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Warning

UBL-CR-493: Leave the alternative payment exchange rate out of the invoice

In short

Warning: worth checking.

UBL-CR-493 means the invoice or credit note contains a PaymentAlternativeExchangeRate, which EN 16931 does not use. Remove cac:PaymentAlternativeExchangeRate and keep the amount due in the invoice currency.

On this page

What it means

This rule checks that the invoice or credit note has no cac:PaymentAlternativeExchangeRate directly under its root element. This UBL element gives a rate for an alternative currency in which the invoice could be paid. EN 16931 has one invoice currency (BT-5) and no separate structured alternative payment currency.

Why it matters

The EN 16931 UBL representation does not use an exchange-rate field for an alternative payment currency.

How to fix it

Delete cac:PaymentAlternativeExchangeRate directly under Invoice or CreditNote. Check that the amount due (BT-115) is in the invoice currency. If your invoicing software adds this element, ask its supplier to leave it out of the export. Recheck the corrected file.

Once the file is corrected, check it again for free: Validate an invoice against EN 16931

Or fix the invoice in a form and download the corrected file, for 1 credit: Fix a rejected e-invoice

The rule as published

A UBL invoice should not include the PaymentAlternativeExchangeRate

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
Rule text from phive-rules 4.6.4.

Check your file

Drop your e-invoice to see whether UBL-CR-493 still fails, and which other rules do.

Updated 6 November 2026