Think your invoicing method is free? Think again.
Every month, thousands of Belgian businesses lose money without realizing it. Not because of bad products or difficult clients — but because of their invoicing method. Lost time, errors, payment delays, VAT fines... it all has a price. And it is much higher than you think.
We analyzed available data and calculated the true cost of invoicing for a typical Belgian business. The results are eye-opening.
The hidden cost of a paper or PDF invoice
According to the European Commission and SPF Economy, the average processing cost of a traditional invoice (paper or PDF by email) in Belgium is €12.40. This includes creation, printing/emailing, archiving, payment follow-up, error correction, and bookkeeping entry.
For a business sending 20 invoices per month, that is €248/month — or €2,976 per year. For an SME with 100 monthly invoices? €14,880 per year lost to paperwork.
The cost of an automated PEPPOL invoice
With DEMFACT, the cost drops to under €2 per invoice. Creation, delivery, archiving, VAT validation — everything is included and automated.
The saving? Over €10 per invoice. For 20 invoices per month, you save €2,400 per year.
5 invisible costs nobody calculates
1. Payment delays
In Belgium, the average B2B payment delay is 43 days (source: Graydon Belgium). With PEPPOL, the invoice arrives instantly in your client's accounting system. Result: businesses using e-invoicing get paid 8 days faster on average.
2. VAT errors
A wrong VAT rate can be expensive: administrative fines up to €2,500 per violation. DEMFACT automatically validates VAT rates and checks numbers via VIES and KBO/BCE.
3. Your accountant's time
Average Belgian accountant rate: €75-120/hour. Manual entry of 20 invoices takes about 2 hours. With PEPPOL: zero — everything is automatic. Annual savings: €1,800 to €2,880.
4. Non-compliance (from April 2026)
Since April 1st 2026, PEPPOL invoicing is mandatory for all B2B transactions in Belgium. Non-compliant businesses risk invoice rejection, fines, and exclusion from government contracts.
5. Lost clients
A client receiving a PDF invoice by email in 2026 questions your professionalism. Large companies already require PEPPOL. Not having it means losing contracts.
The final calculation
Traditional method (20 inv/month): €5,000 - 8,000 per year
DEMFACT (automated PEPPOL): €83.88 - 480 per year
Annual savings: €4,500 - 7,500
Switch in 5 minutes
- Create your account (30 seconds, Google login)
- Add your company (VAT number, automatic KBO + VIES verification)
- PEPPOL activates automatically
- Send your first invoice (2 minutes, EN 16931 compliant)
5 free invoices, no credit card, no commitment.
Sources: European Commission (e-invoicing study 2023), SPF Economy (electronic invoicing report 2025), Graydon Belgium (Payment Barometer 2025).