How to choose your PEPPOL access point in Belgium

When you send a Belgian PEPPOL invoice, it doesn't travel directly to your client. It goes through a PEPPOL access point — a registered service provider certified to inject and receive documents on the network. Your invoicing software either is an access point, or connects to one on your behalf.

This distinction matters more than most tools admit. Here's what to check before committing.

What a PEPPOL access point actually does

Two jobs:

Sending: takes your UBL invoice, signs it, delivers it to the recipient's access point through the PEPPOL SMP/SML infrastructure.
Receiving: listens for inbound invoices addressed to your VAT number, verifies them, and hands them to your software.

Every Belgian VAT number can only be registered with one PEPPOL access point at a time. That's a network rule, not a limitation of any specific tool. It means switching providers requires deregistering from the old one first.

Three questions before choosing

1. Are they a certified access point, or are they reselling?

Both models are legal. But a reseller adds a layer between you and the network — meaning slower support when something breaks, and less transparency about delivery status. Ask directly.

2. What's their uptime and delivery reliability?

PEPPOL is production infrastructure. If your access point has downtime, your invoices don't reach clients — and the tax authority doesn't care about the excuse. A serious provider publishes uptime numbers.

3. How easy is it to leave?

Some providers make deregistration painful. On DEMFACT, deleting a company from your account triggers automatic deregistration from the PEPPOL network — no email chain, no support ticket, no waiting. The VAT number is free to re-register within minutes.

How DEMFACT handles this

DEMFACT is not itself the underlying network operator — it uses a certified Belgian PEPPOL access point in the background. What you get:

Automatic registration when you validate your VAT at signup — no manual step
Live delivery status — "sent", "accepted by network", "delivered to recipient"
Automatic deregistration if you decide to leave — a single click in "My companies → Delete"
Full network reach — Belgian public administrations (Mercurius), private businesses in all EU member states, and the growing international PEPPOL network

What to do if you're already registered elsewhere

If you've already tested another provider or used one briefly:

Deregister with the old provider first (usually a support request or account closure)
Wait a few minutes for the network to update
Register with your new provider — on DEMFACT, this is automatic when you validate your VAT

If your VAT number appears "already registered" at DEMFACT signup, contact support@demfact.com. Support will guide you through the switch, usually resolved within one business day.

Bottom line

Choosing a PEPPOL access point is a real decision, but not an irreversible one. What matters is that the provider is certified, that support responds, and that leaving is as easy as joining. Everything else is negotiable.