BR-DE-21:Invalid XRechnung Specification Identifier
The Specification Identifier (BT-24 CustomizationID) must follow the XRechnung URN format: urn:cen.eu:en16931:2017#compliant#urn:xeinkauf.de:kosit:xrechnung_X.X
Engine Classification
Ensure bank account details are present for credit transfer payment means
Confidence: 80% · Applied automatically in pipeline
What is BR-DE-21?
BR-DE-21 is a fatal validation rule defined in the XRechnung (Germany) specification (DEU national rules). It validates the ID element under PayeeFinancialAccount in the UBL invoice XML.
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.
Target path: //cac:PaymentMeans/cac:PayeeFinancialAccount/cbc:ID
Why This Error Matters
Invoice rejected. German XRechnung requires specific specification identifier format.
BR-DE-21 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
- ·Rejected by XRechnung endpoints
- ·Error returned: BR-DE-21
- ·Specification: XRechnung (Germany)
How to Fix It
Check current value
Examine the CustomizationID element
Set valid URN
Use urn:cen.eu:en16931:2017#compliant#urn:xeinkauf.de:kosit:xrechnung_3.0
Before / After
<Invoice> <cbc:BuyerReference><!-- invalid or missing value --></cbc:BuyerReference> </Invoice>
<Invoice> <cbc:BuyerReference>correct-value</cbc:BuyerReference> </Invoice>
Technical Reference
//cac:PaymentMeans/cac:PayeeFinancialAccount/cbc:IDCommon Causes
- ·Specification identifier not XRechnung format
- ·BT-24 CustomizationID not matching XRechnung URN
- ·German invoice requires specific specification ID
- ·CustomizationID missing XRechnung version identifier
- ·Specification ID using EN16931 instead of XRechnung
Seeing this in production? The API handles BR-DE-21 automatically. See the fix response →
Frequently Asked Questions
XRechnung invoices must have a CustomizationID (BT-24) that follows the official URN format: urn:cen.eu:en16931:2017#compliant#urn:xeinkauf.de:kosit:xrechnung_X.X
Change the CustomizationID to the valid XRechnung URN, for example: urn:cen.eu:en16931:2017#compliant#urn:xeinkauf.de:kosit:xrechnung_3.0
Current valid versions include xrechnung_2.3, xrechnung_3.0, etc. Check the official XRechnung specification for the latest version.
Yes, Invoice Navigator can automatically correct the CustomizationID to the valid XRechnung URN format.
Related Errors
Last updated: 27 February 2026
Handle BR-DE-21 Automatically in Your Pipeline
The compliance engine auto-remediates this error with controlled safety policies and evidence pack generation.