What it means
The seller's item number (BT-155) goes in cbc:ID inside cac:SellersItemIdentification. On every invoice or credit note line, cac:SellersItemIdentification should not contain cbc:BarcodeSymbologyID, which identifies a barcode type such as EAN-13 or Code 128. The check targets cbc:BarcodeSymbologyID regardless of whether cbc:ID is present.
Why it matters
The EN 16931 UBL rules do not use a separate barcode type inside the seller's item identification.
How to fix it
If your invoicing software lets you pick a barcode type for your article number, leave it empty or turn off that export. The number itself stays in the normal item number field. If you build the XML yourself, delete cbc:BarcodeSymbologyID from cac:SellersItemIdentification on each line.
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 InvoiceLine Item SellersItemIdentification BarcodeSymbologyID 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-577 still fails, and which other rules do.
Related rules
- UBL-CR-578 The seller's item number should not carry physical attributes
- UBL-CR-579 The seller's item number should not carry dimensions
- UBL-CR-580 The seller's item number should not name an issuer
- UBL-CR-581 The item on a line should not carry a manufacturer's number
- UBL-CR-582 The standard item ID should not have an extended ID
- UBL-CR-583 The standard item ID should not have a barcode type