# Peppol explained for businesses

Peppol is infrastructure and a rule set for exchanging electronic business documents, including e-invoices. It is not the same as UBL: UBL describes the XML structure of invoice data, while Peppol adds rules for exchange and the invoice profile used.

## UBL and Peppol at a glance

| Question | UBL | Peppol |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | An XML structure for business documents | Infrastructure and rules for exchange |
| What does it solve? | Recording invoice data in machine-readable form | Exchanging e-invoices between sender and recipient |
| Is it accounting software? | No | No |
| Is a PDF the same thing? | No | No |
| SnelUBL's role | Convert source invoices to UBL 2.1 or UBL 2.3 | No claim of full Peppol delivery or profile validation |

## When does a business encounter Peppol?

1. For e-invoices to Dutch government organizations, where B2G e-invoicing is already required.
2. For business invoices in Belgium, where B2B e-invoicing through Peppol has been mandatory since 1 January 2026.
3. When a customer or accounting package requests an invoice through Peppol.
4. While preparing for the Dutch government's plan for mandatory B2B e-invoicing from 1 July 2030.

Always check the customer's delivery instructions and the capabilities of your accounting package. SnelUBL helps during the transition when suppliers still send PDFs, DOCX files, scans or photos: those source files are converted to UBL and you can review and correct the data.

## What SnelUBL does and does not do

SnelUBL creates validated UBL 2.1 and UBL 2.3 XML. Its built-in and free browser validator performs a basic check, but does not claim full EN 16931 or Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 Schematron validation. SnelStart has direct export; for six other supported packages, download the UBL file.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Peppol the same as UBL?

No. UBL is the structure of the document; Peppol is the infrastructure and rule set for exchange.

### Is Peppol accounting software?

No. Your accounting package may support Peppol, but Peppol itself is not accounting software.

### Is Peppol mandatory in the Netherlands?

E-invoicing to Dutch government organizations is already required. The Dutch government plans mandatory B2B e-invoicing from 1 July 2030, but the law has not yet been enacted.

### Is Peppol mandatory in Belgium?

Yes. B2B e-invoicing through Peppol has been mandatory in Belgium since 1 January 2026.

### Does SnelUBL create Peppol invoices?

SnelUBL creates UBL 2.1 and UBL 2.3. Separately check the Peppol profile and delivery requirements that apply to your recipient.

### Can I use a PDF when my supplier does not yet send an e-invoice?

Yes. SnelUBL converts PDF, DOCX and image invoices to UBL, reducing manual retyping.

Read next: [UBL versions and Peppol BIS](/en/ubl-vs-peppol.html), [e-invoicing in Belgium](/en/e-invoicing-belgium-2026.html) and [the Dutch 2030 plan](/en/e-invoicing-netherlands-2030.html).

Last updated: 2 October 2026.