What it means
Every invoice must contain the name of the seller contact point (BT-41). It is the person or department the buyer can contact about the invoice.
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
Enter a contact name or department, such as "Accounts" or your own name, in the company or sender settings of your invoicing software and export again.
The rule as published
Das Element "Seller contact point" (BT-41) muss übermittelt werden. Business terms: BT-41
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-5 still fails, and which other rules do.
Related rules
- BR-RO-L1004 Seller contact point must be 100 characters or fewer
- CII-SR-465 Give the seller contact as a name or a department, not both
- DE-R-005 A seller contact name is required between German parties
- BR-DE-6 Seller contact phone is required
- BR-DE-7 Seller contact email is required
- BR-DE-8 Buyer city is required