Reference
Markdown exportBT-23 Business Process Type Identifier
Identifies the business process that this invoice is part of, enabling proper handling and routing of electronic invoices
BT-23 (Business process type) identifies the process the invoice belongs to. It is mandatory in XRechnung 3.x and optional in base EN 16931. Use the value required by the recipient or network. Peppol BIS Billing commonly uses urn:fdc:peppol.eu:2017:poacc:billing:01:1.0.
BT-23 · EN 16931 / XRechnung 3.x
BT Reference Card
Key EN 16931 and XRechnung facts for this business term.
- BT code
BT-23- Name
- Business Process Type Identifier
- Cardinality
- Mandatory (M) — XRechnung; Optional (O) — EN 16931
- Business group
- BG-2 PROCESS CONTROL
- Data type
- Text
- Example value
urn:fdc:peppol.eu:2017:poacc:billing:01:1.0- Common error
- PEPPOL-EN16931-R001 requires BT-23. Use the business-process identifier required by the recipient or delivery network, such as the Peppol BIS Billing ProfileID.
- XRechnung note
- XRechnung 3.x requires BT-23 through the Peppol rules PEPPOL-EN16931-R001 and R007. Do not put the XRechnung CustomizationID here; that value belongs in BT-24.
Quick answer
Identifies the business process that this invoice is part of, enabling proper handling and routing of electronic invoices
Invoice basics
Core document identifiers, dates, process identifiers, and high-level invoice context.
Quick actions
In plain language
Identifies the business process that this invoice is part of, enabling proper handling and routing of electronic invoices
Identifies the business process that this invoice is part of, enabling proper handling and routing of electronic invoices
Critical for XRechnung 3.0.1+ compliance, this field ensures invoices are processed correctly within the European e-invoicing ecosystem and enables interoperability between different systems
What you usually enter here
URN (Uniform Resource Name) format with standard identifiers
Typical valid values include: urn:fdc:peppol.eu:2017:poacc:billing:01:1.0
Optional (0..1) in base EN 16931, but mandatory under XRechnung and PEPPOL BIS Billing 3.0, which require the business process identifier to be present (enforced by rule PEPPOL-EN16931-R001)
What goes wrong often
Avoid values like: urn:cen.eu:en16931:2017#compliant#urn:xeinkauf.de:kosit:xrechnung_3.0, BASIC, DE-INVOICE, simple-billing
Relevant rule codes: PEPPOL-EN16931-R001, PEPPOL-EN16931-R007
Examples in context
Critical for XRechnung 3.0.1+ compliance, this field ensures invoices are processed correctly within the European e-invoicing ecosystem and enables interoperability between different systems
Optional (0..1) in base EN 16931, but mandatory under XRechnung and PEPPOL BIS Billing 3.0, which require the business process identifier to be present (enforced by rule PEPPOL-EN16931-R001)
Valid Examples
- urn:fdc:peppol.eu:2017:poacc:billing:01:1.0
Invalid Examples
- urn:cen.eu:en16931:2017#compliant#urn:xeinkauf.de:kosit:xrechnung_3.0
- BASIC
- DE-INVOICE
- simple-billing
XML mapping and field facts
Open the technical reference if you need XML paths, validator rule codes, legal wording, or schema-specific mapping details.
Field ID:
BT-23
Data Type:
text
Cardinality:
1..1
Requirement:
Mandatory
Max Length:
200 characters
Since Version:
XRechnung 3.0.1+
XML Implementation
/Invoice/cbc:ProfileID/CrossIndustryInvoice/ExchangedDocumentContext/ram:BusinessProcessSpecifiedDocumentContextParameter/ram:IDValidation Rules
PEPPOL-EN16931-R001
Business Process Type Identifier (BT-23) must be provided
PEPPOL-EN16931-R007
PEPPOL-EN16931-R007
Next step
Check whether your XRechnung contains BT-23
The free validator applies the KoSIT rules for XRechnung 3.0 and reports a missing BT-23 (PEPPOL-EN16931-R001). XRechnung does not check the value itself. If you create the XRechnung from a PDF, the converter sets BT-23 for XRechnung 3.0.
Free, no account needed. XML file up to 2 MB.
Why the standard cares about this field
Business Context
Critical for XRechnung 3.0.1+ compliance, this field ensures invoices are processed correctly within the European e-invoicing ecosystem and enables interoperability between different systems
Legal Requirement
Optional (0..1) in base EN 16931, but mandatory under XRechnung and PEPPOL BIS Billing 3.0, which require the business process identifier to be present (enforced by rule PEPPOL-EN16931-R001)
FAQ
What is the Business Process Type Identifier used for?
It identifies the specific business process context for the invoice, enabling systems to apply the correct validation rules and processing logic.
Is BT-23 mandatory in XRechnung 3.0.1?
Yes. BT-23 became mandatory in XRechnung 3.0.1 and aligns the business-process identifier with Peppol BIS Billing requirements.
Which identifier should I use for German public administration?
Use the business-process identifier required by the recipient or agreed delivery network. For Peppol BIS Billing, a common BT-23 value is "urn:fdc:peppol.eu:2017:poacc:billing:01:1.0". The XRechnung CustomizationID belongs in BT-24, not BT-23.