How do I fix DE-R-002?

This requires user input to resolve. Provide the correct value for `cac:Contact` (BG-6). You can also use Invoice Navigator's compliance engine to correct this automatically in your pipeline.

Is DE-R-002 a critical error?

Yes, DE-R-002 is a critical error that will cause invoice rejection. It must be fixed before submission.

Can DE-R-002 be automatically fixed?

Many instances of DE-R-002 can be automatically corrected using Invoice Navigator's compliance engine. The fix is applied in your pipeline with full audit evidence.

errorDEUEN 16931

`DE-R-002`:Seller contact information missing

German invoices must include contact information for the seller — a contact person name, telephone number, and email address. This is required by German e-invoicing regulations.

Severity

Fatal

Rule set

EN 16931

Country

DEU

Fix type

INPUT REQUIRED

Confidence

85%

Engine Classification

Business data required · Explicit input workflow · No assumptions made

Required input: Contact Person Name, Contact Telephone, Contact Email

What is DE-R-002?

DE-R-002 is a fatal validation rule defined in the EN 16931 specification (DEU national rules). It validates the Name element under Party > Contact 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: /Invoice/cac:AccountingSupplierParty/cac:Party/cac:Contact/cbc:Name

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Why This Error Matters

Invoice will be rejected by German XRechnung validators. Germany has additional mandatory fields beyond EN16931 baseline, including seller contact details, complete addresses, and buyer reference (Leitweg-ID).

DE-R-002 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: DE-R-002
·Specification: EN 16931

How to Fix It

Before / After

Failing XML

<cac:Party>
  <cac:Contact><!-- invalid or missing value --></cac:Contact>
</cac:Party>

Corrected XML

<cac:Party>
  <cac:Contact>correct-value</cac:Contact>
</cac:Party>

Technical Reference

XPath/Invoice/cac:AccountingSupplierParty/cac:Party/cac:Contact/cbc:Name

SpecEN 16931

Operationset_default

StrategyPrompt user for seller contact details (name, telephone, email) and create the Contact element

Common Causes

·German invoice missing seller contact group
·BG-6 SELLER CONTACT not provided
·cac:Contact under seller party required
·Seller contact details mandatory for XRechnung
·German public sector requires contactable seller

Seeing this in production? The API handles DE-R-002 automatically. See the fix response →

Handle DE-R-002 Automatically in Your Pipeline

The compliance engine auto-remediates this error with controlled safety policies and evidence pack generation.

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DE-R-002:Seller contact information missing