errorcountryDEUXRechnung (Germany)

BR-DE-5:Das Element "Seller contact point" (BT-41) muss übermittelt werden.

Fix: This requires user input to resolve. Provide the correct value for `cbc:Name` (BT-41) (BR-DE-5). Provide the required value in the free validator.

German XRechnung requires Seller Contact Point (BT-41). A contact person or department name must be provided.

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: Contact Point (BT-41)

What is BR-DE-5?

BR-DE-5 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. German public sector needs a specific contact point.

BR-DE-5 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-5
  • ·Specification: XRechnung (Germany)

How to Fix It

1.

Identify the missing data

German XRechnung requires Seller Contact Point (BT-41). A contact person or department name must be provided.

2.

Provide the required value

This requires user input to resolve. Provide the correct value for `cbc:Name` (BT-41) (BR-DE-5).

3.

Re-validate your invoice

Upload the corrected invoice to confirm BR-DE-5 is resolved.

Before / After

Failing XML
<cac:Contact>
  <cbc:Name><!-- invalid or missing value --></cbc:Name>
</cac:Contact>
Corrected XML
<cac:Contact>
  <cbc:Name>correct-value</cbc:Name>
</cac:Contact>

Technical Reference

SpecXRechnung (Germany)
StrategyRequires user input: Contact person name or department (e.g., "Accounts Receivable" or "Max Mustermann").

Common Causes

  • ·Seller contact name missing for XRechnung
  • ·BT-41 Seller contact point not transmitted
  • ·German invoice requires seller contact person name
  • ·Contact/Name element empty in seller party
  • ·Seller contact section incomplete

Seeing this in production? The API handles BR-DE-5 automatically. See the fix response →

Frequently Asked Questions

German XRechnung requires Seller Contact Point (BT-41). A contact person or department name must be provided.

This requires user input to resolve. Provide the correct value for `cbc:Name` (BT-41) (BR-DE-5). You can also use Invoice Navigator's compliance engine to correct this automatically in your pipeline.

Yes, BR-DE-5 is a critical error that will cause invoice rejection. It must be fixed before submission.

Many instances of BR-DE-5 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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