How do I fix DE-R-015?

The buyer reference is missing. If you have a purchase order number, we can use that. Otherwise, please provide the buyer reference or Leitweg-ID given to you by your customer. You can also use Invoice Navigator's compliance engine to correct this automatically in your pipeline.

Is DE-R-015 a critical error?

Yes, DE-R-015 is a critical error that will cause invoice rejection. It must be fixed before submission.

Can DE-R-015 be automatically fixed?

Many instances of DE-R-015 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-015`:Buyer reference required (German)

German invoices must include a Buyer reference (BT-10). For B2G (Business-to-Government) invoices, this is typically the Leitweg-ID routing number.

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: Buyer Reference / Leitweg-ID

What is DE-R-015?

DE-R-015 is a fatal validation rule defined in the EN 16931 specification (DEU national rules). It validates the BuyerReference element 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/cbc:BuyerReference

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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-015 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-015
·Specification: EN 16931

How to Fix It

Before / After

Failing XML

<Invoice>
  <cbc:BuyerReference><!-- invalid or missing value --></cbc:BuyerReference>
</Invoice>

Corrected XML

<Invoice>
  <cbc:BuyerReference>correct-value</cbc:BuyerReference>
</Invoice>

Technical Reference

XPath/Invoice/cbc:BuyerReference

SpecEN 16931

Operationset_default

StrategyDerive from OrderReference if available, otherwise prompt user for buyer reference or Leitweg-ID

Common Causes

·German invoice missing buyer reference
·BT-10 Buyer reference not provided
·cbc:BuyerReference element empty or absent
·Leitweg-ID or reference required for German public sector
·XRechnung mandates buyer reference for routing

Seeing this in production? The API handles DE-R-015 automatically. See the fix response →

Related Errors

DE-R-008

The element "Buyer city" (BT-52) shall be provided.

Last updated: 27 February 2026

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Handle DE-R-015 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-015:Buyer reference required (German)