What Peppol certified actually means
Peppol is not a piece of software, it is a network. To send an invoice across it, a company goes through an access point. That access point is the technical provider that signs the OpenPeppol agreement, follows the network specifications and connects to the directories used to find a recipient.
When a vendor says Peppol certified software, two claims are hidden in the phrase. First, that your documents leave in the right format, Peppol BIS 3.0 based on the European standard EN 16931. Second, that the transport really goes through an access point on the network, rather than a PDF attached to an email.
The difference matters the day a customer rejects an invoice because it did not arrive through the expected channel. A downloadable XML file is not an access point: it is still a file that someone has to send, usually by hand.
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An access point sends and receives your documents on the network, in both directions.
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The BIS 3.0 format lets the recipient read your invoice lines without retyping anything.
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Your Peppol identifier makes you reachable for customers and public bodies.
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An XML export on its own is not a connection to the network, however correct the file is.
Keep the question you can put to any vendor: do you transmit through a Peppol access point, or do you just hand me an XML file to send myself?
The Novadesko status and how to verify it
Novadesko transmits its customers' invoices over the Peppol network as an access point. In practice, an invoice you approve in the software is converted into XML UBL, addressed to your customer's Peppol identifier and handed to their own access point, with a technical acknowledgement coming back.
In Belgium the Peppol identifier is built on scheme 0208, the company number held by the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises. Your identifier is not an obscure code to buy: it derives from your company number, and Novadesko registers it for you in one click.
The table below lists the elements you can check one by one, without having to trust us.
Verifiable elements of the Peppol status
| Element |
Value |
Where to check it |
| Role on the network |
Peppol access point |
Sending and receiving from the software |
| Invoice format |
Peppol BIS 3.0, standard EN 16931 |
XML UBL downloadable per document |
| Identifier scheme |
0208, Belgian company number |
OpenPeppol directory |
| Public channels |
Mercurius and Hermes |
Invoices to Belgian public bodies |
| Publisher |
Novadesko SRL, BE 1018.192.568 |
Crossroads Bank for Enterprises |
| Support |
French and Dutch, based in Belgium |
Contact page and phone |
The OpenPeppol directory is public. It is the only source that tells you whether a company is genuinely reachable on the network, whatever software it runs.
The Belgian mandate and what it demands of your software
Since 1 January 2026, VAT registered Belgian companies must issue and receive their business to business invoices in a structured electronic format, over the Peppol network. A PDF sent by email no longer satisfies the rule, however neatly it is laid out or signed.
The mandate covers receiving as much as sending. If your suppliers move to the network before you do, their invoices land somewhere: with no access point you never see them, and an unprocessed purchase invoice is deductible VAT lost.
Your software therefore has to cover three needs at once: a registered identifier, compliant sending and an inbox that sorts what comes in.
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Sending: every approved invoice leaves in structured form for the right recipient.
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Receiving: purchase invoices arrive inside the software, ready to be booked.
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Archiving: documents stay accessible and time stamped in case of an audit.
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Fallback: when a customer is not reachable on the network yet, email takes over.
Assessing a tool in five minutes
The words Peppol certified appear on plenty of websites, including those of vendors that merely generate a file. Here is the grid we suggest you apply to Novadesko and to its competitors, Billit and the rest.
A clear answer to these six questions is worth more than a logo on a home page.
Six questions to ask before signing
| Question |
Good answer |
| Do you transmit through a Peppol access point? |
Yes, sending happens in the software with no file handling |
| Do you receive incoming invoices too? |
Yes, in a dedicated inbox |
| Which outgoing format? |
Peppol BIS 3.0, compliant with EN 16931 |
| Who creates my identifier? |
The vendor, from the software, based on the company number |
| What if my customer is not on the network? |
Email fallback, with no duplicate work |
| How many documents are included? |
A quota stated clearly in the plan |
If a vendor will not answer in writing about receiving incoming invoices, assume the feature does not exist yet.
What Novadesko does in practice
Inside the software, Peppol is not a separate module you spend an evening configuring. You create your identifier from your profile, and from then on every approved invoice offers to travel over the network whenever the recipient is registered.
Incoming invoices land in a dedicated inbox. They are read, matched to the right supplier and ready for the accounts. Anything that does not come through Peppol, a till receipt or a paper invoice, goes through the scanner that reads the document and files it.
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Create your Peppol identifier from your account, with no forms to fill in.
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Automatic conversion of every approved invoice into XML UBL following BIS 3.0.
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A Peppol inbox for purchase invoices, matched to the right supplier.
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Instant lookup in the OpenPeppol registry and in VIES before you send.
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Automatic email fallback for customers who are not on the network yet.
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Time stamped archiving of the documents you send and receive.
Switching tools without cutting the network
Many self employed people put off changing tools for fear of losing their Peppol identifier or missing invoices during the move. The mechanism is simpler than it looks: an identifier belongs to your company number, not to the software. It is registered with an access point, and that registration can be taken over by another one.
In practice the switch is prepared in a day: you open your account, you check that your identifier is active, then you tell your regular customers that nothing changes for them, since they keep using the same reference.
If you are coming from another vendor and your registration is stuck, our support team takes the case on with you instead of pointing you to a help article.
Frequently asked questions
Is Novadesko a Peppol access point?
Yes. Your invoices leave the software for the Peppol network and your suppliers' invoices arrive in your inbox. You never have to download or forward a file yourself.
How do I check that software really is Peppol certified?
Ask in writing whether transmission goes through an access point and whether receiving incoming invoices is included. Then look up a VAT number in the OpenPeppol directory: our Peppol page does it live and for free, even for a company that is not a customer.
What is the difference between Peppol certified, BIS 3.0 and EN 16931?
EN 16931 is the European standard describing what an electronic invoice must contain. Peppol BIS 3.0 applies that standard to the Peppol network. Being an access point is about transport: it is what carries the document to the recipient.
Where do I find my Peppol identifier?
In Belgium it derives from your company number, using scheme 0208. There is nothing to buy: Novadesko registers your identifier from your account in one click.
Is Peppol included in the subscription?
Yes, the network connection is included in the Novadesko plans, with a document quota shown on the pricing page. There is no separate Peppol module to buy.
What if my customer is not on Peppol yet?
The software detects it before sending and switches automatically to email, with the same invoice. The day that customer registers, the invoice travels over the network again with nothing to change on your side.
I am coming from another tool, will I lose my identifier?
No. The identifier belongs to your company, not to the vendor. It is simply attached to a new access point during the move, and your customers keep using the same reference.
Read next
The Peppol network and the Belgian e-invoicing timetable keep evolving. This page is updated regularly, but always confirm your own situation with the FPS Finance or with your accountant.
