What it means
Every XRechnung must contain payment instructions (BG-16): at least the payment means code (BT-81) and, for a credit transfer, the account to pay into. EN 16931 makes them optional; XRechnung does not.
Why it matters
XRechnung, the German standard for e-invoices, requires this on top of EN 16931. Public bodies in Germany and their invoice portals (ZRE, OZG-RE and the state portals) reject an XRechnung that fails this rule, and many German businesses check incoming invoices the same way.
How to fix it
Fill in the payment details in your invoicing software: choose the payment method (usually SEPA credit transfer, code 58) and enter your IBAN. If the invoice is already paid or settled another way, still choose the payment method that was used. In the XML this is cac:PaymentMeans (UBL) or ram:SpecifiedTradeSettlementPaymentMeans (CII).
The rule as published
Eine Rechnung (INVOICE) muss Angaben zu "PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS" (BG-16) enthalten. Business terms: BG-16
Where this rule applies
| Rule set | Version |
|---|---|
| XRechnung 3.0 (UBL) | 3.0.2 |
| XRechnung 3.0 (UBL credit note) | 3.0.2 |
| XRechnung 3.0 (CII) | 3.0.2 |
Check your file
Drop your e-invoice to see whether BR-DE-1 still fails, and which other rules do.