BR-DE-25-a:When payment is by direct debit (SEPA), the mandate reference identifier is...
Fix: This requires user input to resolve. Provide the correct value for `cac:PaymentMandate` (BG-19). Provide the required value in the free validator.
When payment is by direct debit (SEPA), the mandate reference identifier is required. This is the unique reference number that identifies the mandate agreement between the buyer and seller for automatic payment collection.
Engine Classification
Business data required · Explicit input workflow · No assumptions made
Required input: Mandate Reference ID
What is BR-DE-25-a?
BR-DE-25-a is a fatal validation rule defined in the XRechnung (Germany) specification (DEU national rules).
When this rule fires, the invoice is rejected by Peppol access points and never reaches the buyer.
Why This Error Matters
Invoice will be rejected by XRechnung validation. German public sector recipients require complete SEPA direct debit information for automated payment processing.
BR-DE-25-a is a hard failure — the invoice must be corrected and re-sent before it can reach the recipient.
Validator Behavior
- ·Causes invoice rejection
- ·Rejected by XRechnung endpoints
- ·Error returned: BR-DE-25-a
- ·Specification: XRechnung (Germany)
How to Fix It
Identify the missing data
When payment is by direct debit (SEPA), the mandate reference identifier is required. This is the unique reference number that identifies the mandate agreement between the buyer and seller for automatic payment collection.
Provide the required value
This requires user input to resolve. Provide the correct value for `cac:PaymentMandate` (BG-19).
Re-validate your invoice
Upload the corrected invoice to confirm BR-DE-25-a is resolved.
Before / After
<cac:PaymentMeans> <cac:PaymentMandate>INVALID_CODE</cac:PaymentMandate> </cac:PaymentMeans>
<cac:PaymentMeans> <cac:PaymentMandate>VALID_CODE</cac:PaymentMandate> </cac:PaymentMeans>
Technical Reference
Common Causes
- ·Direct debit payment selected but mandate field left empty
- ·ERP system does not capture SEPA mandate information
- ·Mandate reference stored in separate system not linked to invoicing
- ·Manual invoice creation without access to mandate database
- ·Payment method changed to direct debit after invoice created
Seeing this in production? The API handles BR-DE-25-a automatically. See the fix response →
Frequently Asked Questions
When payment is by direct debit (SEPA), the mandate reference identifier is required. This is the unique reference number that identifies the mandate agreement between the buyer and seller for automatic payment collection.
This requires user input to resolve. Provide the correct value for `cac:PaymentMandate` (BG-19). You can also use Invoice Navigator's compliance engine to correct this automatically in your pipeline.
Yes, BR-DE-25-a is a critical error that will cause invoice rejection. It must be fixed before submission.
Many instances of BR-DE-25-a can be automatically corrected using Invoice Navigator's compliance engine. The fix is applied in your pipeline with full audit evidence.
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Last updated: 14 April 2026
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