e‑ordering
Peppol e‑ordering

Orders that arrive by email or PDF, get retyped by hand and only lead to discussion at the invoice: that is not a smooth process. Peppol e-ordering brings order message traffic into the same standardized network as e-invoicing: UBL orders, confirmations and changes travel via Peppol Access Points between buyer and seller. Smooth, Standard, Solid.

View the e-procurement solution

Manual retyping

Orders from email or a portal are entered manually into ERP or accounting. Every step increases the chance of typing errors and differences between order and invoice.

No confirmation

Without an Order Response the buyer does not know whether the supplier has accepted the order, rejected it or confirmed it under conditions. Follow-up happens by phone or email.

Changes outside the system

Adjustments to quantity or delivery date are not exchanged as a structured message. The original order and the final invoice drift apart.

The solution: Peppol e-ordering

The Peppol network has fixed order profiles (Order Only and Advanced Ordering) with UBL messages that travel via the same four-corner model as invoices.

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problem
Why order processing is not smooth today

Without structured order message traffic, the procurement chain stays dependent on manual steps. The buyer retypes orders into spreadsheets or sends PDFs; the seller misses a confirmation or change; at the invoice a discussion arises about price, quantity or delivery date. Peppol e-ordering solves that with fixed message types and profiles: not as a loose document, but as part of the network.

message traffic
Order messages via the Peppol network

E-ordering is the structured exchange of purchase orders via Peppol. The buyer sends a UBL Order (urn:fdc:peppol.eu:poacc:bis:ordering:3) to the seller; both parties use a Peppol Access Point and can be found via the SMP. Validation, encryption and routing follow the same rules as e-invoicing: only the document type and the order profile differ.

In Advanced Ordering the seller responds with an Order Response (status codes AB, AP, CA or RE). The buyer can then send an Order Change or Order Cancellation. That creates a traceable chain from order to invoice and status message, without PDFs or loose emails in between.

Want to put this into practice in your own systems? The e-procurement and e-ordering solution from eConnect connects the full Advanced Ordering process to your ERP or accounting package.

Order Only

One-way flow (urn:fdc:peppol.eu:poacc:bis:order_only:3). The buyer sends an order; the seller receives it without a mandatory response. Suitable for simple procurement flows where confirmation is not needed.

Advanced Ordering

Full order process (urn:fdc:peppol.eu:poacc:bis:advanced_ordering:3). Including Order Response, Order Change and Order Cancellation. The seller confirms, rejects or accepts under conditions; the buyer can adjust or cancel orders afterwards.

For the buyer

Real-time view of acceptance or rejection. Orders and changes are digitally traceable: the basis for three-way matching at the invoice.

For the seller

No manual order entry: the order arrives structured in the ERP. With an Order Response you give feedback directly without a separate email exchange.

order profiles
Order Only versus Advanced Ordering

Peppol has two order profiles. The choice determines whether message traffic stops after the order or continues with confirmation, change and cancellation.

1. Send order

The buyer sends a UBL Order via the Peppol network to the seller. The message is validated against the Peppol BIS schema before it is delivered.

2. Receive order

The seller receives the order via its Access Point. The document can be processed directly in ERP or a procurement system: no PDF or email in between.

3. Order Response

The seller responds with an Order Response: Acknowledged (AB), Accepted (AP), Conditionally Accepted (CA) or Rejected (RE). Without this response the Advanced Ordering process is not complete.

4. Order Change

The buyer can change the order (for example quantity or delivery date). The seller accepts or rejects the change via a new Order Response.

5. Order Cancellation

The buyer cancels the order. The seller confirms or refuses the cancellation: a cancellation is a request, not a guarantee if the order is already in progress.

process
Five steps in Advanced Ordering

The Peppol Advanced Ordering process runs via fixed message types. Every step goes through the network with the same security level and the same network coverage as e-invoicing.

