You cannot connect to the Peppol network directly — you always need an Access Point (AP), a certified provider that is your gateway to the network. Choosing an Access Point is therefore the most important decision in e-invoicing: it determines your cost, support, speed and who you trust with your invoicing data. This article explains what an Access Point does and how to choose one.
What an Access Point does
When you send an invoice, your Access Point:
- validates it against EN 16931 and the relevant country profile,
- signs and secures it,
- delivers it through the network to the buyer’s Access Point,
- and does the same in reverse on receipt — delivering supplier invoices to you as structured data.
In short: an Access Point is both the post office and the parcel depot. For exactly how an invoice travels the four-corner model, see What is Peppol and how does it work.
Own certified AP vs. reseller — the key difference
You’ll find two kinds of provider on the market, and the difference between them is fundamental:
- A reseller has no Access Point of its own. It merely forwards your invoices through someone else’s infrastructure — often abroad. That adds a middleman that raises cost, slows down problem-solving and makes you dependent on two companies at once.
- An own certified Access Point operates the network infrastructure itself. Communication, support, archive and accountability are under one roof — with no middleman.
Verteco belongs to the second category: we operate our own Slovak Peppol Access Point, certified by the Slovak Financial Administration (PA SK ID EFSK000031, seat PSK001128). We are not a reseller.
How to choose an Access Point
When picking a provider, ask about these seven things:
- Certification and register — is the provider listed as a certified AP? Has it passed the OpenPeppol conformance tests?
- Own AP, or reseller? — who actually runs the infrastructure.
- Transparent pricing — are prices published, or only “on request”? See our pricing.
- Tax reporting — does the provider prepare and submit any mandatory tax reporting (e.g. C5 / TDD) for you?
- Validation — does it validate documents against EN 16931 and the local profile?
- System integration — can it connect your accounting/ERP system via API if you need it?
- Where data and archive live — are they stored in the EU and archived for the statutory retention period?
Why companies choose Verteco
- Own certified Access Point — EFSK000031, seat PSK001128, 19/19 OpenPeppol conformance tests in production.
- Free e-invoice receiving forever, no card on file.
- Transparent pricing — no “price on request”.
- C5 / TDD tax reporting to the Slovak Financial Administration included.
- Data and archive in the EU, 10-year archiving included.
You can verify us directly in the Slovak Financial Administration register — or simply activate your free inbox and see how easy connecting through an own AP is.
