DE-R-031:If the group "DIRECT DEBIT" (BG-19) is delivered, the element "Debited...
Fix: Invoice Navigator automatically fixes this issue by correcting the `cac:PaymentMandate` element in your Invoice (DE-R-031). Upload your invoice to fix this automatically.
Debited account missing. When direct debit (BG-19) is used, the debited account identifier (BT-91) containing the buyer's IBAN is required.
Engine Classification
Ensure invoice period start date is present for XRechnung
Confidence: 75% · Applied automatically in pipeline
What is DE-R-031?
DE-R-031 is a fatal validation rule defined in the EN 16931 specification (DEU national rules). It validates the StartDate element in the UBL invoice XML.
When this rule fires, the invoice is rejected by Peppol access points and never reaches the buyer.
Target path: //cac:InvoicePeriod/cbc:StartDate
Why This Error Matters
Invoice will be rejected by German XRechnung validators. German e-invoicing has specific format requirements for payment details, contact information, and attachments.
DE-R-031 is a hard failure — the invoice must be corrected and re-sent before it can reach the recipient.
Invoice Navigator can automatically correct this error in your pipeline. The fix is applied with full audit evidence, so your compliance trail remains intact.
Validator Behavior
- ·Causes invoice rejection
- ·Rejected by XRechnung endpoints
- ·Error returned: DE-R-031
- ·Specification: EN 16931
How to Fix It
Find the missing or empty field
Check cbc:StartDate at //cac:InvoicePeriod/cbc:StartDate. This field is required but is either missing or empty.
Set the required value
Invoice Navigator automatically fixes this issue by correcting the `cac:PaymentMandate` element in your Invoice (DE-R-031).
Re-validate your invoice
Upload the corrected invoice to confirm DE-R-031 is resolved.
Before / After
<cac:PaymentMeans> <cac:PaymentMandate><!-- invalid or missing value --></cac:PaymentMandate> </cac:PaymentMeans>
<cac:PaymentMeans> <cac:PaymentMandate>correct-value</cac:PaymentMandate> </cac:PaymentMeans>
Technical Reference
//cac:InvoicePeriod/cbc:StartDateCommon Causes
- ·Direct debit group missing debited account
- ·BT-91 required when BG-19 is present
- ·SEPA mandate missing customer account IBAN
- ·cac:PayerFinancialAccount absent in PaymentMandate
- ·Direct debit needs customer bank account identifier
Seeing this in production? The API handles DE-R-031 automatically. See the fix response →
Frequently Asked Questions
Debited account missing. When direct debit (BG-19) is used, the debited account identifier (BT-91) containing the buyer's IBAN is required.
Invoice Navigator automatically fixes this issue by correcting the `cac:PaymentMandate` element in your Invoice (DE-R-031). You can also use Invoice Navigator's compliance engine to correct this automatically in your pipeline.
Yes, DE-R-031 is a critical error that will cause invoice rejection. It must be fixed before submission.
Many instances of DE-R-031 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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