Participants, Participant IDs and identifier schemes
Lesson 13 of 22 5 min read
What a Peppol Participant is, how your Participant ID is formed from an identifier scheme, and how to choose the right scheme for your business.
Before anyone can send you a Peppol invoice, or receive one from you, you need an address on the network. This lesson explains that address, the Participant ID, and the one real decision you make when creating it: which identifier scheme to use.
Participants
Every business or public body that uses the Peppol network is a Participant. Your organisation, your customers and any council you invoice are all Participants.
The Participant ID: your address on the network
Each Participant has a unique Peppol Participant ID. It's your digital address: how other organisations find you and send you documents such as invoices, orders or catalogues. Once registered it becomes your digital identity across the wider supply chain, and it's discoverable across the network.
Your Participant ID is created through your Access Point provider. Supply Lens handles the registration for you.
Identifier schemes
A Participant ID isn't a random number. It's built from an identifier you already have, such as your VAT number or company registration number. The identifier scheme says what kind of identifier it is, and each scheme has a code that tells the network how to interpret the ID.
Peppol supports a range of schemes, including VAT numbers, company registration numbers and other national identifiers. In the Supply Lens registration wizard you'll see three parts:
| Identifier Meta Schema | Already set for you. You don't need to change it. |
|---|---|
| Identifier Schema | The scheme you choose from the list, such as GLN or VAT. |
| Identifier Value | Your number in that scheme. If you chose GLN, this is your GLN. |
Which scheme should you choose?
Most UK organisations choose their VAT number or their Companies House registration number. The right choice is the one that best represents your legal identity and is familiar to your trading partners.
Ask yourself:
- Which number do my customers already have on file for me?
- Which number appears on my invoices and contracts?
- Is there a number my biggest Peppol customer has asked for?
If you're still unsure, the Supply Lens customer success team can guide you.
Ashby Joinery picks a scheme
Ashby Joinery is VAT registered, and its VAT number is printed on every invoice the council already receives from it. The council's supplier record also holds the VAT number. Ashby chooses the VAT scheme, so the Participant ID is built from a number the council already recognises.
Recap
- Every business or public body on Peppol is a Participant.
- Your Peppol Participant ID is your unique, discoverable address on the network.
- The ID is registered through your Access Point; Supply Lens handles it for you.
- An identifier scheme says what kind of number the ID is built from, such as VAT or GLN.
- Most UK organisations use their VAT or Companies House number: choose the one your partners recognise.
Quick guides for this topic
Your progress is saved in this browser. Create a free account to keep it everywhere, take quizzes and earn certificates.