Overview
Belgium is implementing mandatory electronic invoicing (e-invoicing) as part of its digital transformation initiative. This regulatory change will impact how businesses send and receive invoices, requiring compliance with specific formats and processes through the Peppol network.
How to register Spendesk as your Peppol Access Point ?
You are now able to registrer Spendesk as your Peppol Access Point and create your Participant ID.
To activate your PEPPOL Participant ID and be ready for January 1, 2026, please reach out to your CS with the following information:
Company information
**BCE Number** (Crossroads Bank for Enterprises): [10 digits]
**Belgian VAT Number**: BE + 10 digits
**Registered office address**: Street, postal code, city
**Legal company name**: As registered with BCE
Business contact
**Full name**: Finance/Accounting Manager
**Business email**:
**Phone number**:
**Preferred language**: French / Dutch / English
Reception preferences
**Document types**: Invoices only OR Invoices + Credit note
Required Formats and Spendesk Support
Formats Required by Belgian Law:
Spendesk is already supporting XML format for e-invoice, you can test it by uploading any XML invoice when creating an Invoice Request, Spendesk will upload, parse and display a PDF format of your invoice.
UBL (Universal Business Language) - XML-based format for structured invoices
Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 - The standardized Peppol invoice format based on European Norm (EN) 16931
What This Means in Spendesk:
Structured Data Import - Invoices received via Peppol will automatically populate all relevant fields (supplier information, amounts, VAT, line items) in Spendesk
Automatic Validation - Invoice data will be validated against Belgian regulatory requirements
Digital Archive - All e-invoices will be stored in their original structured format for audit compliance
Peppol Identifier - Invoices received through Peppol will be marked with a Peppol logo for easy identification
Credit Note Support - Credit notes received via Peppol will be processed as Spendesk Credit Note that need to be link to an existing Spendesk Invoice
What Spendesk Supports:
✓ Receiving Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 format invoices
✓ Automatic data extraction and validation
✓ Integration with your existing approval workflows
✓ Compliant archiving of structured e-invoices and credit notes
Spendesk Payment Methods Impacted
💡 Our approach is to embed e-invoicing in your current Spendesk Product Flows, you don't need to change your current configuration.
Every e-invoice from any Spendesk Payment Method is received within the Shared inbox and assigned to an employee to take necessary action.
The following Spendesk payment methods are affected by Belgium e-invoicing regulations:
📄 Supplier Invoices To Pay
✨ Highlights
Received in Spendesk Inbox with "E-invoice" and "To Pay" tags
Submitted into usual invoice approval workflow based on selected analytics
How It Works:
Invoices received from suppliers via Peppol are automatically created in Spendesk Inbox
All structured data will be pre-filled (thanks to structured regulatory format), reducing manual entry → OCR will be replaced for this format
Invoice can be assigned to an employee who can either:
If the invoice is a duplicate (already submitted manually):
Refuse the invoice
It will automatically move to the History tab for your records
If the invoice is new:
Submit it as usual
It will enter the standard invoice approval workflow
Can be paid via wire transfer or direct debit
💳 Invoices Paid with Spendesk Cards
✨ Highlights
Received in Spendesk Inbox with "Receipt" and "Paid" tags
E-invoice automatically attached to the corresponding card transaction in "All Payments" based on card number (last 4 digits), amount, supplier, and transaction/invoice date
Cardholder is notified and can unlink E-receipt if needed
E-invoice moves automatically to History tab under section "Attached to card payment" , where user can be redirected to the attached transaction
Virtual Cards - Single-Use, Multi-use & Recurring
Physical Cards
How It Works:
Employee uses a Spendesk card to make a B2B domestic expense
Supplier sends an e-invoice through Peppol (as required by Belgian law)
The invoice is received in Spendesk Inbox with the "Receipt" and "Paid" tags
The invoice is automatically attached to the corresponding transaction in All Expenses > All Payments
The cardholder is notified about the auto-attachment
The invoice moves to the History tab in the Inbox
The Peppol invoice becomes the official document for accounting and compliance
Note: Some suppliers may send the Peppol invoice before or after the card payment is processed. Spendesk's matching algorithm handkes both scenarios.
💰 Invoices Paid with Employee Funds: Expense Claims
✨ Highlights
Employee creates a reimbursement request in Spendesk, uploading the paper receipt and filling all mandatory fields
Corresponding E-invoice is received in Spendesk Inbox with "Receipt" and "Paid" tags, and is automatically assigned to the Requester of the corresponding Expense Claim based on:
Invoice amount
Supplier name
Invoice date
Employee is notified and confirms attachment to the corresponding Expense Claim
How It Works:
Employee pays a B2B supplier with personal funds (e.g., conference registration, business travel)
Employee submits a pre-reimbursement request in Spendesk entering the necessarily details for auto-matching
Supplier sends e-invoice through Peppol to your company
Spendesk matches the Peppol invoice to the existing reimbursement request
The reimbursement is linked to the compliant e-invoice for accounting purposes
Employee is reimbursed, and the proper e-invoice is archived
Workaround if auto-assignment fails:
Controller selects Paid using: "Personal money"
Controller selects "Attach to an existing reimbursement"
Controller selects the corresponding expense claim, among the list of all expense claims displayed
Important Considerations:
Employees should reference the supplier's Peppol ID or invoice number when submitting reimbursements for B2B expenses
For recurring reimbursements (e.g., monthly parking, business travel subscriptions), each Peppol invoice will be matched to the corresponding reimbursement
The Peppol e-invoice serves as the official document for tax and accounting, while the employee's receipt serves as proof of payment
🧾 Credit Notes
✨ Highlights
Received in Spendesk Inbox with "Credit note" and "Paid" tags
Submitted into usual credit note workflow based on selected analytics
How It Works:
Supplier issues a credit note via Peppol (e.g., for returned goods, pricing corrections, or invoice cancellations)
Credit note arrives in Spendesk inbox with the right e-invoice type
The assigned employee can submit within the usual credit note approval workflow
The credit note can be linked to an existing invoice and reduces your payables
Both original invoice and credit note are archived for compliance
📋 E-Invoice Display Formats
When you receive an electronic invoice through Peppol, the PDF you see in your Inbox depends on what the supplier provides:
📄 With embedded PDF:
You'll see the supplier's original PDF with their branding and layout
The XML file is automatically attached for compliance
📄 Without embedded PDF:
Spendesk automatically generates a standardized PDF displaying all invoice data
The original XML file is attached to the generated PDF
💡 Both formats are fully compliant and work identically in Spendesk - all data is extracted from the XML structure.
Invoice Lifecycle for Belgium E-Invoicing [🚀 Coming Soon]
When you receive an e-invoice through Peppol in Spendesk, it will go through the following statuses:
Received (AB) - The invoice arrives via the Peppol network and is automatically imported into Spendesk
Accepted (AP) - The invoice has been approved and is ready for payment processing
Rejected (RE) - The invoice has been rejected, supplier will need to provide a new e-invoice