PPF vs PDP for Small French Businesses: Which Should You Choose?

France's September 2026 B2B e-invoicing mandate gives businesses a choice: use the free government platform (PPF — Portail Public de Facturation) or pay for a certified private platform (PDP — Partenaire de Dématérialisation Privé). For small businesses (TPE/PME), this decision has real financial and operational implications.

What Is the PPF?

The Portail Public de Facturation (PPF) is the French government's free B2B e-invoicing platform. It is operated by the DGFiP (tax authority) and is available to all French businesses at no cost.

The PPF:

Is free to use for all volume levels
Accepts Factur-X (EN 16931 profile minimum) and UBL 2.1 invoices
Provides 10-year legal archiving
Has a web interface for manual invoice entry (no ERP required)
Reports transaction data to DGFiP automatically

The PPF is essentially what Chorus Pro (B2G platform) is for government invoicing — but extended to B2B.

What Is a PDP?

A PDP is a certified private platform (equivalent to an intermediary) that:

Integrates with your accounting software or ERP
Provides automated invoice sending and receiving
Offers additional features (analytics, payment tracking, AI-powered AP automation)
Routes invoices between PDPs and to the PPF
Typically charges a monthly or per-invoice fee

Head-to-Head Comparison

Factor	PPF (Free)	PDP (Paid)
Cost	€0	€20–€150+/month
Volume	Unlimited	Unlimited
Manual entry	✅ Web form available	❌ Software required
ERP integration	❌ Limited	✅ Native connectors
AP automation	❌ None	✅ (Yooz, Cegid)
Mobile app	Limited	✅ (most PDPs)
Support	Government helpdesk	Dedicated support
Advanced features	None	Payment tracking, analytics
PDP-to-PDP routing	✅ Can receive from PDPs	✅ Full network

When the PPF Is Right for Your Business

The PPF is the correct choice if:

You issue fewer than 50 invoices per month
You have no ERP or accounting software (common for micro-businesses)
Your business is in the Phase 2 (September 2027) or Phase 3 (September 2028) rollout
You want zero additional cost and can manage invoices manually
Your customers are willing to log into the PPF portal to retrieve invoices

The PPF web interface is genuinely usable for low-volume businesses. You log in, enter invoice details, and the system generates and sends the Factur-X invoice automatically.

When a PDP Is Worth the Cost

A PDP makes economic sense if:

You issue more than 50–100 invoices per month (manual entry becomes time-consuming)
Your accounting software already has a PDP integration (check your vendor's roadmap)
You receive a high volume of supplier invoices (PDP AP automation saves hours)
You have B2B customers who prefer automated invoice delivery
You invoice large companies who may require PDP routing

For most French SMEs, the break-even point is approximately €0.10 per invoice in time savings. If a PDP saves you 5 minutes of manual work per invoice, you break even at around 60 invoices/month at an analyst's hourly rate of €30.

Recommended Path for Small Businesses (September 2026)

If you are a micro-business (< 10 employees, < 50 invoices/month):

Start with PPF — it is free, it works, and it is compliant
Upgrade to a PDP later if volume grows

If you use existing accounting software:

Check if your software vendor has a certified PDP (Sage, EBP, Cegid, Pennylane all do)
If yes, upgrade your subscription to include PDP — typically €10–€30/month extra
This is usually the most practical path

If you are a Phase 1 grande entreprise:

A PDP is essential — manual PPF entry is not practical at large volume
Choose a PDP with native SAP/Oracle/Dynamics connector

The Grace Period (Sept–Dec 2026)

The DGFiP has confirmed a grace period through approximately December 2026 where businesses using PPF instead of their ERP's PDP will not be penalised, provided they are making good-faith compliance efforts. This means you have time to test before going fully live.

PPF vs PDP for Small French Businesses: Which Should You Choose in 2026?