Reference
Markdown exportBT-46 Buyer identifier
General identifier of the buyer, for example a customer ID, network ID, or routing ID.
BT-46 (Buyer identifier) is an additional identifier for the buyer — GLN, DUNS, or another scheme-qualified ID. Optional under EN 16931 but used by buyers whose ERP keys are not their VAT number. The scheme ID (e.g. 0088 for GLN) qualifies the value. Example: 0088:9876543210123.
BT-46 · EN 16931 / XRechnung 3.x
BT Reference Card
Key EN 16931 and XRechnung facts for this business term.
- BT code
BT-46- Name
- Buyer identifier
- Cardinality
- Optional (O)
- Business group
- BG-7 BUYER
- Data type
- Identifier
- Example value
0088:9876543210123
Quick answer
General identifier of the buyer, for example a customer ID, network ID, or routing ID.
Buyer details
Who receives the invoice and which buyer records or routing data must match.
Quick actions
In plain language
General identifier of the buyer, for example a customer ID, network ID, or routing ID.
General identifier of the buyer, for example a customer ID, network ID, or routing ID.
This allows suppliers and receiving systems to identify the buyer by a stable machine-readable key.
What you usually enter here
Structured buyer identifier
Typical valid values include: CUST-10045
Optional according to EN 16931-1.
What goes wrong often
Avoid values like:
Examples in context
This allows suppliers and receiving systems to identify the buyer by a stable machine-readable key.
Optional according to EN 16931-1.
Valid Examples
- CUST-10045
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-46
Data Type:
identifier
Cardinality:
0..1
Requirement:
Optional
Max Length:
50 characters
Since Version:
Optional
XML Implementation
/Invoice/cac:AccountingCustomerParty/cac:Party/cac:PartyIdentification/cbc:ID/CrossIndustryInvoice/SupplyChainTradeTransaction/ApplicableHeaderTradeAgreement/ram:BuyerTradeParty/ram:IDNext step
Fill in BT-46 when you create an XRechnung from your PDF
The converter reads the invoice and shows BT-46 with the other fields before download, so you can add or correct the value. No PDF? Fill in the XRechnung directly in the form.
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Why the standard cares about this field
Business Context
This allows suppliers and receiving systems to identify the buyer by a stable machine-readable key.
Legal Requirement
Optional according to EN 16931-1.
FAQ
What value and scheme belong in the Buyer identifier (BT-46)?
BT-46 carries the buyer's business identifier, e.g. a GLN, and the scheme is declared in BT-46-1 (schemeID from ISO 6523). It is not the Leitweg-ID (routing ID BT-10) used for German public-sector addressing, which lives in a separate field.
Is the Buyer identifier (BT-46) mandatory in XRechnung?
BT-46 is optional in EN 16931 and XRechnung; the buyer is primarily identified by name (BT-44) and address (BG-8). Provide BT-46 when the trading partners rely on a coded identifier (e.g. GLN) for automated matching; if present, its scheme in BT-46-1 must be a valid registered scheme.