What it means
In a Peppol BIS invoice the specification identifier (BT-24) must start with urn:cen.eu:en16931:2017#compliant#urn:fdc:peppol.eu:2017:poacc:billing:3.0. National extensions such as XRechnung or NLCIUS add to the end of it; they do not replace it.
Why it matters
Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 adds this rule to EN 16931 so that every access point and receiver can process the invoice the same way. The sending or receiving access point rejects an invoice that fails it, so it never reaches the buyer.
How to fix it
Choose Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 (or a national format based on it) as the export format in your invoicing software and export again. If you build the XML yourself, write the identifier exactly, without spaces, in cbc:CustomizationID.
The rule as published
Read the rule on the publisher's site
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 PEPPOL-EN16931-R004 still fails, and which other rules do.
Related rules
- PEPPOL-EN16931-R005 The VAT accounting currency must differ from the invoice currency
- PEPPOL-EN16931-R007 The business process must be an approved Peppol process
- PEPPOL-EN16931-R008 The invoice must not contain empty elements
- PEPPOL-EN16931-R010 The buyer's electronic address is required
- PEPPOL-EN16931-R020 The seller's electronic address is required
- PEPPOL-EN16931-R040 A percentage discount or charge must add up