errorPeppol BIS 3.0

UBL-SR-07:Preceding invoice number missing

Your invoice references a previous invoice (via BillingReference) but the actual invoice number is missing. If this invoice replaces or corrects an earlier one, you need to specify which one.

Severity
Fatal
Rule set
Peppol BIS 3.0
Country
All EU
Fix type
INPUT REQUIRED
Confidence
85%

Engine Classification

Business data required · Explicit input workflow · No assumptions made

Required input: Preceding Invoice Number

What is UBL-SR-07?

UBL-SR-07 is a fatal validation rule defined in the Peppol BIS 3.0 specification. It validates the ID element under BillingReference > InvoiceDocumentReference 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:BillingReference/cac:InvoiceDocumentReference/cbc:ID

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Why This Error Matters

Invoice will be rejected. A preceding invoice reference without an invoice number is meaningless and violates EN16931 rules.

UBL-SR-07 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 PEPPOL Access Points
  • ·Error returned: UBL-SR-07
  • ·Specification: Peppol BIS 3.0

How to Fix It

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Before / After

Failing XML
<Invoice>
  <!-- Issue: If there is a preceding invoice reference, the preceding inv -->
</Invoice>
Corrected XML
<Invoice>
  <!-- Issue resolved per Peppol BIS 3.0 -->
</Invoice>

Technical Reference

XPath/Invoice/cac:BillingReference/cac:InvoiceDocumentReference/cbc:ID
SpecPeppol BIS 3.0
Operationset_default
StrategyPrompt user for the preceding invoice number referenced in the BillingReference section

Common Causes

  • ·Preceding invoice reference structure added but number field left empty
  • ·Credit note template includes BillingReference but ID not populated
  • ·ERP export created reference element without the required identifier
  • ·Manual editing removed the invoice number from the reference
  • ·Data mapping failed to include the preceding invoice ID

Seeing this in production? The API handles UBL-SR-07 automatically. See the fix response →

Frequently Asked Questions

All amount elements must have currencyID attribute.

Add currencyID attribute to all amount elements. You can also use Invoice Navigator's automatic Fixer tool to correct this instantly.

Yes, UBL-SR-07 is a critical error that will cause invoice rejection. It must be fixed before submission.

See Also

Peppol Validator

Check your invoice now

Related Errors

BR-CL-04

Invalid currency code

Last updated: 27 February 2026

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Handle UBL-SR-07 Automatically in Your Pipeline

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

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