BR-DE-4:Das Element "Seller post code" (BT-38) muss übermittelt werden.
German XRechnung requires Seller Post Code (BT-38). The seller's postal code must be specified.
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). It checks whether das element "seller post code" (bt-38) muss übermittelt werden..
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.
Why This Error Matters
Invoice rejected. Complete seller address with postal code is mandatory.
BR-DE-4 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.
Validator Behavior
- ·Causes invoice rejection
- ·Rejected by XRechnung endpoints
- ·Error returned: BR-DE-4
- ·Specification: XRechnung (Germany)
Before / After
<cac:PostalAddress> <cbc:PostalZone>INVALID_CODE</cbc:PostalZone> </cac:PostalAddress>
<cac:PostalAddress> <cbc:PostalZone>VALID_CODE</cbc:PostalZone> </cac:PostalAddress>
Technical Reference
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 →
Related Errors
Last updated: 27 February 2026
Handle BR-DE-4 Automatically in Your Pipeline
The compliance engine auto-remediates this error with controlled safety policies and evidence pack generation.