What it means
When the seller and the buyer are both in Germany and the payment means type code (BT-81) is 58 (SEPA bank transfer), the payment account identifier (BT-84) should be a valid IBAN. Spaces are ignored. The value needs two capital letters for the country, two check digits and then letters or digits, and the check digits must add up correctly. A typo or an ordinary account number in that field fails the check.
Why it matters
This is a warning, so the invoice is still accepted. But the buyer's software pays into this account, and with a wrong IBAN the payment fails or has to be made by hand. It is worth fixing before you send the invoice.
How to fix it
Copy the IBAN from your bank instead of retyping it, and paste it into the bank details in your invoicing software. A German IBAN starts with DE and has 22 characters in all. Check that the field does not hold an account number, a BIC or a sort code. If you do not want to be paid by SEPA bank transfer, choose another payment method.
The rule as published
Read the rule on the publisher's site
Business terms: BT-81, BT-84
Where this rule applies
| Rule set | Version |
|---|---|
| Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 (invoice) | 2026.5 |
| Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 (credit note) | 2026.5 |
Check your file
Drop your e-invoice to see whether DE-R-019 still fails, and which other rules do.
Related rules
- BR-61 Payment by transfer needs an account number
- BR-DE-19 A SEPA credit transfer needs a valid IBAN
- IS-R-006 Payment code 9 for Icelandic sellers needs a 12-digit account
- IS-R-007 Bank transfers from Icelandic sellers need a 12-digit account
- BR-49 Payment means code is required
- BR-50 A credit transfer needs an account number