Short answer: get a provider, not a membership

If you're a normal buyer or seller, you don't need OpenPeppol membership to send or receive Peppol invoices, which use a structured, standardized e-invoice format that moves automatically between accounting systems without anyone retyping numbers by hand. OpenPeppol says this outright: end users don't have to join anything to exchange messages on the network. The membership page repeats the same point: to send or receive documents, you need a service provider, not a membership card. Membership only becomes worth considering if your company plans to run an Access Point (the connection point that actually pushes and pulls documents on the network) for other businesses. For everyone else, including a business in Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania whose client is demanding an e-invoice, the fix is a certified provider, not a membership application.

What does a Peppol provider actually do?

An Access Point is the piece of infrastructure that physically sends and receives documents on the Peppol network. Along side it sits the SMP, or Service Metadata Publisher, a directory service that tells the network what format a given company can accept. Both roles need certification and a signed agreement with the relevant Peppol authority before anyone is allowed to offer them to other businesses.

You don't need either role yourself. Your accounting software or e-invoice operator runs them on your behalf. It works much like a mobile carrier routing your calls without you needing to join the phone company. You just need the invoice to arrive, or leave, correctly.

When does OpenPeppol membership actually matter?

Membership matters to a software company or an operator that wants to run its own Access Point or SMP. It doesn't matter to an ordinary business that's simply sending or receiving invoices. That path means going through certification and signing a Service Provider Agreement directly with the Peppol authority.

Under the fee schedule in effect from 1 July 2025, a new Access Point provider with 1–50 employees pays a €1,050 joining fee, an €1,850 annual fee, and a €1,500 certification fee. Those are provider costs, not costs of your business ever as a customer.

Can a buyer in Estonia require an e-invoice?

Yes. Since 1 July 2025, Estonia runs on a “buyer chooses” rule: any accounting entity that has publicly registered itself in the business register as an e-invoice recipient can demand an e-invoice from its supplier (Accounting Act, § 7¹ (7)). Nothing in that rule ties the buyer's right, or the seller's obligation, to OpenPeppol membership. What you need is a provider that supports the format the buyer expects, nothing more.

Do Latvia's structured invoices and VID reporting require membership?

Well, and this is where the timeline matters most right now. Latvia has required structured e-invoices for G2G, B2G and G2B transactions since 1 January 2025. .From 1 January 2026, the data from those invoices also has to be reported to the tax authority, the VID, while B2B reporting remains voluntary until the end of 2027. Domestic B2B invoicing itself becomes mandatory on 1 January 2028.

The file you need to produce is XML that conforms to the PEPPOL BIS Billing 3.0 specification: a file format standard, not a membership requirement. If you're a Latvian business bracing for the 2026 reporting deadline, the thing to line up is a provider whose software already speaks that format, not a Peppol network membership.

What does Lithuania's SABIS system require?

Lithuania replaced its older E. account system with SAB, and suppliers selling to contracting authorities now have to submit invoices through SABIS, including invoices arising from verbal agreements, regardless of the amount. A Peppol connection makes automating this a lot easier for you. It still doesn't mean every supplier touching SABIS needs to be an OpenPeppol member.

What should you check before choosing a provider?

  • Confirm exactly what your client or partner is asking for, and get their correct Peppol ID.
  • Ask whether the provider supports your country's specific format and reporting route: Estonia's e-invoice rule, Latvia's PEPPOL BIS Billing 3.0 file, or Lithuania's SABIS submission.
  • Make sure the provider handles both sending and receiving, not just one direction.
  • Test the connection with your own accounting software before you commit.
  • Skip the OpenPeppol membership fee unless you're actually planning to run an Access Point or SMP yourself. That job already belongs to your provider.

FAQ

Does a regular company need OpenPeppol membership?

No. A certified service provider is sufficient to send and receive documents on the Peppol network. OpenPeppol says that end users do not need to join the network.

When is OpenPeppol membership necessary?

Membership makes sense if the company plans to operate an Access Point or SMP itself and offer it to others. In this case, certification and a Service Provider Agreement with a Peppol authority are required.

What role does the Peppol service provider play?

The Access Point is the one who actually sends and receives documents in the Peppol network. The SMP publishes what information and what the company is willing to receive.

Does "buyer chooses" in Estonia mean that you must be an OpenPeppol member?

No. The „buyer chooses“ principle, effective from 1 July 2025, gives the buyer the right to request an e-invoice if the recipient is registered in the commercial register. The right is related to the request for an e-invoice, not to OpenPeppol membership.