What it means
When an invoice is paid by direct debit, it can show the buyer's account that will be debited (BT-91), normally an IBAN. In UBL that is cbc:ID inside cac:PaymentMandate/cac:PayerFinancialAccount. EN 16931 treats it as a plain identifier with no scheme. This rule checks that this cbc:ID has no schemeID attribute, for example schemeID="IBAN".
Why it matters
This is a warning. It is worth fixing when your export adds it to every direct debit invoice.
How to fix it
In your invoicing software, check the direct debit settings and enter only the account number, with no account type or scheme next to it. If your export still writes a scheme, update the software or export in the standard EN 16931 or Peppol BIS format. If you build the XML yourself, delete the schemeID attribute from cbc:ID in cac:PaymentMandate/cac:PayerFinancialAccount.
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 PayerFinancialAccount/ID schemeID 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-677 still fails, and which other rules do.
Related rules
- UBL-CR-678 The VAT category code must have no scheme
- UBL-CR-679 The VAT category code on a line must have no scheme
- UBL-CR-680 Do not add a payer account directly to the payment instructions
- UBL-CR-681 Do not add an instruction note to the payment instructions
- UBL-CR-682 The delivery address must sit inside the delivery location
- UBL-CR-676 The direct debit mandate reference must not have a scheme