What it means
Every invoice must contain the buyer reference (BT-10). For German public bodies this is the Leitweg-ID, the routing id that sends the invoice to the right office, for example 991-12345-67. Business customers give you their own reference, such as a cost centre or the name of the person who ordered.
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
Ask the customer for their buyer reference and enter it on the customer record or the invoice; for public bodies it is the Leitweg-ID from the order or contract. If a business customer has no reference, enter something they recognise, such as the order number or the name of the person who ordered. In the XML it is cbc:BuyerReference (UBL) or ram:BuyerReference (CII).
The rule as published
Das Element "Buyer reference" (BT-10) muss übermittelt werden. Business terms: BT-10
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-15 still fails, and which other rules do.
Related rules
- DE-R-015 A buyer reference is required between German parties
- BR-DE-16 A taxable invoice needs the seller's VAT or tax number
- BR-DE-17 Use an invoice type code XRechnung expects
- BR-DE-18 Early payment discount terms must follow the XRechnung format
- BR-DE-19 A SEPA credit transfer needs a valid IBAN
- BR-DE-20 A SEPA direct debit needs a valid IBAN