MessageDirectionPeppol profileOrderBuyer → Supplierordering:3 / order_only:3 or advanced_ordering:3Order ResponseSupplier → Buyerorder_response:3Order ChangeBuyer → Supplieradvanced_ordering:3Order CancellationBuyer → Supplieradvanced_ordering:3Despatch Advice (packing slip)Supplier → Buyerdespatch_advice:3InvoiceSupplier → BuyerPeppol BIS Billing 3.0
message types
Peppol message types for e-ordering

Advanced Ordering uses fixed document types with their own Peppol BIS profiles and a fixed direction between buyer and supplier.

E-procurement solution

The eConnect solution for e-procurement and e-ordering: Advanced Ordering and DICO via the same PSB as your invoices.

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Orders API

Technical documentation for sending, receiving, changing and cancelling orders via the PSB.

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E-orders and STAP

How public organizations send e-orders via Peppol and what suppliers need in order to receive them.

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Document formats

Peppol BIS, UBL and sector-specific extensions alongside invoices.

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solution
From network standard to a working process

Peppol e-ordering describes how orders travel across the network. To land that in your own organization, with an API connection, webhooks, Order Flip and three-way matching, you need an implementation that connects the network to your systems.

Frequently asked questions about Peppol e-ordering
What is Peppol e-ordering?

Peppol e-ordering is the structured exchange of purchase orders via the Peppol network. Instead of PDFs or email, buyer and seller use UBL messages that travel via Peppol Access Points. The network supports two profiles: Order Only (one-way order) and Advanced Ordering (with Order Response, change and cancellation). E-ordering is the network term for order message traffic; e-procurement is the broader purchase-to-pay chain in which orders, despatch advices and invoices come together.

Read more about Peppol and order messages

What is the difference between Order Only and Advanced Ordering?

With Order Only (urn:fdc:peppol.eu:poacc:bis:order_only:3) the buyer sends an order and the process is complete: there is no mandatory response. With Advanced Ordering (urn:fdc:peppol.eu:poacc:bis:advanced_ordering:3) the seller responds with an Order Response (AB, AP, CA or RE) and the buyer can later change or cancel the order. Advanced Ordering is the most complete profile and fits processes where confirmation and traceability are needed.

View order profiles in the API documentation

Which status codes does an Order Response use?

An Order Response contains a status code that states what the seller does with the order: AB (Acknowledged: received and readable), AP (Accepted: accepted), CA (Conditionally Accepted: accepted under conditions) or RE (Rejected: rejected). With Advanced Ordering a response is mandatory; with Order Only this step does not exist.

Send an Order Response via the API

How do Order Change and Order Cancellation work?

An Order Change is a new UBL Order document that refers to the original order and replaces it. The seller responds with an Order Response. An Order Cancellation is a request to cancel: the seller can accept it (AP) or reject it (RE), for example if the order is already in production. Both message types belong to the Advanced Ordering profile.

Change an order · Cancel an order

What is the difference between e-ordering and e-procurement?

E-ordering focuses on order message traffic via Peppol: orders, confirmations, changes and cancellations. E-procurement is the broader purchase-to-pay chain: from order via despatch advice and invoice to payment and matching. This page takes the Peppol network angle; the e-procurement solution describes how eConnect puts this into practice.

Which sector-specific order variants does Peppol have?

Alongside the general Peppol BIS order messages there are sector-specific extensions. In construction, DICO messages are used; they travel via the same network and Access Point as standard orders. SETU timecards belong to the staffing sector and are not an order function.

Document formats and sector-specific standards

What is Peppol?

How the Peppol network works and why it is the standard.

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Peppol Access Point

Connect to the Peppol network via eConnect.

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All in one API

One PSB integration for invoices, orders and status messages.

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Choose an Access Point

Compare Access Points on reliability and document breadth.

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see also
Go deeper on Peppol

These pages connect to e-ordering and help you make choices around network access, registration and implementation concrete.

Ready to explore e-ordering via Peppol?

Go deeper on the network standards and API documentation, or see how eConnect puts e-ordering into practice.

View the e-procurement solution

View the orders API

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