Reference
Markdown exportBR-DE-6 Seller contact telephone must be provided
Under the German XRechnung profile for electronic invoicing in public procurement, the seller contact telephone number (BT-42) is a mandatory field within the seller contact group (BG-6). Public authorities require direct telephone reachability to clarify urgent billing inquiries, invoice discrepancies, or delivery receipt confirmations without causing formal rejection and re-submission delays.
Problem Description
ERROR
German XRechnung rule (KoSIT, BR-DE) · XRechnung 3.0
Context and Significance
Missing telephone information in BG-6 causes immediate Schematron error BR-DE-6. German public sector verification gateways reject such invoices unconditionally.
Solution
In your ERP or accounting master data, specify a valid business telephone number with area code or international country code (+49 ...). In UBL 2.1 syntax, populate <cbc:Telephone> inside <cac:AccountingSupplierParty><cac:Party><cac:Contact>. In UN/CEFACT CII syntax, populate <ram:TelephoneUniversalCommunication><ram:CompleteNumber> inside <ram:SellerTradeParty><ram:DefinedTradeContact>. Note that per rule BR-DE-27, the value should contain at least three digits and not consist of dummy placeholders.
Quick actions
Valid Examples
- BT-42 = "+49 30 1234567"
- BT-42 = "089 987654321"
Invalid Examples
- Seller contact group (cac:Contact / ram:DefinedTradeContact) includes name and email but omits cbc:Telephone / ram:CompleteNumber
- Telephone element populated with placeholder text such as "--" or "n/a"
Code Examples
<cac:Contact>
<cbc:Name>Vertrieb / Kundenbetreuung</cbc:Name>
<cbc:Telephone>+49 30 1234567</cbc:Telephone>
<cbc:ElectronicMail>info@seller.de</cbc:ElectronicMail>
</cac:Contact><cac:Contact>
<cbc:Name>Vertrieb / Kundenbetreuung</cbc:Name>
<cbc:ElectronicMail>info@seller.de</cbc:ElectronicMail>
</cac:Contact>