The Public Billing Portal: what you need to know after it's been discontinued

What is the Public Billing Portal (PPF)?

Le Public Billing Portal was a central project in the strategy to make electronic invoicing widespread in France.

Designed by AIFE (Agence pour l'Informatique Financière de l'État) under the supervision of the DGFiP PPF was intended to be a free solution accessible to all French companies.

The initial objectives of the PPF

The PPF was to provide a platform for free dematerialization which guarantees a minimum service for issuing, receiving and checking electronic invoices. Its aim was to :

• Centralize the transmission of electronic invoices between companies and tax authorities.

• Ensuring universal access to electronic invoicing, especially for small and medium-sized businesses that couldn't afford a private PDP.

• Simplify management of tax returns with automated VAT data pre-filling.

• Combating VAT fraud estimated at 20 billion euros in lost revenue every year in France .

The PPF had to support the three mandatory formats defined by the administration: Factur-X, UBL and CII .

The planned role of the PPF in the reform of electronic invoicing

The Public Billing Portal was to have several major missions in the reform:

• Transmit billing data to tax authorities for e-invoicing (B2B invoices) and e-reporting (B2C or international transactions).

• Check invoice conformity Checking the validity of transmitted data.

• Manage the central business directory This is an essential tool for finding out which platform to send an invoice to.

• Collecting tax data to enable the administration to automate controls and combat fraud.

The PPF was to replace and expand the role of Chorus Pro already in place for B2G invoices, while ensuring free basic services for companies.

Why has the State abandoned the Public Billing Portal?

On October 15, 2024, the Ministry of the Economy and Finance has officially announced the abandonment of the development of the Public Billing Portal (PPF) as a billing platform.

This decision follows a series of technical and economic observations, as well as the rapid evolution of the Partner Dematerialization Platforms (PDP) that are deemed capable of meeting the needs of companies.

Official reasons

The government justifies this decision by explaining that the PDP has reached a sufficient level of maturity .

To date, more than 70 PDP have already been registered or are in the process of being validated (source : decree of March 25, 2024 ). Today, these private platforms have :

• Reliable, secure infrastructures .

• Solutions for every type of business from very small businesses to major corporations.

• Faster innovation capacity This enables us to offer advanced services such as ERP integration, accounting automation and payment tracking.

The Ministry considers that this private dynamics is sufficient to guarantee continuity of the reform without the need to maintain a competing public offer.

A project deemed too complex and costly

Beyond the official arguments, the development of the PPF was faced with many difficulties :

• Repeated delays in technical development gate.

• Complexity of implementation In particular, to manage interoperability with PDPs and guarantee the scalability of millions of daily transactions.

• A cost deemed excessive for public finances The project required heavy investment to ensure the platform's security, RGPD compliance and scalability.

The decision was therefore made to focus the State's efforts on regulatory missions These include PDP supervision, creation of the central directory and management of the tax data concentrator.

À retenir : This decision has no impact on calendar of the electronic invoicing reform, confirmed by the article 91 of the finance act 2024 .

What are the consequences of abandoning the PPF for companies?

The abolition of the Public Billing Portal (PPF) as an invoicing platform has a number of concrete impacts for companies. While the timetable for the reform remains unchanged, the management method and the cost of compliance will change.

The need for a private PDP

Without the PPF, companies are obliged to turn to a Partner Dematerialization Platform (PDP) state-approved for :

• Issue and receive electronic invoices legal requirements.

• E-reporting to the tax authorities.

A PDP plays a central role in the transmission the validation fiscale and the secure archiving of invoices. These platforms support mandatory formats (Factur-X, UBL, CII) and guarantee interoperability between the various parties involved.

👉 Example An SME will have to choose a PDP to send its B2B customer invoices from september 2027 if it wants to remain compliant.

Risks and limits for VSEs and SMEs

Abandoning the PPF poses a risk of exclusion for certain small businesses. Initially, the PPF was intended as a free offer easy to use, suitable for VSEs, SMEs and micro-businesses especially those without dedicated IT resources.

From now on, these structures must :

• Bear an additional cost subscription to a PDP or to billing software interfaced with a PDP (estimated rates: from 10 to €50 per month depending on the department).

