What it means
An invoice or credit note can point to a tender or lot (BT-17) through cac:OriginatorDocumentReference, and EN 16931 uses only the identifier (cbc:ID) in it. This rule checks that there is no cac:ValidityPeriod, which would state the dates between which the referenced document is valid.
Why it matters
This is a warning, so the file is still accepted and can be sent. The dates of a tender or lot do not belong in an invoice, so the recipient's software has no field for them and normally ignores them. Remove them to keep the file clean and in line with the standard.
How to fix it
In your invoicing software, open the tender or lot reference and clear any start or end dates stored with it. Do not confuse these with the invoicing period or the invoice date, which are separate fields. If you build the XML yourself, delete cac:ValidityPeriod from cac:OriginatorDocumentReference.
The rule as published
A UBL invoice should not include the OriginatorDocumentReference ValidityPeriod Where this rule applies
| Rule set | Version |
|---|---|
| EN 16931 (UBL) | 1.3.17 |
| EN 16931 (UBL credit note) | 1.3.17 |
| XRechnung 3.0 (UBL) | 3.0.2 |
| XRechnung 3.0 (UBL credit note) | 3.0.2 |
| Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 (invoice) | 2026.5 |
| Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 (credit note) | 2026.5 |
| SI-UBL 2.0 / NLCIUS (invoice) | 2.0.3.13 |
| SI-UBL 2.0 / NLCIUS (credit note) | 2.0.3.13 |
| France CTC (UBL invoice) | 1.4.0-04 |
| France CTC (UBL credit note) | 1.4.0-04 |
| CIUS-RO UBL Invoice 1.0.9 | 1.0.9 |
| CIUS-RO UBL Credit Note 1.0.9 | 1.0.9 |
Check your file
Drop your e-invoice to see whether UBL-CR-091 still fails, and which other rules do.