Which XML invoices can I open?

UBL 2.1 invoices and credit notes, including Peppol BIS Billing 3 documents. Other UBL-based profiles open too, showing the fields the viewer supports. CII, Factur-X and ZUGFeRD are not supported.

Yes, to Ironfang's free tools API, which reads it in memory in the UK and sends back the readable invoice. Neither the file nor the PDF is stored, and nothing from its contents is logged or sent to analytics.

Can I view a credit note?

Yes. A UBL CreditNote opens as a credit note, with its own lines and credited quantities, and its total is shown as the amount credited rather than an amount due.

Can I download a PDF?

Yes. Download PDF gives you a paginated A4 or US Letter PDF with selectable text, made from the same fields you see on screen. It is free and needs no account.

Does viewing prove an invoice is valid?

No. The viewer shows what the XML says; it does not check it against EN 16931 or Peppol rules. Choose Validate invoice to check the same file with Ironfang Finance.

Can this open an ordinary PDF or a Factur-X file?

No. The viewer opens UBL XML. If you have a PDF, look for the XML invoice that was sent with it, or attached inside it, and open that file instead.

Free XML invoice viewer for UBL and Peppol

Open a UBL invoice or credit note as a readable document. Inspect the line items, tax and totals, then download a PDF.

Free to use
No signup
Nothing stored

or drop your XML file here

UBL invoice or credit noteXMLUp to 5 MiB

No file to hand? Open a fictional sample:

Samples are fictional Peppol documents. Download the XML: an invoice or a credit note.

Processed by Ironfang in the UK, nothing stored

Opening a file sends the XML to Ironfang's free tools API, which reads it in memory and returns the readable invoice. The PDF is made the same way when you download it. Neither the document nor the PDF is kept, and nothing from its contents is logged or sent to analytics.

Validation is separate: the XML goes to Ironfang Finance only when you choose Validate invoice. Closing the page or opening another file clears the document from this page.

Example

The same invoice, as XML and as a document

A fictional Peppol invoice: the start of its XML on the left, and the tool's readable rendering of the whole file on the right.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!--
  A fictional Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 invoice published by Ironfang for the
  free validator at https://ironfang.uk/tools/peppol-validator. Every party,
  identifier, address and amount is invented: example.test names, GS1
  location numbers under prefix 952, which GS1 designates for demonstrations
  and examples, and an account reference that is not a bank account. Reuse it
  freely.
-->
<Invoice xmlns="urn:oasis:names:specification:ubl:schema:xsd:Invoice-2"
    xmlns:cac="urn:oasis:names:specification:ubl:schema:xsd:CommonAggregateComponents-2"
    xmlns:cbc="urn:oasis:names:specification:ubl:schema:xsd:CommonBasicComponents-2">
    <cbc:CustomizationID>urn:cen.eu:en16931:2017#compliant#urn:fdc:peppol.eu:2017:poacc:billing:3.0</cbc:CustomizationID>
    <cbc:ProfileID>urn:fdc:peppol.eu:2017:poacc:billing:01:1.0</cbc:ProfileID>
    <cbc:ID>EX-2026-0001</cbc:ID>
    <cbc:IssueDate>2026-06-15</cbc:IssueDate>
    <cbc:DueDate>2026-07-15</cbc:DueDate>
    <cbc:InvoiceTypeCode>380</cbc:InvoiceTypeCode>
    <cbc:Note>Fictional sample invoice for the Ironfang Peppol validator.</cbc:Note>
    <cbc:DocumentCurrencyCode>GBP</cbc:DocumentCurrencyCode>
    <cbc:BuyerReference>PO-EXAMPLE-0001</cbc:BuyerReference>
    <cac:AccountingSupplierParty>
        <cac:Party>
            <cbc:EndpointID schemeID="0088">9520000000011</cbc:EndpointID>
            <cac:PartyIdentification>
                <cbc:ID schemeID="0088">9520000000011</cbc:ID>
            </cac:PartyIdentification>
            <cac:PartyName>
                <cbc:Name>Example Supplier Ltd</cbc:Name>
            </cac:PartyName>
    ...

Invoice

EX-2026-0001

Issue date: 15 June 2026
Due date: 15 July 2026
Currency: GBP

From

Example Supplier Ltd

1 Example Street

EX1 1EX Exampleton

VAT GB000000000

Electronic address 0088:9520000000011

Accounts

accounts@supplier.example.test

Bill to

Example Buyer Ltd

2 Sample Road

EX2 2EX Sampleford

Electronic address 0088:9520000000028

Purchasing

purchasing@buyer.example.test

Buyer reference: PO-EXAMPLE-0001
Delivery date: 10 June 2026

Invoice lines
#	Item	Quantity	Unit price	VAT	Net amount
1	Example widget Example widget, standard finish Seller item EX-WIDGET-01	10 unit	50.00 GBP	20%	500.00 GBP
2	Installation service Installation of example widgets, per hour Seller item EX-INSTALL-01	2 hour	120.00 GBP	20%	240.00 GBP

