XRechnung error BR-DE-1: payment means missing
BR-DE-1 requires that an XRechnung contains at least one payment means. This includes payment instructions such as IBAN/BIC for bank transfer, direct debit data, or other payment methods. The PaymentMeans element (cac:PaymentMeans) must be present.
Last updated: 2026-06-01
Affected field
cac:PaymentMeans (UBL) / ram:SpecifiedTradeSettlementPaymentMeans (CII)
Cause
The payment means element was omitted from the invoice or is empty. Some invoicing systems only export bank details if they are stored in the system.
Fix
Add at least one payment means to your invoice. For bank transfers: recipient IBAN (cac:PayeeFinancialAccount/cbc:ID) and BIC (if outside SEPA). PaymentMeansCode 30 = credit transfer, 58 = SEPA credit transfer.
<!-- No PaymentMeans element present -->
<cac:PaymentMeans>
<cbc:PaymentMeansCode>58</cbc:PaymentMeansCode>
<cac:PayeeFinancialAccount>
<cbc:ID>DE89370400440532013000</cbc:ID>
</cac:PayeeFinancialAccount>
</cac:PaymentMeans>Check your invoice for this and other errors.
Validate your invoice →Frequently asked questions
Which PaymentMeansCode should I use?▼
For SEPA credit transfers: code 58. For general credit transfers: code 30. For direct debit: code 59 (SEPA direct debit). Code 42 stands for payment via the issuer's bank. For XRechnung to German federal agencies, code 58 (SEPA credit transfer) is recommended.
Do I need to include BIC?▼
In the SEPA area, BIC has not been mandatory since 2016 when IBAN is provided. For payments outside the SEPA area, BIC should be included.