Using Peppol References With Invoices in Enlivy

What Is Peppol?

Peppol (Pan-European Public Procurement OnLine) is a secure, standardized network used for exchanging electronic documents, especially e-invoices, between businesses and government institutions across Europe and beyond.

Rather than sending PDFs or paper invoices, Peppol enables organizations to exchange structured XML documents in a unified digital format, following legal and tax-compliant requirements in participating countries.

Originally developed by the European Commission, Peppol is now used in over 30 countries, including all EU member states, the UK, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.

When invoicing public institutions or working with clients who require standardized e-invoicing (especially across the EU), Peppol integration becomes essential. Enlivy supports Peppol-compatible invoicing by allowing you to include specific fields in your invoice that will be automatically included in the exported Peppol XML.

Why Use Peppol?

Using Peppol offers several benefits, particularly if your business:

• Sells to public institutions or governments
• Works across borders within the EU
• Wants faster, more secure, and automation-ready invoicing

Key Benefits:

• Compliance with public procurement laws – In many EU countries, Peppol is mandatory for invoices to government agencies.
• Faster payment processing – Structured invoices can be automatically validated, reducing errors and speeding up approvals.
• Secure data exchange – Invoices are transmitted through authorized Access Points, reducing the risk of fraud or data leaks.
• Cross-border interoperability – Send and receive e-invoices easily across different countries and platforms.

Peppol Fields Available in Enlivy

When creating an Internal Invoice in Enlivy, you’ll find optional fields that enable you to embed Peppol-compliant references into your invoice data. These will automatically be included in the exported Peppol XML, ensuring your invoice is accepted by recipients on the Peppol network. If you’re new to invoice creation in Enlivy, check out our step-by-step guide on creating an internal invoice before continuing with the Peppol-specific fields.

Enlivy supports Peppol by embedding relevant fields directly into the invoice form, making it easier to stay compliant and professional when working with government entities or modern clients who require digital invoicing standards.

These fields are optional for most businesses but may be required for government contracts, tenders, or B2G transactions in certain countries.

Below, we’ll explain each Peppol-specific reference field available during invoice creation:

Peppol Project Reference

Field name: peppol_project_reference
Label in form: Has Project Reference
Tooltip/Info Text: “This will also be added to the Peppol XML and is generally used with government contracts.”

When to Use It:

Use this field when the invoice is related to a specific government project or public procurement contract. The project reference helps the recipient (usually a public institution) match your invoice to the correct internal project.

Peppol Purchase Order Reference

Field name: peppol_purchase_order_reference
Label in form: Has Purchase Order Reference
Tooltip/Info Text: “This will be added to the Peppol XML and is generally used for government contracts. This can also reference the sales request in certain countries.”

When to Use It:

This is the most commonly required field in Peppol-compliant invoices. It links your invoice to a purchase order (PO) issued by the client.

In some countries, especially in the EU, it may be mandatory to include this when invoicing public entities. In others, it may also reference the original sales request or customer order, even for private clients using structured procurement processes.

Example Use Case:

A government agency sends you a purchase order for office furniture (PO #1234-GOV). You must include this reference in your invoice to ensure correct processing.

Peppol Sales Order Reference

Field name: peppol_sales_order_reference
Label in form: Has Sales Order Reference
Tooltip/Info Text: “This will also be added to the Peppol XML and is generally used for government contracts.”

When to Use It:

Use this field if your internal process or the client’s system requires a sales order number to be included for reconciliation or tracking purposes. It’s less commonly required than the purchase order reference but may still be needed in structured invoicing flows.

Example Use Case:

If your internal system or the client’s procurement platform issued a sales order (SO #5678), you can add it here to reflect the relationship between the sale and the invoice.

Field	XML Tag (Peppol)	Common Use Case	Required?
Project Reference	<ProjectReference>	Government project ID	Sometimes required
Purchase Order Reference	<OrderReference>	PO number from the client (often public)	Often required
Sales Order Reference	<SalesOrderReference>	Internal or external sales order number	Occasionally used

Best Practices

• Always confirm with your client whether a project, PO, or SO reference is required.
• Use accurate and exact codes, mismatches can result in rejected or unpaid invoices in some systems.
• These references are especially important when invoicing through Peppol to government or institutional buyers.