Why Peppol Commerce Makes Every Other E‑Invoicing Solution for Your WordPress B2B Webshop Redundant
The digital transformation of the business world is in full swing. While consumers (B2C) are used to fast online transactions, the world of business-to-business (B2B) demands more structured, efficient, and above all, compliant processes. The recent rise of Peppol as the European standard for e-invoicing has drastically raised the bar for webshops with business clients. It’s no longer just about sending a PDF by email, but about delivering a structured UBL invoice via a secure network, directly from one accounting system to another.
For many WooCommerce webshop owners processing B2B orders, this is a source of frustration. They rely on loose integrations, time-consuming import/export actions, or complex accounting and/or invoicing packages that are not built for the dynamics of a webstore. The result? Manual errors, payment delays, and valuable hours lost to administration instead of sales and growth.
This is exactly why Peppol Commerce was developed. We believe that e-invoicing, even the most complex B2B transaction, must be a fully automated, seamless, and end-to-end process, without human intervention or ‘intermediate steps’. In this article, we explain why common solutions – from classic pre-accounting software to popular invoicing connectors – fall short and how Peppol Commerce redefines the standard of automation in e-invoicing.
Why do external invoicing connectors not work well with WooCommerce?
The crux of the problem with most e-invoicing solutions for webshops lies in their architecture. They are designed as add-ons or connectors that link the webshop and the accounting, but they do not fully handle the crucial steps in between – the creation of the compliant e-invoice and its dispatch via Peppol.
They create an ‘automation gap’. The order is placed in the webshop, but the actual e-invoicing only occurs in an external system (either pre-accounting software or an external invoicing platform). This inevitably introduces manual actions (or complex integration configurations) or at the very least the risk of data loss or inconsistencies.
Peppol Commerce breaks this chain of manual steps. We integrate the entire e-invoicing functionality, including UBL conversion and Peppol connectivity, directly within your WooCommerce environment. The order is the basis for the e-invoice, and completing the order equals dispatching the compliant e-invoice.
Let’s examine this in detail by looking at the five most critical functionalities, summarized in our comparison matrix.
Comparison: Peppol Commerce versus WooCommerce > 3rd parties > Peppol integrations
Peppol Commerce | Pre-accounting or Accounting solutions (Billit, Adsolut, Exact online…) | Connectors (Webwinkelfacturen, …) | The difference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Automatically creates invoices for incoming WooCommerce orders | Peppol Commerce generates invoices as a seamless part of the order flow. | |||
2. Creates UBL / e-invoice format for B2B invoices | Peppol Commerce guarantees the proper Peppol UBL format, directly from the webshop. | |||
3. Distinguishes between B2B and B2C sales | Essential filtering is done at the moment of ordering, not afterward in the accounting system. | |||
4. Sends B2B e-invoice via Peppol | Peppol Commerce sends automatically, no manual uploads or intermediate platform needed. | |||
5. Sends B2B e-invoice to your accounting | The invoice is available directly in your webshop and accounting without duplicate entry. |
Peppol Commerce versus pre-accounting and accounting software
There is a major misconception about the role of accounting software in a webshop’s e-invoicing process. Packages like Billit, Adsolut, and Exact Online manage your accounting and have invoicing modules, but they are rarely the most efficient engine for creating and initially sending invoices from a dynamic webshop environment.
The invoicing process (row 1 & 3)
Your accounting software’s primary task is processing transactions and checking compliance. Invoicing modules tie into accounting and can send sales invoices, but they do not automatically generate invoices based on webshop orders. Usually, an order is created in the webshop and then electronically or manually converted afterward to an invoice.
Peppol Commerce | Pre-accounting / accounting |
|---|---|
The invoice is created when the WooCommerce order reaches the “completed” status. Peppol Commerce is a smart plugin that detects B2B status immediately (using VIES/CoC/VAT validation) and instantly generates the compliant e-invoice. There is no import step; there’s no need to transfer data to an external system to generate the invoice. The invoice already exists in WooCommerce. | This requires an external connector or periodic export/import from WooCommerce. The system doesn’t create the invoice until after the data is received. This creates a delay and a potential breaking point (the connector/import). Unless perfectly integrated, these systems often require manual indication of whether an order is B2B or B2C, as the checkout context is missed (the third row in our table). |
Double transmission (row 4 & 5)
The real bottleneck is in sending. Pre-accounting software can dispatch via Peppol (row 4) and send the invoice to accounting (row 5), that’s their core function. The crucial difference is the document’s origin and the automated end-to-end flow.
With Peppol Commerce, creation, Peppol dispatch to the client, and your own accounting processing happen simultaneously and automatically from a single action in WooCommerce.
With a traditional accounting connector, the flow is often: WooCommerce order > Data export/Sync > Accounting software creates UBL > Accounting software dispatches UBL via Peppol. This requires flawless, real-time syncing between WooCommerce and accounting. Any glitch requires manual checking and correction.
