Infrastructure
Peppol Access Point
Definition
A Peppol Access Point is a certified service provider that acts as an entry and exit point for the Peppol document exchange. Businesses and authorities can send and receive invoices through an Access Point without being directly connected to the Peppol network. Access Points must be certified by Peppol authorities (in Europe, OpenPeppol) and commit to complying with Peppol interoperability specifications.
Switch to German:Peppol Access Point (DE)
Related terms
PeppolPeppol (Pan-European Public Procurement On-Line) is an international network and infrastructure for the secure electronic exchange of business documents, especially invoices and orders. It is based on a four-corner model with Access Points, a central directory (SMP/SML), and standardised document formats (e.g., Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 based on UBL). In Germany, KoSIT operates the Peppol directory.XRechnungXRechnung is the German standard for structured electronic invoices in public sector procurement (B2G). It is based on the European standard EN 16931 and is available in two syntaxes: UBL 2.1 and UN/CEFACT CII. Since 27 November 2020, federal public buyers have been required to accept electronic invoices in XRechnung format, and state and municipal authorities have been progressively included.B2G (Business-to-Government)B2G refers to business relationships and invoicing from companies to government entities (federal, state, municipal, and public bodies). In Germany, electronic invoicing in the B2G sector has been progressively mandatory for federal authorities since 2020 and increasingly for state and municipal authorities. The required format is XRechnung or another EN 16931-compliant format.ZRE (Central Invoice Receipt Platform of the Federal Government)The Zentrale Rechnungseingangsplattform (ZRE) is the official receipt platform for electronic invoices addressed to direct federal government authorities in Germany. Invoices can be submitted via the ZRE through a web form or via established transmission channels (Peppol, email, De-Mail, web service). It is operated by Bundesdruckerei.