We’re on Peppol, why would we still need something like Cashfeed?
A fair question. In Belgium and across Europe, structured e-invoicing via Peppol gives you a machine-readable invoice with lines, amounts, VAT, parties and payment details. It is easy to assume that invoice processing is now solved.
In practice, it is not.
Peppol standardises how invoices are sent and what core data looks like. It does not cover everything finance and operations teams need to process invoices end to end. Important information often sits outside the structured message, in PDFs, attachments or business context.
What Peppol does well
Peppol ensures:
Standardised delivery between buyer and supplier
Consistent core invoice data
Faster and more reliable exchange
This is a strong foundation and an important step forward for European businesses.
Where gaps remain
Missing operational details
Some data simply does not exist in the Peppol fields. In sectors like fleet and mobility, licence plates, vehicle IDs or fuel card references are often only visible on the PDF or in attachments.
If that data is needed for allocation or compliance, it has to be captured elsewhere.
Payment terms are often more complex
Structured fields can include due dates, but real payment terms are not always that simple. Early payment discounts, stepped terms or legal clauses are frequently written in text.
Turning that into something your ERP can act on still requires interpretation.
Matching and exceptions remain
Structured data helps, but it does not remove:
PO matching
Quantity or price differences
Exception handling
These are operational processes that still need attention
Attachments are part of the process
Invoices are often linked to delivery notes, contracts or specifications. These are not always included in the Peppol message itself, but they are essential for approval and audit.
A process that ignores them is incomplete.
Not every supplier uses Peppol
Even with regulatory push across Europe, many suppliers still send invoices via email, PDF or portals.
Companies need one process that handles all incoming invoices, not only Peppol.
Internal coding is still required
Cost centres, projects and GL accounts are defined by the buyer, not the supplier.
This means invoice processing still requires rules, automation and workflows on top of the incoming data.
Data quality is not guaranteed
Receiving a valid Peppol invoice does not mean the data is correct. Errors in VAT, supplier details or references still occur.
Validation remains necessary.
How Cashfeed fits in
Peppol handles the transport and structure of invoices.
Cashfeed ensures that all relevant information is captured and usable:
Extracting data from PDFs and attachments
Completing missing context
Applying business rules and coding
Supporting workflows and exception handling
Conclusion
Peppol is an important part of modern e-invoicing in Europe. It improves standardisation and efficiency.
But it does not replace the need for intelligent processing of invoices and related documents.
Invoices are more than structured data. They include context, conditions and exceptions.
That is where solutions like Cashfeed continue to add value
— Structured e-invoicing is a big step forward, but it is only part of the solution. The real challenge is turning invoices into actionable data for your business - Jonathan Callewaert, CTO
