Send invoices
efficiently
with Scrada's API
Send invoices from cash register, web shop or invoicing system via Peppol to customers and accounting, among others!
Scrada sends invoices via Peppol to customers as well as to the accounting software.
With Scrada's API, a POS system, web shop or invoicing software can send sales invoices to companies via Peppol and to individuals by e-mail. Moreover, a copy goes to the accounting, which is automatically read into the accounting software.
Postman examples
Want to quickly see how you can use the API to search for a company on Peppol, register a company on Peppol, send invoices via Peppol, receive invoices via Peppol, etc., without having to program anything? Using the detailed examples on Postman, you can test the API without writing a single line of code.
2 versions of the API
Peppol Only API
- This allows you to send invoices from the name of any company you wish to any company on Peppol.
- Peppol functionalities:
- API where you deliver a Peppol BIS V3 file and we place it on Peppol from any company to any other company
- API where you deliver a JSON file and we convert it to Peppol BIS V3 and place it on the Peppol network. This can be done from any company to any other company.
- API to check whether a company is on Peppol or not. If not, you cannot send an invoice to this company via Peppol.
- API to check the status of an invoice or a webhook that can be called up when the status of an invoice changes
- API to request sent UBL files (can be useful if you send JSON to Scrada)
- The forwarded UBL is available from us for up to 3 months. We are still looking into whether there are parties that would like to have this for 10 years. So let us know if you would like this, but please note that this would involve additional costs.
- API to register a company to receive invoices via Peppol
- API to request received invoices or webhook for new invoices or email
- API to request a PDF of the received invoice. Scrada will generate a PDF based on the content of the received invoice.
- In addition to the API, there is also a portal available for you to check everything and follow up if necessary
- The advantage of the Peppol Only version is that you do not have to create every company you want to send invoices to in Scrada.
- Self-billing will also be supported in the coming months.
- As the sender, you are responsible for checking that you have permission to send invoices from the company you are sending them from. If you want to receive invoices, you must have permission from the company to register it on Peppol for receiving purchase invoices.
- Can only be purchased by developers.
Full version API
- Same functionality as Peppol Only version but with the following extras:
- For each company, you can set which accounting program the data should be delivered to. For online accounting programs, there is a direct link. For offline accounting programs, the data is delivered to the server so that it can be imported. Delivery to pre-accounting programs is also possible.
- Each company must be created in Scrada because you need to be able to set which accounting program to send to.
- If delivery via Peppol is not possible, it can be delivered by email on behalf of the supplier.
- Sales invoices can only be submitted via Scrada JSON. Submission via UBL is not possible.
- Can be used by anyone.
Why use Scrada to send invoices via Peppol to customer and accounting?
With one API call, you send an invoice to Scrada. Scrada will then send this invoice to the customer via Peppol (for companies) or e-mail (for individuals). The invoice is also forwarded to the accounting software. No need to implement Peppol yourself, set up e-mail servers or create links to accounting software.
Experiences
Laurens Van de Velde
Managing Director Touch Systems
Marc De Schaepmeester
(co)Director XerXes
Getting started with Peppol
What is Peppol?
Peppol is short for Pan-European Public Procurement Online and is a secure, closed network through which digital documents such as invoices can be sent.
Despite having the word European in its name, Peppol has become an international network that includes countries outside Europe.
Why to send invoices with Peppol?
From 1/1/2026, it will be mandatory in Belgium to send invoices to VAT-registered Belgian customers via Peppol. From then on, it will no longer be allowed to send paper or e-mail invoices to your customers.
Sending invoices to the government or local authorities must already be done via the Peppol network for a while.
Another advantage of Peppol is that you can be sure that the invoice has been forwarded to your customer. Invoices can no longer be in the mail’s spam folder or lost in the mail.
What is a Peppol Access Point?
A Peppol Access Point acts as a gateway to the Peppol network. Through the Peppol network, invoices can be sent securely from one Access Point to another.
To receive invoices via Peppol, a company must be registered with 1 Peppol Access Point. This cannot be multiple. For sending invoices, this can be done via any Access Point.
So, your programme can perfectly send invoices to Scrada (which Scrada then puts on the Peppol network) even if your customer does not receive purchase invoices in your programme.
