Peppol connectivity clarification

clancger

Dear FIRS-MBS team,

Can you please point me at the documentation on how to leverage Peppol (network, and XML) with your flows?
We have been globally active as Peppol Providers for many years, but apart from some mentions in the documentation, I've not been able to figure out what we need to do.

#Peppol

SysAdmin

Dear Clancger,

Thank you for your inquiry.

Please note that the PEPPOL network can only be leveraged for cross-border invoice exchange where the Accounting Buyer Party is a registered PEPPOL participant and possesses a valid Participant ID. In scenarios where the buyer is not PEPPOL-enabled, the local invoice exchange mechanism provided through the FIRS platform will be sufficient. This functionality is fully documented under the Exchange Endpoint in the API Documentation.

As an Access Point Provider (APP), you are enabled to perform a Lookup operation using the Invoice Reference Number (IRN). The Lookup Endpoint returns essential metadata, including the recipient’s registered APP and if applicable, their PEPPOL Participant ID. This information is then used to determine the appropriate routing for invoice transmission, whether locally or across the PEPPOL network.

Additionally, please note that our platform supports both XML and JSON payload formats for flexibility in integration.

clancger

Dear FIRS-MBS team,

I understand from your message that Peppol can only be used for cross border trade, where the buyer is already on Peppol.
Does that mean Peppol can only be used where a Nigerian-registered entity is selling to a foreign Peppol-registered buyer, meaning the Invoice can be sent via Peppol?
What about a case where a Nigeria-registered entity is buying from a foreign Peppol-registered seller, and they want to send the invoice via Peppol?

What I'm unclear on is how does FIRS interact with Peppol, of is that expected to be an entirely unconnected process?

When you say the IRN is to be used to perform Lookup, only then can it be determined if Peppol can be used or not?

On the topic of the payload, can you please share a sample of a full Peppol UBL XML payload that is considered valid for Nigeria, as I can only see snippets of json in the documentation, which is not used in Peppol network at all.

Thanks

SysAdmin

Dear Clancger,

Please find our responses below:

Does that mean Peppol can only be used where a Nigerian-registered entity is selling to a foreign Peppol-registered buyer, meaning the Invoice can be sent via Peppol?
Yes, that is correct. In this case, the invoice can be transmitted via the Peppol network, provided the buyer is a registered Peppol participant with a valid Participant ID.
What about a case where a Nigeria-registered entity is buying from a foreign Peppol-registered seller, and they want to send the invoice via Peppol?
For such transactions, we recommend using the MBS e-Invoice Exchange Engine to ensure complete transaction visibility and compliance with Nigerian regulations.
In Nigeria, all entities are required to maintain an e-Invoice as proof of income and expense. While our solution is Peppol-ready, Nigeria is still in the process of completing its formal registration with Peppol.
Until this is finalized, transactions occurring solely within the Peppol network will have limited visibility in the FIRS system.
What I'm unclear on is how does FIRS interact with Peppol, of is that expected to be an entirely unconnected process?
This depends on your implementation as a Service Provider (SP).
Several Peppol-certified Access Point Providers (APPs) have implemented the necessary protocols to meet their clients’ needs while maintaining compliance with Nigerian requirements.
Integration is seamless because the Merchant Buyer Solution (MBS) is based on the Universal Business Language (UBL) standard, ensuring inherent interoperability with Peppol’s UBL-based specifications.
When you say the IRN is to be used to perform Lookup, only then can it be determined if Peppol can be used or not?
Not exactly. You can profile your client’s customers in advance to determine which transactions should be routed via the Peppol network and which should be sent through the MBS e-Invoice Interchange Engine.
However, for a specific invoice, the Invoice Reference Number (IRN) can be used to retrieve routing metadata, which will indicate whether the transaction should flow through Peppol or MBS.
On the topic of the payload, can you please share a sample of a full Peppol UBL XML payload that is considered valid for Nigeria, as I can only see snippets of json in the documentation, which is not used in Peppol network at all?
Yes. A full sample (JSON/XML) is available in our Postman collection. Please refer to the collection here. https://documenter.getpostman.com/view/38144164/2sAXqtagFx_