Peppol ID: what it is, how you get one, and what it costs
Last updated 13 September 2026
The short answer first: you do not apply for a Peppol ID at an authority, and not at OpenPeppol directly either. You get one as soon as you connect to the Peppol network through a certified access point, and the provider sets it up for you. You pay no fee to OpenPeppol itself; what you do pay depends on the provider.
What is a Peppol ID?
The Peppol ID, officially the participant identifier, identifies a business uniquely on the Peppol
network, the way an email address identifies an inbox. It always has two parts separated by a colon: a
scheme code saying what kind of identifier it is, and the identifier
itself. Germany's official federal e-invoicing portal gives 9930:VAT-ID for a VAT
identification number and 0088:GLN for a Global Location Number as the common examples.
| Scheme | Meaning | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
| 9930 | German VAT identification number (USt-IdNr.) | The usual choice for German businesses, Shopify merchants included. |
| 0088 | Global Location Number (GLN) | Businesses that already hold a GLN, for example from retail. |
| 0204 | Leitweg-ID | Public authorities and public sector buyers only, not private businesses. |
An example of a complete Peppol ID based on a VAT number: 9930:DE123456789. The scheme tells
anyone reading the ID how to interpret it, and the identifier behind it is the actual address.
Peppol ID or Leitweg-ID: the difference most people confuse
Searching for how to apply for a Peppol ID often lands you on information about the Leitweg-ID, because the two turn up in the same context. They are different things. The Leitweg-ID addresses which office inside a public authority receives an invoice, and it is issued exclusively to state institutions, never to private businesses. Anyone who needs one applies to the relevant federal state, or, where they report directly to the federal level, to the federal central finance administration.
A Shopify merchant selling to private businesses does not need a Leitweg-ID. Only someone selling to public authorities encounters one, and then as a buyer reference rather than as their own Peppol address. Technically a Leitweg-ID can act as a Peppol ID with the scheme prefix 0204, but that does not change the fact that it stays reserved for public administration. For ordinary B2B sending to business customers, what counts is the Peppol ID based on your VAT number.
How do you get a Peppol ID?
There is no central place where a business registers for a Peppol ID. Germany's Peppol authority, KoSIT, the coordination office for IT standards hosted by the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, accredits access point providers but does not itself take registrations from individual businesses. The route runs through the provider instead:
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 · Choose a provider | You settle on a certified access point, either directly or through an app connected to one. |
| 2 · Settle the identifier | The provider sets your Peppol ID, usually your VAT number with the scheme 9930 in front of it, automatically. |
| 3 · Registration in the SMP | The provider enters your participant identifier in a Service Metadata Publisher so other access points can find you, if you want to receive as well. |
| 4 · Done | You can send through your access point, and once registered, receive too. |
What matters day to day: you do not have to enter or maintain the Peppol ID anywhere yourself. The access point does that as part of the connection, and you supply the correct master data, your VAT number above all.
What does a Peppol ID cost?
Nothing, from OpenPeppol itself. Its own membership terms make clear that end users do not need an OpenPeppol membership to send or receive Peppol messages. There is no registration fee for the Peppol ID as such.
The actual cost sits with the access point provider you connect through, and the models there differ a lot: some charge a monthly subscription, some a fee per document sent or received, some a combination. Which suits you depends on the volume you expect, and there is no single reliable price tag for "a Peppol ID", because the ID is not what is being paid for. What is paid for is the connection, the validation and the sending.
What this means for your Shopify store
For the German e-invoicing obligation in 2027 and 2028, sending XRechnung or ZUGFeRD directly by email also satisfies the rules, as long as your buyer agrees, which is covered in Germany's 2027 mandate. Peppol becomes relevant when you want to deliver predictably to several business customers without clearing email consent with each one, or when a customer asks for Peppol specifically, which larger companies increasingly do. For your Shopify store, Zeppol handles matching the Peppol ID to the buyer, builds the EN 16931 compliant e-invoice from the order, and delivers it over a certified access point, with a status you can see in the admin.
Read on
- Peppol for Shopify: the network, and how a store connects to it.
- What is a Peppol access point?: the four-corner model in detail.
- Germany's 2027 mandate: the sending obligation, deadlines and thresholds.
- XRechnung vs ZUGFeRD: the difference between the two formats.
- XRechnung for Shopify: the pure XML format in detail.
- ZUGFeRD for Shopify: the PDF with the structured data inside it.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Peppol ID?
A participant identifier that identifies a business on the Peppol network, made of a scheme and an identifier, for example 9930:DE123456789 for a German VAT number.
How do I apply for a Peppol ID?
Not directly at OpenPeppol or KoSIT. You connect through a certified access point, which sets up your identifier as part of the connection and registers it in a Service Metadata Publisher.
What does a Peppol ID cost?
OpenPeppol charges end users no membership or fee. Costs arise at the access point provider, with models ranging from a subscription to a per-document fee, differing from provider to provider.
Do I need a Peppol ID as a Shopify merchant?
Only if you want to send or receive over the Peppol network. The 2027 and 2028 obligation itself can also be satisfied by email as XRechnung or ZUGFeRD, with the buyer's consent.
Is a Peppol ID the same as a Leitweg-ID?
No. The Leitweg-ID addresses public authorities only and is applied for at the relevant federal state or the federal central finance administration. A merchant selling to private businesses does not need one.
This guide is general information for Shopify merchants, not tax or legal advice. Providers, pricing models and responsibilities can change. Confirm your own connection with your access point provider or a qualified tax adviser. Sources: the federal e-invoicing portal's FAQ (e-rechnung-bund.de) on the Peppol participant identifier, OpenPeppol's Germany country profile (peppol.org) on KoSIT as the Peppol authority, and OpenPeppol's membership terms on end users paying no fee, retrieved on 23 August 2026.
E-invoices from your Shopify B2B orders
Zeppol turns every B2B order into an EN 16931 document, checks it against the EU and the German rules, and sends it over Peppol or by email. Join the list and I'll be in touch before the deadline.