EHF or PEPPOL — What Is the Difference?
EHF is the format. PEPPOL is the network. The access point is the connection. Three terms that get used interchangeably and mean entirely different things. Here is the distinction, and what you actually need.
The short version
| Term | What it is | Analogy |
|---|---|---|
| EHF | Elektronisk handelsformat — Norway's profile of the PEPPOL standard | The language the documents are written in |
| PEPPOL | The European network the documents travel through, governed by OpenPeppol | The mobile network |
| Access point | The provider that connects you and sends on your behalf | The subscription |
| ELMA | Norway's registry of who can receive what, operated by DFØ | The phone book |
You need all four. An EHF document without a network goes nowhere, and an access point cannot route to a recipient who is not registered.
Why Norway has its own format
PEPPOL defines shared European document specifications, called PEPPOL BIS. EHF is the Norwegian profile of those — the same underlying structure with Norwegian fields and rules layered on, such as organisation numbers and Norwegian VAT codes. So an EHF document is also a valid PEPPOL document, while the reverse does not always hold.
What you can actually send
Most people think invoice. The network carries the whole trade:
- Catalogue — the supplier's range and agreed prices, into your ordering system
- Order and order response — the order out, the confirmation back
- Despatch advice — what actually shipped, for goods receipt
- Invoice and credit note — EHF Billing 3.0, the part everyone knows
This is where vendors differ. Many support invoicing and stop there. Catalogue and order are what make three-way matching possible; without them, discrepancies are still handled by hand.
What happens without it
- You cannot invoice Norwegian central government, municipalities or health trusts — they are required to receive EHF and many reject anything else
- Private buyers increasingly write the same requirement into framework agreements
- PDF invoices must be keyed or OCR-processed at the receiving end, which produces errors and late payment
- From 2027 electronic invoicing becomes mandatory for Norwegian business too
Read on
For how the network is built, see What is PEPPOL?. For the dates on the coming requirement, see the guide to mandatory e-invoicing from 2027.
Official sources
- DFØ on electronic trade and EHF — Norwegian government guidance
- OpenPeppol — the body that governs the network and its specifications
- DFØ's list of invoicing systems that can deliver EHF
Getting started
Vieri is an access point and handles sending and receiving EHF documents, including catalogue and order — not only invoices. If you receive PDF invoices today, they can be digitised into the same flow.
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