices.
Any public- or private-sector customer may also connect to an existing Peppol service provider, in which case they do not need to set up and operate a Peppol access point or a Service Metadata Publisher (SMP) server of their own to receive electronic invoices from the Peppol network. Peppol service providers offer their contracting partners different interfaces, enabling them to call up incoming invoices.
In the development of the XRechnung standard, a specific address coding schema known as the “buyer reference” ( Leitweg-ID) was defined for German public-sector customers. This address coding has been registered with Peppol as an admissible schema for defining the participant identifier in the transport network. For businesses in Germany, the VAT ID schema and the Global Location Number schema are also registered with Peppol. This means that private industry customers may use their VAT ID as their Peppol participant ID to clearly identify themselves as senders or recipients in the Peppol system. For public-sector customers, the buyer reference is available as a valid identification schema.
The interconnection between a Peppol participant ID and the buyer reference or the VAT ID is established by means of different prefixes. The Peppol participant ID is composed of a four-digit numerical code which precedes the buyer reference or the VAT ID.
Prefix 0088 + Global Location Number → 0088:Global Location Number
To ensure standardised document exchange within the Peppol network, communication is implemented on the basis of what is known as BIS (Business Interoperability Specification). The BIS document establishes a clearly defined standard for exchanging documents within the network. For example, if an e-invoice in XRechnung format is to be sent to a recipient via Peppol, a standard business document (SBD) serves as the technical envelope in which the e-invoice (together with the SBD header) is enclosed. This SBD header must contain the receiver ID, whereas the buyer reference field (BT-10) in the enclosed invoice may only contain the recipient’s buyer reference.chlag, in den die XRechnung (zusammen mit dem sog. SBD-Header) eingebettet ist. In diesem SBD-Header muss die Receiver-ID enthalten sein, in der eingebetteten E-Rechnung selbst darf allerdings in dem Feld BT-10 Buyer Reference nur die Leitweg-ID des Empfängers enthalten sein.
For a sender to be able to accurately address the correct recipient, all access points and the relevant recipients need to recognise each other.
In the Peppol network, the Peppol participant ID (Peppol ID) serves to clearly identify a given participant. A distinction is made between the sender ID (invoice issuer) and the receiver ID (invoice recipient). These do not have to be specifially requested but can be assigned by the users themvelves. For Peppol sender IDs, it is recommended to use the Global Location Number (GLN) preceded by the prefix 0088 or the VAT ID plus the prefix 9930 as an individual sender ID when setting up your Peppol account.
Invoice recipients require a receiver ID. For all public institutions that are connected to the OZG-RE invoice submission portal, the Peppol receiver ID corresponds to the buyer reference ( Leitweg-ID) preceded by the prefix 0204 (e.g. 0204:99661-WEBSERVICEOZG-28).
In addition, recipients need to be registered with a Service Metadata Publisher (SMP) server so that they can be technically found. The SMP stores further metadata concerning each participant, e.g. data regarding the types of documents which a given participant is able to receive and the access point to which they are connected. There is no need for invoice senders to register the Peppol ID with an SMP as long as they only want to send.
Examples of Peppol sender IDs (invoice senders):
9930:VAT ID
0088:Global Location Number
Example of a Peppol receiver ID (invoice recipient):
In order to be able to receive electronic invoices, you will need a Peppol access point (in accordance with the AS4 profile). There are already off-the-shelf products (some of them open source) which only need to be installed and configured. For further specifications of the AS4 profile, please refer to the Peppol AS4-profile page.
Peppol aims to interconnect senders and recipients of electronic documents. Both the sender and recipient need an access point to access the Peppol network.
The invoice sender sends their invoice to an access point which connects to the recipient’s access point by means of the Peppol receiver ID. Once the e-invoice is received by the recipient’s access point, it is made available to the recipient. The invoice submission portal OZG-RE is connected to the access point of the recipient. Within the submission portals, the buyer reference ( Leitweg-ID) is then used for addressing the invoices to the various authorities. The authorities connected to the system can thus retrieve e-invoices submitted via Peppol from the submission portal and process them in their systems as usual.
Illustration: Process of sending and receiving documents via Peppol
By using Peppol, invoice senders benefit from a uniform and central channel for the submission of e-invoices. You have to make sure, however, that the recipient’s invoice submission portal is also connected to Peppol. Please check with your customer whether this is the case and ask them for their Peppol receiver ID.
Please note: for organisations of the direct federal administration and organisations of the indirect federal administration as well as organisations of the (cooperating) federal states connected to the OZG-RE portal, the Peppol participant ID is composed of a prefix and the buyer reference: “0204:buyer reference”. In the case of other federal states, the Peppol participant ID and the buyer reference may differ.
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