Peppol Commerce removes the need for this complex, two-way sync before dispatch – dispatch is a direct webshop action. The data is already validated and compliant, which practically eliminates errors when transferring to the customer or your own accounting (if desired).
Peppol Commerce versus invoicing connectors
Invoicing connectors, solutions such as Webwinkelfacturen, are often popular tools that bridge the gap between WooCommerce and PDF invoicing. They are designed to simplify the generation of a visually correct invoice. However, in the era of mandatory e‑invoicing, they fall seriously short in two crucial areas: format and delivery.
From digital invoice to e-invoice (row 2)
The main stumbling block for many webshop-based invoicing connectors is the difference between a ‘digital invoice’ (a PDF or a simple data structure) and an ‘e-invoice’ (a structured, compliant UBL document).
Peppol Commerce | Connectors (like webwinkelfacturen) |
|---|---|
This is our specialty. Peppol Commerce converts order data directly in WooCommerce to the necessary Peppol UBL format. This means that your invoice is always machine-readable, structured, and ready for direct dispatch, no concerns about compatibility or conversion tools. | Many of these systems do not generate a compliant UBL (Universal Business Language) e-invoice required for Peppol transactions. They generate a PDF or, at best, a basic data file. Without the right, structured UBL format, the invoice simply cannot be sent via the Peppol network. This requires yet another step: the store owner must export the generated file manually (or configure a complex integration) and then upload it to an external Peppol service provider for conversion and dispatch. |
The Peppol connection: direct sending is key (row 4)
Even if a connector could create the UBL format, it often lacks direct access to the Peppol network. This is where the webshop owner’s manual actions return.
Peppol Commerce | Connectors (like webwinkelfacturen) |
|---|---|
Peppol Commerce is directly linked to the Peppol network. Once the WooCommerce order is complete and B2B status is confirmed, Peppol Commerce automatically delivers the UBL e-invoice to your customer’s Peppol address. Zero (0) manual steps needed between receiving the order and dispatching the compliant e-invoice. | Because these platforms often lack their own Peppol Access Point or seamless integration, the store owner must, after generating the invoice (or UBL file), do the following steps:
Every B2B order means repeating this manual cycle—a waste of time and a recipe for human error. |
The real value of Peppol Commerce: automation and error avoidance
The core message of Peppol Commerce is: Simplicity through Elimination. We eliminate the intermediate steps still needed in most other solutions. This leads to unparalleled automation and error avoidance, with direct financial and operational benefits.
Error avoidance by eliminating data transfer
Every time data is transferred between systems (webshop to pre-accounting, pre-accounting to Peppol service), there is a risk of corruption, mapping errors, or lost information. Peppol Commerce uses the source data from the WooCommerce order to instantly generate and send the UBL invoice. This ensures that invoice data 100% matches the order data.
Time savings through automation
Suppose you process 50 B2B orders per week. Even if a manual Peppol dispatch takes only 3 minutes per order, that’s 150 minutes (2.5 hours) per week lost to admin. With Peppol Commerce, this time drops to zero. The plugin handles e-invoicing fully autonomously. Saved time can go straight into core activities like marketing, purchasing, or customer service.
B2B compliance starting at the source
The automatic B2B/B2C differentiation Peppol Commerce performs inside WooCommerce (row 3) is crucial. Why? Because Peppol e-invoicing is only compulsory or relevant for B2B transactions. By arranging this detection upfront, Peppol Commerce ensures that:
- B2B clients get the right Peppol e-invoice
- B2C clients get a traditional digital invoice
- Your accounting is supplied cleanly, without unnecessary Peppol transactions
This intelligence is often lacking in simple connectors or import-happy accounting packages—making manual filtering necessary.
Conclusion: Choose the only real End-to-End solution
E-invoicing is the future of B2B trade. It’s a compliance necessity, an efficiency driver, and a mark of professionalism. But the value of e-invoicing is entirely dependent on the level of automation achieved.
Where traditional solutions—like Billit, Adsolut, Exact Online, or connectors like Webwinkelfacturen—still rely on manual or fragmented steps (or complex integration configurations)—whether it’s importing data, manually uploading UBL files, or making the B2B/B2C distinction after the fact—Peppol Commerce offers one smooth, automated workflow: Order received > UBL invoice generated > Direct Peppol dispatch > Done!
As the owner of a growing WooCommerce webshop, you can’t afford a half-hearted e-invoicing solution that wastes valuable time and increases the risk of errors. Peppol Commerce is the only WordPress/WooCommerce plugin that fully automates the end-to-end e-invoicing chain. It’s not a connector: it’s your built-in, compliant e-invoice factory.
Stop juggling systems. Stop manual actions. Opt for the most advanced, error-free, and time-saving e-invoicing solution on the market.
Install Peppol Commerce today and turn your WooCommerce webshop into a 100% automated B2B invoicing powerhouse.
