PEPPOL-EN16931-R003 — E-Invoice Validation Rule & Fix

Fixture ID: peppolNoReference · XPath: /ubl:Invoice/cbc:BuyerReference

1. Why This Rule Triggers (Diagnostic Message)

A buyer reference (BT-10) or a purchase order reference (BT-13) must be provided, and this invoice carries neither. Core EN 16931 leaves both optional; Peppol makes the pair conditionally mandatory because the network delivers straight into the buyer's accounts payable system, and that system needs one handle to match the invoice against — a cost centre, a requisition, a purchase order. Without one, an invoice that arrives in seconds waits weeks for a human to work out who ordered it. This is a Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 profile rule: it applies because profile is "peppol-bis-3". It does not apply to the en16931, xrechnung-ubl or xrechnung-cii profiles, whose validators will accept the same document.

2. How to Fix PEPPOL-EN16931-R003

Set buyerReference to whatever reference your customer gave you when they ordered (in Germany this is the Leitweg-ID; elsewhere it is often a cost centre or contact code), or set orderReference to their purchase order number. Either satisfies the rule; supply both if you have both.

3. Valid Code / Payload Example

"buyerReference": "04011000-1234512345-06"