• Manage technical processes from choosing a platform to setting up and training teams.

Some market players are already offering special offers for VSEs with turnkey solutions at reduced rates. However, this represents a change of organization for these small structures.

What are the alternatives to the Public Billing Portal?

Faced with the abandonment of the PPF, companies need to find solutions to comply with e-invoicing reform.

There are two main alternatives: Partner Dematerialization Platforms (PDP) and the Chorus Pro portal, which retains a specific role.

Partner Dematerialization Platforms (PDP)

Visit PDP are private platforms, state-registered which are responsible for transmitting electronic invoices between companies and the tax authorities.

Their mission is to guarantee :

• Issuing, receiving and transmitting invoices and B2B.

• E-reporting of tax data to the administration.

• Conformity with imposed formats (Factur-X, UBL, CII).

• Secure archiving and traceability exchanges.

En march 2024 over 70 PDP have been registered or are in the process of being registered, according to the decree of March 25, 2024 .

Example A company choosing a PDP such as Sage or Cegid will be able to automate the entire invoicing cycle, from issue to tax transmission.

The Chorus Pro portal remains active for public invoices

Le portail Chorus Pro continues to work for all transactions B2G (Business to Government) .

It allows companies to submit electronic invoices to government agencies as has been the case since 2020 .

This portal remains the single reference point for exchanges with the public sector . In particular, it is used for :

• La invoice transmission to local authorities, hospitals, ministries, etc.

• Le payment tracking and invoice processing times.

Attention Chorus Pro does not replace a PDP for B2B transactions. Companies must therefore organize their invoicing according to the nature of their customers (public or private).

What does the future hold for electronic invoicing after the PPF is abandoned?

Despite the abolition of the Public Billing Portal (PPF), the project to generalize electronic invoicing remains on track. fully up to date .

The government has maintained its deployment schedule, and is counting on the ecosystem of Partner Dematerialization Platforms (PDP) to ensure the success of this reform.

The reform timetable remains unchanged

Article 91 of the finance law 2024 confirms that initial schedule is maintained:

• September 1, 2026 all companies, whatever their size, will have to receive electronic invoices. Visit large companies and ETI must also send their invoices in this format.

• September 1, 2027 the obligation to emission of electronic invoices will be extended to PME and micro-companies .

The fact that the PPF has been abandoned as an issuing platform does not call into question the obligation of invoice dematerialization for all companies subject to VAT.

The rise of private PDPs

The State's withdrawal from the PPF project gives a central role to Private PDP . More 70 platforms have been registered or are in the process of registering in 2024 The DGFiP keeps a close eye on their reliability and compliance.

These platforms are now essential for :

• Ensuring the smooth transmission electronic invoices.

• Ensuring tax compliance via le e-reporting.

• Offering value-added services These include ERP integration, payment management, legal archiving and more.

Example The model PEPPOL already in place in Europe, could enhance the interoperability of French PDPs with those of other European countries.

Hero supports you with electronic invoicing

With the disappearance of the Public Billing Portal, companies need to quickly find reliable solutions to ensure compliance. At Heropay, we facilitate this transition by offering a complete platform, designed to meet the new legal obligations.

Here's how Heropay can help:

• Issue electronic invoices From June 2025, you'll be able to create and transmit invoices in Factur-X, UBL or CII formats directly from your Heropay account, without the need for an external tool.

• Receive and pay your electronic invoices From summer 2025, we'll be integrating automatic receipt of your supplier invoices and simplified payment, all centralized in a single space.

• Financing your bills From September 2025, we'll be offering financing solutions for your electronic invoices, so you can secure your cash flow without any complex procedures.

• Connection to a partner PDP By the end of 2025, we will be connected to an approved PDP to guarantee the correct transmission of your tax data to the authorities.

• A turnkey offer From 2026, Heropay will become a certified PDP, offering you a 100% integrated service to manage all your electronic invoicing.

Whether you're a VSE, SME or large corporation, Heropay can help you every step of the way to simplify electronic invoicing, comply with legal obligations and save time in managing your business.