Example widget
Example widget, standard finish
Seller item EX-WIDGET-01
500.00 GBP
Line
1
Quantity
10 unit
Unit price
50.00 GBP
VAT
Standard rate 20%
Installation service
Installation of example widgets, per hour
Seller item EX-INSTALL-01
240.00 GBP
Line
2
Quantity
2 hour
Unit price
120.00 GBP
VAT
Standard rate 20%

VAT breakdown
Category	Taxable	VAT
Standard rate 20%	740.00 GBP	148.00 GBP

Sum of line net amounts: 740.00 GBP
Total without VAT: 740.00 GBP
VAT: 148.00 GBP
Total with VAT: 888.00 GBP
Amount due: 888.00 GBP

Payment

Method: Credit transfer
Reference: EX-2026-0001
Account: EXAMPLE-ACCOUNT-0001
Account name: Example Supplier Ltd

Terms

Payment within 30 days of the invoice date.

Notes

Fictional sample invoice for the Ironfang Peppol validator.

What you can inspect

The readable invoice shows the document the way a person reads it. The Details tab lists every field the viewer read, each linked to its line in the XML.

Parties and references
Supplier and customer names, addresses, VAT and company numbers, electronic addresses, and the order, contract and preceding-invoice references.
Items and adjustments
Every line with its quantity, unit price and net amount, plus line and document allowances and charges with their reasons.
Tax and totals
The VAT breakdown by category and rate, exemption reasons, and the document totals exactly as the invoice states them.
Payment details
The payment method, the reference to quote, bank account details and payment terms. Nothing is turned into a payment link.

Which files open

One XML document of up to 5 MiB and 2,000 lines, in UTF-8 or UTF-16 with a byte order mark. Documents with a DTD or entity declarations are refused for safety.

Document	Result	Notes
UBL 2.1 Invoice	Opens	Every supported field, read from the UBL namespaces.
UBL 2.1 CreditNote	Opens	Shown as a credit note, with its own lines and credited quantities.
Peppol BIS Billing 3 (UBL)	Opens	The same viewer; Validate invoice checks it against the Peppol rules.
Other UBL-based profiles, such as XRechnung UBL	Opens, supported fields only	Fields outside the viewer's vocabulary stay in the XML tab. No profile support is claimed.
UN/CEFACT CII, Factur-X or ZUGFeRD	Not supported	The viewer says what the file is and does not open it.
PDF, ZIP, other XML or text	Not supported	Refused with a message naming the file type where it can tell.

Viewing is not validation

Viewing shows what the XML says

Every amount, date and identifier is shown exactly as written. The viewer does not add up lines, fix rounding or fill gaps. Where the document is missing something or states it twice, a note says so, but a note is about reading the document, not about whether it is compliant.

Validation checks it against the rules

Validate invoice sends the same XML to Ironfang Finance, which checks the UBL schema, the EN 16931 business rules and the Peppol BIS Billing 3 rules, and shows each finding beside the invoice. The same checks are on the Peppol validator.

Ironfang Finance API

Need to validate invoices in your application?

The Ironfang Finance API checks UBL invoices and credit notes against EN 16931 and Peppol BIS Billing 3 and returns the findings as JSON. Paid plans also generate Peppol UBL from JSON, checked against the same rules before it is returned.

Get a Finance API key View API documentation View plans

250 free validations every month. No card required. This viewer is free without an account.

The viewer is a free tool. There is no viewing or PDF API to buy.
The API validates and generates invoices: the jobs you automate.
Anonymous checks here and API checks use the same rule releases.

Questions

Short answers about the viewer. The invoice viewer guide covers formats, fields, limits and privacy in full.

Which XML invoices can I open?: UBL 2.1 invoices and credit notes, including Peppol BIS Billing 3 documents. Other UBL-based profiles open too, showing the fields the viewer supports. CII, Factur-X and ZUGFeRD are not supported.
Is my file uploaded?: Yes, to Ironfang's free tools API, which reads it in memory in the UK and sends back the readable invoice. Neither the file nor the PDF is stored, and nothing from its contents is logged or sent to analytics.
Can I view a credit note?: Yes. A UBL CreditNote opens as a credit note, with its own lines and credited quantities, and its total is shown as the amount credited rather than an amount due.
Can I download a PDF?: Yes. Download PDF gives you a paginated A4 or US Letter PDF with selectable text, made from the same fields you see on screen. It is free and needs no account.
Does viewing prove an invoice is valid?: No. The viewer shows what the XML says; it does not check it against EN 16931 or Peppol rules. Choose Validate invoice to check the same file with Ironfang Finance.
Can this open an ordinary PDF or a Factur-X file?: No. The viewer opens UBL XML. If you have a PDF, look for the XML invoice that was sent with it, or attached inside it, and open that file instead.

Free XML invoice viewer for UBL and Peppol

The same invoice, as XML and as a document

What you can inspect

Parties and references

Items and adjustments

Tax and totals

Payment details