How to fix PEPPOL-EN16931-R002
No more than one note is allowed on document level, unless both the buyer and seller are German organizations.
What this rule checks
Peppol restricts the number of document-level notes (cbc:Note) to a maximum of one, unless both trading parties are registered in Germany. This simplification ensures that automated processing systems do not need to handle an arbitrary number of free-text notes. If you need to include multiple pieces of information, combine them into a single note element.
How to fix it
Reduce cbc:Note elements at the document level to one. If multiple notes are needed, concatenate them into a single cbc:Note element, or ensure both parties have country code 'DE'.
Common causes
- Multiple cbc:Note elements were added at the document level.
- A template or ERP system generates separate notes for payment terms, delivery info, and legal text.
- Notes from different sources were appended without checking the count.
- The invoice was generated for non-German parties but the system did not enforce the single-note limit.
Example: before (broken)
<Invoice xmlns="urn:oasis:names:specification:ubl:schema:xsd:Invoice-2"
xmlns:cbc="urn:oasis:names:specification:ubl:schema:xsd:CommonBasicComponents-2">
<cbc:ID>INV-2024-001</cbc:ID>
<cbc:Note>Payment due within 30 days</cbc:Note>
<cbc:Note>Please reference PO-2024-050</cbc:Note>
<cbc:Note>Goods delivered on 2024-01-10</cbc:Note>
</Invoice>Example: after (fixed)
<Invoice xmlns="urn:oasis:names:specification:ubl:schema:xsd:Invoice-2"
xmlns:cbc="urn:oasis:names:specification:ubl:schema:xsd:CommonBasicComponents-2">
<cbc:ID>INV-2024-001</cbc:ID>
<cbc:Note>Payment due within 30 days. Please reference PO-2024-050. Goods delivered on 2024-01-10.</cbc:Note>
</Invoice>Related rules
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