Should I build my own Access point or work with a provider?
Considering your options for connecting to the Peppol network? Deciding whether to build and manage your own access point or to partner with a certified provider can significantly impact your time to market, costs, technical resources, and scalability.
Building your own access point provides total control but demands substantial upfront investment, ongoing technical management, and deep compliance expertise. It's best suited for large enterprises, ERP vendors, and VAN operators seeking maximum infrastructure control.
On the other hand, partnering with a certified access point provider offers rapid deployment—often within days—minimal internal resources, predictable costs, and built-in compliance. Ideal for SMEs, ERP vendors, service providers, and enterprises aiming for efficiency, ease of management, and scalability.
Explore the detailed comparison below to find out which approach best fits your business objectives.
| Aspect | Setting Up Access Point Yourself | Working with Certified Access Point Provider |
|---|---|---|
| Initial setup | Requires full development, registration, accreditation, hosting, and technical setup. | Quick setup (often within a week), minimal internal resources needed; provider handles all accreditation and technical setup. |
| Time to Market | Typically several months. | Usually within days or weeks. |
| Cost | High initial investment and ongoing maintenance costs; mandatory membership fees and accreditation expenses | Predictable subscription costs, lower upfront investment, and maintenance included |
| Technical Expertise Required | High requires experienced IT personnel to handle interoperability, compliance, and security. | Minimal handled by provider |
| Compliance & Certification | Requires independent adherence to all Peppol regulations, certifications (ISO27001 may be mandatory), and regular updates to stay compliant | Fully compliant out-of-the-box; no extra regulatory management required |
| Maintenance & Support | Internal responsibility for ongoing maintenance, support, troubleshooting, and network updates | Managed entirely by provider; reliable, ongoing support included |
| Scalability | Complex to scale independently due to technical infrastructure and resource constraints | Easily scalable through provider’s existing infrastructure and support |
| Security & Hosting | Internal responsibility; must meet stringent security and hosting standards | Secure hosting managed by provider; fully compliant with Peppol standards |
| Brand Visibility | Independent visibility as certified Access Point provider (with own certificate) | Option for white-label solutions with own visibility, or simply operate under provider’s established certification |
| Ideal for | Large enterprises with extensive transactions, VAN operators, ERP vendors who want control over their infrastructure | ERP vendors, service providers, SMEs, and enterprises seeking efficiency, rapid deployment, and cost-effective solutions |
Step-by-Step Comparion
Requires full development, registration, accreditation, hosting, and technical setup.
Quick setup (often within a week), minimal internal resources needed; provider handles all accreditation and technical setup.
Typically several months.
Usually within days or weeks
High requires experienced IT personnel to handle interoperability, compliance, and security.
Minimal handled by provider
High requires experienced IT personnel to handle interoperability, compliance, and security.
Minimal handled by provider
Requires independent adherence to all Peppol regulations, certifications (ISO27001 may be mandatory), and regular updates to stay compliant
Fully compliant out-of-the-box; no extra regulatory management required
Internal responsibility for ongoing maintenance, support, troubleshooting, and network updates
Managed entirely by provider; reliable, ongoing support included
Complex to scale independently due to technical infrastructure and resource constraints
Easily scalable through provider’s existing infrastructure and support
Internal responsibility; must meet stringent security and hosting standards
Easily scalable through provider’s existing infrastructure and support
Independent visibility as certified Access Point provider (with own certificate).
Option for white-label solutions with own visibility, or simply operate under provider’s established certification.
Large enterprises with extensive transactions, VAN operators, ERP vendors who want control over their infrastructure.
ERP vendors, service providers, SMEs, and enterprises seeking efficiency, rapid deployment, and cost-effective solutions.
Connect to Peppol the Smart Way with Arratech’s Certified Access Point
Building your own Peppol Access Point is possible, but partnering with an expert service provider like Arratech lets you skip the complexity and go live in days, not months. As a certified Peppol service provider, we handle all the operations of your Access Point, including compliance, hosting, and updates, so you can focus on what matters.
Whether you want to connect through Access Point as a Service or offer Peppol under your own brand with a white labeled solution, Arratech makes it seamless. Our accredited infrastructure, compliance framework, and continuous monitoring ensure your service operates in full Peppol conformity from day one, without the need to navigate the accreditation process yourself. Instead of managing bureaucracy and technical testing, you can focus on delivering value to your customers.
Why choose Arratech?
- Self onboarding: Sandbox environment, tutorials and our expert support lets you move to production fast.
- Flexibility and speed, exchange all document types and built-in Instant validation of documents.
- Scalable and future-proof: Software vendors, service providers, tax authorities, our infrastructure is built for your document exchange needs.
- Developer friendly: Connect your platform directly through one unified API.
- Built for enterprises: Localized hosting, accreditations and SLA ensure compliance for your business.
Learn more
Try our solution for free in our sandbox environment, built for modern, secure e-delivery networks.
Our API is designed for seamless integration. You can start by creating a sandbox account to test functionalities. Once satisfied, you can move to production. We support both API Key and OAuth authentication methods, catering to various integration needs.
Absolutely. Our white-label solution enables you to acquire your own e-invoicing network certificates, such as Peppol and DBNAlliance, enhancing your credibility and allowing you to offer services under your own brand.
We provide comprehensive support throughout the integration process, including detailed documentation, quickstart guides, and direct assistance from our technical team. Post-integration, our support continues to ensure smooth operation and address any issues promptly.
To send e-invoices in Peppol networks, your business needs to connect to a certified Peppol Access Point. This Access Point acts as your gateway to the Peppol network, allowing you to securely exchange e-Invoices and other documents with public and private sector participants.
Here’s how to get started with an Access Point provider:
- Choose a certified Access Point provider (like Arratech) who can onboard you smoothly, knows Peppol and is setup for scaling to your e-invoicing volumes.
- Ensure your invoicing system supports Peppol formats (usually PEPPOL BIS Billing 3.0).
- Register your business in the Peppol directory so recipients can find and receive documents from you.
- Connect to API and send your first invoice and enjoy more efficient, secure and compliant transactions.
We help software providers, service providers and businesses get Peppol-ready without the complexity of having to spend months building their own Access Point and SMP.
Ready for a simple connection to the future of e-Invoicing?
Join the next generation of e-Invoicing infrastructure from Arratech.
Cut costs, stay compliant, and integrate effortlessly.