Bilko CEO Decision: Croatia Peppol (Option B)

Author: ALAI, 2026

# CEO Decision: Croatia Peppol Strategy — Option B (Storecove/Pagero Routing)

**Date:** 2026-04-22
**Decided by:** CEO Alem Basic
**Context:** MC #8688 (Bilko multi-market architecture Phase 0–1 execution)
**Related:** ADR-016 (E-Invoice Adapter), Bilko HR-FISK integration planning

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## Question

How should Bilko handle **Croatia e-invoicing** (HR-FISK / FINA eRacun) given the mandatory Jan 2026 deadline and certificate requirements?

**Three options evaluated:**

### Option A: Direct FINA Certificate (Legal Entity Required)

- Register ALAI legal entity in Croatia (d.o.o. or equivalent)
- Apply for FINA-certified e-invoice software provider status
- Obtain X.509 certificate for direct HR-FISK API access
- Estimated lead time: 6–8 weeks
- Estimated cost: €3,000–€5,000 (legal registration + FINA certification)

**Pros:**

- Full control over e-invoice submission
- No per-transaction fees to intermediary
- Direct relationship with FINA

**Cons:**

- Requires Croatian legal entity (ALAI only has BiH entity — ALAI Tech d.o.o. Banja Luka)
- 6–8 week lead time blocks HR market launch
- Ongoing compliance burden (annual FINA audit, certificate renewal)
- Bilko has ZERO revenue — cannot justify €5K upfront cost

### Option B: Peppol Access Point Routing (Storecove / Pagero)

- Route Croatia e-invoices through **Peppol network** via certified Access Point provider
- Use **Storecove** (Netherlands) or **Pagero** (Sweden) as intermediary
- Bilko submits UBL 2.1 XML to Storecove/Pagero → they forward to FINA on our behalf
- No Croatian legal entity required
- Lead time: 2–3 days (API integration only)
- Cost: €0.10–€0.25 per invoice (pay-as-you-go)

**Pros:**

- No upfront cost — pay per invoice
- No Croatian legal entity required
- 2–3 day integration (vs 6–8 weeks for Option A)
- Peppol network = EU-wide standard, future-proof for Slovenia/Austria expansion
- Storecove/Pagero handle FINA certificate renewal, compliance

**Cons:**

- Per-transaction fee (€0.10–€0.25 × invoice volume)
- Dependency on third-party SLA (Storecove uptime = our uptime)
- Billing passes through intermediary (not direct FINA relationship)

### Option C: Partner with Croatian Accounting Software Provider

- White-label partnership with existing FINA-certified Croatian provider (e.g., Asix, IN2)
- Bilko acts as reseller, not software provider
- Partner handles e-invoicing, Bilko provides UI + accounting engine

**Pros:**

- Zero technical integration burden
- Immediate market access

**Cons:**

- Revenue share with partner (30–50% margin loss)
- Loss of control over e-invoice UX
- Partner lock-in — cannot switch without customer migration

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## Decision

**Option B: Peppol Access Point Routing (Storecove or Pagero)**

### Rationale

1. **ALAI has ZERO revenue.** Cannot justify €5K upfront cost for Option A when Bilko has no paying customers.
2. **Speed to market.** HR market launch blocked 6–8 weeks (Option A) vs 2–3 days (Option B).
3. **Pay-as-you-go aligns with MVP stage.** €0.10/invoice × 100 invoices/month = €10/month. Only pay if customers exist.
4. **Future-proof.** Peppol network supports Slovenia, Austria, Germany — expansion targets post-HR launch.
5. **No legal entity burden.** ALAI Tech d.o.o. (BiH entity) cannot easily register in Croatia. Option B removes this blocker.

### Implementation Plan

1. **Select provider:** Storecove (primary) — better developer docs + API ergonomics than Pagero
2. **Integration adapter:** `HRFISKEInvoiceAdapter` delegates to Storecove API
3. **Billing:** Storecove invoices ALAI monthly (auto-debit, no upfront deposit)
4. **Monitoring:** Storecove provides webhook for delivery confirmation + FINA acceptance status
5. **Fallback:** If Storecove SLA drops <99% in 3 consecutive months, migrate to Pagero (same Peppol network, different provider)

### Cost Projection

**Year 1 (MVP phase):**

- Month 1–3: 0 customers → €0
- Month 4–6: 10 customers × 20 invoices/month = 200 invoices × €0.10 = €20/month
- Month 7–12: 50 customers × 20 invoices/month = 1,000 invoices × €0.10 = €100/month
- **Total Year 1:** ~€500

**Year 2 (growth phase):**

- 500 customers × 20 invoices/month = 10,000 invoices × €0.10 = €1,000/month
- **Total Year 2:** ~€12,000

**Breakeven with Option A:**

- Option A upfront: €5,000 + €500/year maintenance = €5,500 Year 1
- Option B: €500 Year 1, €12,000 Year 2
- **Breakeven at ~18 months** (assuming linear growth)

**Decision:** Option B is correct for MVP. Revisit at 500 customers (when per-invoice cost exceeds amortized Option A cost).

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## Action Items

1. **Create Storecove account** — MC task assigned to CodeCraft (integration builder)
2. **Update `HRFISKEInvoiceAdapter`** — serialize UBL 2.1 → POST to Storecove `/invoice` endpoint
3. **Webhook handler** — receive Storecove delivery confirmation → update `fiscal_submission_handle` table
4. **Monitoring** — Grafana panel tracking Storecove API latency + success rate
5. **BookStack page** — "Croatia E-Invoicing via Storecove" runbook (credentials, error codes, escalation)

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## Approval

**Approved:** 2026-04-22 by CEO Alem Basic

**Recorded by:** John (AI Director)

**Next review:** At 500 HR customers OR 18 months, whichever comes first. Re-evaluate Option A vs Option B based on actual invoice volume.