Sending Documents via Peppol
With onFact, next to sending documents via email, you can also send them over the PEPPOL network. PEPPOL is a network set up by the European Union for the exchange of electronic invoices or e-invoices.
PEPPOL can be compared to email: every company can register for a PEPPOL address to which invoices can be sent and received in a company inbox. Exchanging invoices via this channel has two important advantages for both parties:
Invoices can be processed automatically by software programmes;
there's a solid proof of delivery, which rules out any discussion on whether an invoice has been delivered or not.
Registering to the PEPPOL network
In order to receive/send e-invoices via the PEPPOL network, your company must be registered or be known on this network. onFact handles this automatically: your PEPPOL address is generated based on the company enterprise number or VAT number you entered in the tab 'Company Information' in your account.
Sending e-invoices via PEPPOL
To send e-invoices via PEPPOL, you don't have to do anything special: you create an invoice in onFact the way you normally would. You can also send an already existing invoice, created in onFact, again via PEPPOL.
In the summary screen of the invoice, an additional box will appear above the timeline; there you can see whether or not your customer is registered on the PEPPOL network and is able to accept your invoice.
To send an invoice via PEPPOL, your customer's VAT number or enterprise number must always be entered in the invoicing details. Thus, you cannot send e-invoices via PEPPOL to private customers without VAT or enterprise numbers.
If your customer is detected on the PEPPOL network, the blue 'Actions' button will reveal the option to 'Send via PEPPOL'. If the customer is not detected on PEPPOL, you will see a notification about that and will only be able to send by email or mail using the 'Actions' button.
It is not necessary to add any accompanying text to the PEPPOL e-mail like an e-mail. Sending the document is sufficient.
After refreshing the window, you will immediately see confirmation that the customer has received the invoice through the PEPPOL network:
Adding Attachments to Peppol Transmissions
If you want to send an e-invoice via Peppol, you can also add attachments to it.
Merging attachments with the PDF preview
In onFact, you can include an uploaded attachment as part of your invoice’s PDF preview. This is already possible if you upload the attachment as a PDF file. Read here how to do that:
For example, an invoice to which you’ve added your terms and conditions as a PDF file in this way will be sent with this attachment included. onFact sends this combined PDF as an attachment with your e-invoice.
Sending Attachments Separately with Your E-Invoice
It’s also possible to upload and send a specific attachment that relates only to, for example, a single invoice. You can upload that attachment in the “Attachments” tab on your invoice. Here’s how to do it:
You can also send this attachment along with your invoice via Peppol. At the bottom of your e-invoice’s send window, you’ll see the word “Attachments.” If you click on it, you’ll see a list of available attachments that you’ve either uploaded as a general account attachment or specifically for your invoice.
Did you have the attachment “merged” with your invoice? If so, it’s already included in the e-invoice attachment.
Do you want to send the attachment separately? If so, a selection window will appear where you can check the box next to the attachment(s).
Please note: For submissions via Peppol, only the following file formats can be uploaded as attachments: PDF, XLSX, CSV, JPG, and PNG.
Sending via an Alternative PEPPOL Identifier
By default, onFact will suggest sending the invoice using your customer’s VAT number or business registration number. Has your customer specified that you should send the invoice using a “GLN number,” or do you want to send an invoice to a foreign customer? That’s possible.
You can send an e-invoice via PEPPOL using various “schemas.” Examples include VAT number (BE:VAT), GLN number (GLN), etc. In onFact, you can select different schemas to send the invoice according to the PEPPOL identifier you received from your customer.
Example: Sending via GLN Number
A GLN number is used by organizations that, for example, have only one VAT number but operate multiple entities. A hospital group, for instance, may use a different GLN number for each location to ensure that invoices are sent to the correct location. Instead of sending via the VAT number, you will then send to a GLN number.
To do this, click the arrow on the right side of the “Schema” field. This will open a drop-down list.
One of the options available in the menu is “GLN.” Click on that line to select the schedule.
In the “Identifier” field, you can then enter the number you received from your customer. onFact also allows you to save this alternative PEPPOL address in this customer’s customer record. When sending new invoices in the future, onFact will automatically suggest the GLN number for PEPPOL transmission, instead of, for example, the VAT number. To do this, check the “Save to customer record” box.
Click the green “Send” button to send the invoice to your customer using the GLN number.
Example: Shipping to an International Customer
When shipping to a Belgian customer, onFact automatically suggests the PEPPOL schema associated with the customer’s company number or VAT number.
By selecting “Show schedules for all countries,” you can view multiple options and, for example, select a Danish schedule for a Danish customer.
Special Information Fields
The creation and transmission of an e-invoice follow established standards. This means you cannot simply include relevant information in “any” available onFact field. For example, customers may ask you to include a PO number, order reference, or order number on your sales invoice. To ensure the e-invoice is correctly processed by your customer’s software, you must enter this number in the “correct” field. onFact therefore provides a number of standardized fields.
Order Reference
When creating a sales invoice, you’ll see an “Order Reference” field at the bottom. This is where you can enter a reference to a PO number or order number. By entering this as a separate field on the onFact documents, it can be sent in a structured manner via PEPPOL.
“Peppol” Tab on a Sales Invoice
In the “Peppol” tab of a sales invoice, onFact provides a few additional fields that can be filled in optionally. These are not required; however, if your customer requests specific details to be included (e.g., contract number), you can add them in the additional fields shown below. This ensures they are sent correctly via Peppol.
Overview of Documents Sent via Peppol
Click the envelope icon in the upper-right corner of the onFact interface to view an overview of documents received and sent in your onFact account. Click the envelope in the upper-right corner, next to your email address, to view your inbox. You can find the documents you’ve sent from onFact via Peppol under the “Sent” tab.
On this page, you can also check whether an attachment to your Peppol document was sent correctly. To do so, click the blue “View” button to view the details of your submission.
onFact displays the details of the sent document. At the bottom of the page, you'll also see a PDF preview of the sent document. Under the “Attachments” heading, you can see which attachments were sent along with the e-invoice.
Last updated
Was this helpful?