BR-61:If the Payment means type code (BT-81) means SEPA credit transfer, the...
Fix: Update the `cbc:PaymentMeansCode` element to use a value from the allowed code list.
If the Payment means type code (BT-81) means SEPA credit transfer, the Payment account identifier (BT-84) shall be an IBAN.. This applies to the `cbc:PaymentMeansCode` element in the invoice XML.
Engine Classification
Financial or legal field · Modification blocked by policy
Reason: Bank account details cannot be auto-filled due to fraud risk. Must be provided by invoice issuer.
What is BR-61?
BR-61 is a fatal validation rule defined in the EN 16931 specification. It validates the IdentificationCode element under Item > OriginCountry in the UBL invoice XML.
When this rule fires, the invoice is rejected by Peppol access points and never reaches the buyer.
Target path: XPath: //cac:Item/cac:OriginCountry/cbc:IdentificationCode
Why This Error Matters
Invoice rejected. Credit transfers require a destination account number for payment.
BR-61 is a hard failure — the invoice must be corrected and re-sent before it can reach the recipient.
Validator Behavior
- ·Causes invoice rejection
- ·Error returned: BR-61
- ·Specification: EN 16931
How to Fix It
Find origin country
Locate OriginCountry element
Use ISO code
2 uppercase letters like DE, FR, IT
Before / After
<cac:PaymentMeans> <cbc:PaymentMeansCode>INVALID_CODE</cbc:PaymentMeansCode> </cac:PaymentMeans>
<cac:PaymentMeans> <cbc:PaymentMeansCode>VALID_CODE</cbc:PaymentMeansCode> </cac:PaymentMeans>
Technical Reference
XPath: //cac:Item/cac:OriginCountry/cbc:IdentificationCodeCommon Causes
- ·Credit transfer payment means without account ID
- ·SEPA/bank transfer missing IBAN or account number
- ·PaymentMeansCode 30/31/58 without PayeeFinancialAccount
- ·Bank details section incomplete in source
- ·Account identifier stored in separate system
Seeing this in production? The API handles BR-61 automatically. See the fix response →
Frequently Asked Questions
Country of origin must use ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code.
Update the `cbc:PaymentMeansCode` element to use a value from the allowed code list. This error involves a protected field — Invoice Navigator flags it in your pipeline so your team can correct it at the source.
Yes, BR-61 is a critical error that will cause invoice rejection. It must be fixed before submission to ensure your invoice is accepted by the recipient's system.
BR-61 involves a financial or legal field that cannot be auto-modified by policy. Invoice Navigator detects and flags this error immediately, but the correction must be made manually in your ERP or invoicing software.
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Last updated: 3 March 2026
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