Starting January 1, 2026, electronic invoices (e-invoices) will become mandatory for all B2B transactions in Belgium. Belgium will use the Peppol framework, which is already used for B2G electronic invoicing and transactions, to comply with the European standard EN 16931. This change applies to all companies registered for VAT in Belgium.
Due to this change, you will be able to collect all invoices for iBanFirst services via the Peppol platform in addition to the iBanFirst platform.
What is Peppol?
Peppol is a secure international network that allows companies and governments to send and receive electronic documents, including e-invoices, in a standardised, reliable way. It ensures invoices are sent in the same digital format everywhere through a secure, controlled network.
What is e-invoicing?
With e-invoicing, invoices are created, sent, and received electronically using structured data formats. PDF invoices sent by email are not considered e-invoicing in the truest sense, and will eventually become invalid.
True e-invoicing automates the invoicing process by exchanging data directly between systems. Rather than requiring manual data entry, your financial systems read all of the relevant invoice details for you, with the data flowing directly from your supplier's system into yours. While you may still validate invoices and handle exceptions, the manual data entry work is eliminated.
How will you collect your monthly invoices from iBanFirst starting January 2026?
Your invoices will be available in two formats:
In PDF format on the iBanFirst platform (same as before)
In XML format on the Peppol platform
What are the advantages of e-invoicing?
Faster payment collection, because the approval and payment process is quicker.
Fewer errors, such as lost invoices or data errors.
Better communication between the buyer and the supplier makes it easier to find and resolve issues and pay on time.
Better cash-flow visibility, since your clients can track the status of invoices and payments in real time.
Less invoice fraud because electronic invoices are sent through the secure Peppol network. They are encrypted and cannot be intercepted.