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
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.
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.
Where the field sits
- Invoice
- cac:AccountingCustomerParty
- cac:Party
- cac:PartyIdentification
- cbc:IDBT-46
- rsm:CrossIndustryInvoice
- rsm:SupplyChainTradeTransaction
- ram:ApplicableHeaderTradeAgreement
- ram:BuyerTradeParty
- ram:IDBT-46
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
XML Implementation
/Invoice/cac:AccountingCustomerParty/cac:Party/cac:PartyIdentification/cbc:ID/rsm:CrossIndustryInvoice/rsm:SupplyChainTradeTransaction/ram: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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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.