Best Tools for Peppol Invoice Validation and Delivery in 2026
Sending a Peppol invoice that doesn't pass validation means delivery failure, delayed payments, and compliance issues. Whether you're a developer integrating Peppol into your system, an accountant verifying invoices, or a business owner ensuring compliance, having the right validation tools is essential. Here we review the best free and paid tools for Peppol invoice validation and delivery.
Why Peppol Invoice Validation Matters
A Peppol invoice must comply with multiple layers of rules before it can be delivered through the network:
- XML Schema Validation: The invoice must be well-formed XML conforming to the UBL 2.1 schema.
- Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 rules: Business rules defined by OpenPeppol that govern the content and structure of the invoice.
- Country-specific CIUS rules: Additional rules for specific countries. For Belgium, this includes BE-specific validation rules for VAT numbers and enterprise numbers.
- Schematron validation: Technical business rule validation using Schematron files published by OpenPeppol.
An invoice that fails any of these checks will be rejected by the receiving Access Point. Validation before sending is therefore critical.
Free Online Validation Tools
Peppol Validator
peppolvalidator.com
The go-to free online validator for Peppol invoices. Simply upload your UBL XML file and get instant, detailed validation results covering XML schema, Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 business rules, and country-specific CIUS rules. Clean interface with clear error messages that help you fix issues fast.
- Instant validation with detailed error descriptions
- Covers schema, business rules, and CIUS in one pass
- No registration required
ecosio Validator
ecosio.com
One of the most comprehensive free validators available. The ecosio validator supports Peppol BIS Billing 3.0, UBL 2.1, CII, and multiple country-specific CIUS formats. Simply upload your XML file and get instant validation results with detailed error descriptions.
- Detailed error reporting with rule references
- Supports multiple e-invoicing standards
- No registration required
European Commission eInvoicing Validator
ec.europa.eu
The official European Commission validator validates e-invoices against the European Norm (EN 16931). This is the authoritative source for EU e-invoicing standard compliance and supports both UBL and CII syntaxes.
- Official EU standard validation
- EN 16931 compliance check
- UBL 2.1 and CII support
Validation APIs for Developers
If you're building a system that generates Peppol invoices, you'll want programmatic validation. These tools offer APIs for automated validation:
e-invoice.be Peppol API
docs.e-invoice.be
The e-invoice.be API provides validation, delivery, and receipt of Peppol invoices through a single REST API. Validate your invoices before sending, with detailed error messages that pinpoint exact issues in your UBL documents. SDKs available for TypeScript, Python, PHP, Java, and Ruby.
- Validation + delivery in one API
- SDKs for 5 languages
- Peppol ID lookup included
- Webhook notifications for received invoices
OpenPeppol Validation Artifacts
github.com/OpenPeppol
OpenPeppol publishes the official Schematron validation files on GitHub. You can integrate these into your own validation pipeline using tools like ph-schematron (Java) or other Schematron processors. This is the most authoritative source for validation rules.
- Official validation rules
- Self-hosted solution
- Always up to date with latest Peppol rules
Comparison Table
| Tool | Type | Price | API | Delivery | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peppol Validator | Web | Free | No | No | All-in-one validation |
| ecosio | Web | Free | No | No | Quick manual checks |
| EU Commission | Web | Free | No | No | EN 16931 compliance |
| e-invoice.be | API | Pay-per-use | Yes | Yes | Full integration |
| OpenPeppol | Library | Free | DIY | No | Self-hosted pipelines |
Common Validation Errors and How to Fix Them
Based on our experience processing thousands of invoices, here are the most common Peppol validation errors:
PEPPOL-EN16931-R004 : Tax amount mismatch
The calculated tax amount doesn't match the stated tax amount. Ensure your line-level tax calculations sum up correctly to the document-level tax total with proper rounding.
PEPPOL-EN16931-R003 : Invalid currency
All amounts in a Peppol invoice must use the same currency. Check that DocumentCurrencyCode matches the currency used in all monetary elements.
BR-BE-10 : Missing Belgian enterprise number
For Belgian invoices, the enterprise number of both buyer and seller must be included using scheme 0208. Ensure the EndpointID element uses schemeID="0208".
PEPPOL-EN16931-R080 : Missing mandatory elements
Required fields are missing. A valid Peppol invoice must include at minimum: invoice number, issue date, buyer and seller details, at least one invoice line, tax information, and payment terms.
Best Practices for Peppol Invoice Validation
- Validate before sending: Always run validation before submitting an invoice to the Peppol network. This prevents delivery failures and saves time.
- Use the latest Schematron rules: OpenPeppol updates validation rules regularly. Make sure your validation tooling uses the current version.
- Test with sample invoices: Create a set of test invoices covering different scenarios (credit notes, allowances, multiple tax rates) and validate them systematically.
- Automate validation in your pipeline: If you generate invoices programmatically, integrate validation into your CI/CD or invoice generation workflow using an API.
- Check recipient existence: Before sending, verify that the recipient is registered on the Peppol network by looking up their Peppol ID.
Validate and deliver Peppol invoices with one API
The e-invoice.be API handles validation, delivery, and receipt of Peppol invoices. Start sending compliant e-invoices today with SDKs for TypeScript, Python, PHP, Java, and Ruby.