# Peppol BIS Guide

> What Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 is, what is inside the file, the CustomizationID and ProfileID values, how it differs from XRechnung, and how to validate and send one.

Canonical: https://www.invoqk.com/de/peppol-bis-guide

**Last updated:** October 10, 2026

A plain-English guide to Peppol BIS Billing 3.0: what the format is, what is inside the file, the CustomizationID and ProfileID values, how it differs from XRechnung, and how to validate and send one. This is general information, not tax advice.

## What is Peppol BIS?

Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 is the invoice and credit note specification of the Peppol network. BIS stands for Business Interoperability Specification. It is a structured XML file in the UBL 2.1 syntax that follows EN 16931 and adds a few Peppol rules on top. OpenPeppol maintains it.

## CustomizationID and ProfileID

- CustomizationID (BT-24): `urn:cen.eu:en16931:2017#compliant#urn:fdc:peppol.eu:2017:poacc:billing:3.0`
- ProfileID (BT-23): `urn:fdc:peppol.eu:2017:poacc:billing:01:1.0`

## Who uses it?

Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 is the current Peppol invoice specification. Belgium uses Peppol for domestic B2B invoices since January 1, 2026. Public-sector buyers in several European countries require it. In Germany it counts as an EN 16931 e-invoice, but German public bodies expect XRechnung.

## Peppol BIS or XRechnung?

| | Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 | XRechnung |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Maintained by | OpenPeppol | KoSIT |
| Syntax | UBL 2.1 only | UBL 2.1 or UN/CEFACT CII |
| Routing | BT-10 or BT-13, plus endpoint IDs BT-34 and BT-49 | BT-10, Leitweg-ID for public bodies |
| Rules | EN 16931 plus PEPPOL-EN16931-R | EN 16931 plus BR-DE |

## Validation and the XSD

Structure is checked against the OASIS UBL 2.1 XSD. There is no separate Peppol XSD. Business rules are published as Schematron: EN 16931 and Peppol rules.

## How do I send one?

1. Collect the receiver's Peppol participant ID.
2. Create the invoice with both electronic addresses and a buyer or order reference.
3. Export it as Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 XML.
4. Validate it.
5. Send it through a Peppol access point.
6. Keep the original XML.

## Common reasons it is rejected

- Wrong or missing CustomizationID or ProfileID
- Missing electronic address (BT-34 or BT-49)
- No buyer reference (BT-10) or order reference (BT-13)
- VAT amounts that do not add up
- Unknown unit code or missing VAT category code
- A PDF sent instead of the XML

## Create a Peppol BIS invoice with Invoqk

Paste your job description or email, review the invoice, then export Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 XML. The file is validated before download. Peppol, XRechnung and ZUGFeRD export is free with an account.

## Sources

- OpenPeppol, Peppol BIS Billing 3.0: docs.peppol.eu/poacc/billing/3.0
- Peppol Directory: directory.peppol.eu
- OASIS, Universal Business Language 2.1
- EN 16931, European Committee for Standardization

## Related

- [Invoqk home](https://www.invoqk.com/de)