What it means
Within each payment means block (cac:PaymentMeans), the payment reference (BT-83, also called remittance information) may appear at most once. It is a reference used to match the payment to the invoice.
Why it matters
EN 16931 allows at most one payment reference in each payment means block.
How to fix it
Check the payment details in your invoicing software and keep a single reference in each payment means block. If you were entering several references in one block, join them into one text. In the XML there must be at most one cbc:PaymentID in each cac:PaymentMeans.
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
Payment reference shall occur maximum once 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-SR-26 still fails, and which other rules do.
Related rules
- UBL-SR-27 Only one payment means code per payment block
- UBL-SR-28 A payment block can have only one mandate reference
- UBL-SR-29 Only one SEPA creditor identifier is allowed in the invoice
- UBL-SR-30 A discount can have only one reason text
- UBL-SR-31 A charge can have only one reason text
- UBL-SR-32 A VAT breakdown row can give only one VAT exemption reason