How do I fix BR-CL-16?

The Payment Means Code is not a valid UNCL4461 code. Common codes: 30=credit transfer, 58=SEPA, 48=card payment, 1=cash. You can also use Invoice Navigator's compliance engine to correct this automatically in your pipeline.

Is BR-CL-16 a critical error?

Yes, BR-CL-16 is a critical error that will cause invoice rejection. It must be fixed before submission.

Can BR-CL-16 be automatically fixed?

Many instances of BR-CL-16 can be automatically corrected using Invoice Navigator's compliance engine. The fix is applied in your pipeline with full audit evidence.

errorEN 16931

`BR-CL-16`:Invalid payment means code

The payment means code must be a valid code from the UNTDID 4461 code list. Common codes: 10 (Cash), 30 (Credit transfer), 48 (Bank card), 49 (Direct debit), 58 (SEPA credit transfer), 59 (SEPA direct debit).

Severity

Fatal

Rule set

EN 16931

Country

All EU

Fix type

AUTO-FIX

Confidence

90%

Engine Classification

Normalize payment means code using UNTDID 4461 aliases (e.g., "cash"→10, "bank transfer"→30, "sepa"→58)

Confidence: 90% · Applied automatically in pipeline

What is BR-CL-16?

BR-CL-16 is a fatal validation rule defined in the EN 16931 specification. It checks whether invalid payment means code.

When this rule fires, the invoice is non-compliant and will be rejected by Peppol access points and national validation services. The sending system receives a rejection response and the invoice does not reach the buyer.

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Why This Error Matters

Invoice rejected. Payment method must be a recognized code for payment processing.

BR-CL-16 is a hard failure. Invoices that trigger this rule are rejected at the access point and never reach the recipient. In Peppol networks, this means your sending system receives an MLR (Message Level Response) with a rejection status. The invoice must be corrected and re-sent, adding delay to your payment cycle.

Invoice Navigator can automatically correct this error in your pipeline. The fix is applied with full audit evidence, so your compliance trail remains intact.

Validator Behavior

·Causes invoice rejection
·Error returned: BR-CL-16
·Specification: EN 16931

Before / After

Failing XML

<Invoice>
  <!-- Issue: Payment means in an invoice MUST be coded using UNCL4461 cod -->
</Invoice>

Corrected XML

<Invoice>
  <!-- Issue resolved per EN 16931 -->
</Invoice>

Technical Reference

SpecEN 16931

Operationnormalize

StrategyNormalize payment means code using UNTDID 4461 aliases (e.g., "cash"→10, "bank transfer"→30, "sepa"→58)

Common Causes

·Payment means code not from UNCL 4461 list
·Custom payment type code used instead of standard
·Payment method stored as text description not code
·Invalid or unsupported payment means code value
·Legacy payment type not mapped to UNCL 4461

Seeing this in production? The API handles BR-CL-16 automatically. See the fix response →

Handle BR-CL-16 Automatically in Your Pipeline

The compliance engine auto-remediates this error with controlled safety policies and evidence pack generation.

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BR-CL-16:Invalid payment means code