errorcountryDEUXRechnung (Germany)

BR-DE-4:Das Element "Seller post code" (BT-38) muss übermittelt werden.

Fix: German XRechnung requires Seller Post Code (BT-38). The seller's postal code must be specified. Provide the required value in the free validator.

German XRechnung requires Seller Post Code (BT-38). The seller's postal code must be specified.

Severity
Fatal
Rule set
XRechnung (Germany)
Country
DEU
Fix type
INPUT REQUIRED

Engine Classification

Business data required · Explicit input workflow · No assumptions made

Required input: Seller Post Code (BT-38)

What is BR-DE-4?

BR-DE-4 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 rejected. Complete seller address with postal code is mandatory.

BR-DE-4 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-4
  • ·Specification: XRechnung (Germany)

How to Fix It

1.

Identify the missing data

German XRechnung requires Seller Post Code (BT-38). The seller's postal code must be specified.

2.

Provide the required value

German XRechnung requires Seller Post Code (BT-38). The seller's postal code must be specified.

3.

Re-validate your invoice

Upload the corrected invoice to confirm BR-DE-4 is resolved.

Before / After

Failing XML
<cac:PostalAddress>
  <cbc:PostalZone>INVALID_CODE</cbc:PostalZone>
</cac:PostalAddress>
Corrected XML
<cac:PostalAddress>
  <cbc:PostalZone>VALID_CODE</cbc:PostalZone>
</cac:PostalAddress>

Technical Reference

SpecXRechnung (Germany)
StrategyRequires user input: Seller postal code (PLZ). Cannot auto-derive postal codes.

Common Causes

  • ·Seller address missing postal code for XRechnung
  • ·BT-38 Seller post code not transmitted
  • ·German invoice requires seller postal code
  • ·AccountingSupplierParty/PostalAddress/PostalZone empty
  • ·Partial seller address without postcode

Seeing this in production? The API handles BR-DE-4 automatically. See the fix response →

Frequently Asked Questions

German XRechnung requires Seller Post Code (BT-38). The seller's postal code must be specified.

German XRechnung requires Seller Post Code (BT-38). The seller's postal code must be specified. You can also use Invoice Navigator's compliance engine to correct this automatically in your pipeline.

Yes, BR-DE-4 is a critical error that will cause invoice rejection. It must be fixed before submission.

Many instances of BR-DE-4 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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