CII-SR-397: Leave the identifier out of the payment terms

What it means

The payment terms contain an ID element, an identifier or code for the payment terms. EN 16931 does not use it. It gives the payment terms as text in words (BT-20) and the due date (BT-9) as a date.

Why it matters

This is a warning, so the invoice is still accepted. The buyer's software does not read the identifier, so it cannot look up what the code stands for. It is worth fixing if the full wording of the terms is only available through that code, or if the buyer's system is strict about extra elements.

How to fix it

Remove the ID element from the payment terms. Keep the wording of the terms in the payment terms text (BT-20) and the date in the due date (BT-9). If your invoicing software stores payment terms under a code, make sure the full wording is exported as text.

The rule as published

ID should not be present

Where this rule applies