You must regard this like e-mail functions. The e-mail that you receive is with 1 party (you should view it with gmail, outlook, telenet, …) but you can send e-mails through different parties, and they will be delivered where the e-mail address is registered.
Many accounting programmes or pre-accounting systems register their customer on the Peppol network so they can receive purchase invoices. If you want to change your accounting programme then you are going to have to ask your previous accounting programme to deregister you there so that the new accounting programme can register you on the Peppol network. This is only for invoices that you wish to receive. This does not need to be done for invoices that you send via the Peppol network.
In Belgium, companies are registered at a certain Peppol Access Point via their company number and possibly VAT number.
Why is it convenient to have your own Peppol Access Point?
The advantage of being an Access Point yourself is that you don’t have to pay any fees to a third party and you can control everything yourself.
At Peppol, they often make the comparison with how e-mail works. This can also be applied here. Why not be an e-mail provider yourself?
Why is it not convenient to have your own Peppol Access Point?
If you wish to be your own Peppol Access Point, you need to do the following things:
- Be a member of OpenPeppol, which is not free of charge.
- Depending on which countries you operate in, you also need to comply with certain guidelines, such as having a certain ISO standard, but sometimes you also need to send additional data to governments.
- You need to create or buy/rent the software to be an Access Point.
- Software also needs to be maintained.
- You need infrastructure to run this.
- …
As you can see, you need to comply with many things to be an Access Point, which only becomes profitable if you have enough customers and people.
What is PEPPOL BIS V3 and EN16931?
EN 16931 is the European standard that defines a standard invoice (eInvoicing standard). It includes what data the invoice must contain. Just like a paper invoice, it also defines that it should contain a date, total amount including VAT, … This standard does not define the syntax of the electronic invoice. There are currently 2 syntaxes that comply with this standard. Namely UBL (Universal Business Language) and UN/CEFACT CII (UN/CEFACT Cross Industry Invoice).
UBL stands for Universal Business Language and is an XML file for electronic invoicing. It is used by the PEPPOL network, among others, to send invoices but can also be used as an attachment to an e-mail. A computer can very easily read a UBL file and use it to make entries in an accounting programme. No OCR or interpretation of a PDF document is needed anymore. Every Belgian accounting program can read UBL files.
PEPPOL BIS is the specification used to send invoices via the PEPPOL network. PEPPOL BIS complies with EN 16931 and uses UBL. The V3 represents the version being used. In the future, V3 will be replaced by V4 and so there will be a PEPPOL BIS V4 to be used, … .
What is the difference between the Scrada API and other APIs?
With most other vendors offering APIs to send invoices via Peppol, you still have to write a lot of logic yourself:
- Should the invoice be sent via Peppol?
- What if the customer is not on Peppol?
- What about individuals?
- What as of 2026 if a VAT-registered customer has to get an invoice via Peppol and the customer is not on Peppol?
- The invoice has been forwarded to the customer, but it has yet to enter the company’s own accounts.
- ….
Scrada does all these things for you, you just need to forward the invoice!
Why choose Scrada as a Peppol Certified Access Point?
- We are certified by Peppol to post and receive documents on the Peppol network
- We comply with strict standards and quality criteria
- Thanks to our API, our software integrates effortlessly with yours
- Possible to also track everything via the portal
- Received/sent invoices remain visible for 45 days, with the option to keep them for 10 years as well
- Receive notifications via webhook, API or e-mail
- In addition to API, you can also communicate with our Access Point via e-mail
Our team of experts is ready to help you with the integration. Contact us for questions or additional information.
How does Scrada's API work?
Scrada’s API is a REST API where you send the invoice through one method and Scrada does the rest. There is no need to first create customers, register yourself on Peppol, etc. What else should happen to the invoice can be set in Scrada.
Electronic invoicing/e-invoicing possible via Scrada API?
With 1 API call, you can send your sales invoices via Peppol (which is required starting 1/1/2026 to VAT-registered customers in Belgium) or deliver them via e-mail. This way, you can easily send electronic invoices.
Scrada Peppol Certified Access Point Provider
To send or receive e-invoices through Peppol, you need to register with a Certified Peppol Access Point. Scrada now makes that possible for you too. We meet the highest standards for secure and reliable electronic data exchange.
