The date when the goods were delivered or services were performed. This field specifies the actual completion date of delivery or service performance, which is crucial for contract compliance, SLA verification, and legal documentation. Different from the invoice issue date (BT-2) and VAT point date (BT-7), this represents the physical or logical delivery/performance completion.
The actual delivery date is essential for delivery compliance tracking, contract fulfillment verification, and performance measurement. It enables automated SLA monitoring, dispute resolution, and accurate delivery performance analytics. In German commercial law, this date is crucial for determining when ownership transfer occurs, warranty periods begin, and acceptance procedures are triggered. For B2B logistics, it supports delivery confirmation workflows, payment term calculations based on delivery, and integration with ERP systems for inventory and financial accounting.
Optional according to EN 16931-1, but often required by German commercial law (BGB §433, §447) for documenting delivery completion and risk transfer. Essential for Incoterms compliance and international trade documentation. May be mandatory for specific contract types, public procurement, or industry-specific regulations (e.g., pharmaceutical, automotive supply chains).
/Invoice/cac:Delivery/cbc:ActualDeliveryDate/rsm:CrossIndustryInvoice/rsm:SupplyChainTradeTransaction/ram:ApplicableHeaderTradeDelivery/ram:ActualDeliverySupplyChainEvent/ram:OccurrenceDateTime/udt:DateTimeString2025-01-152025-03-222024-12-312025-06-302024-11-2515.01.2025✗ Invalid2025/01/15✗ Invalid01-15-2025✗ Invalid2025-13-01✗ Invalid2024-02-30✗ Invalid31-12-2025✗ InvalidBT-72 indicates when goods were physically delivered or services were actually performed, while BT-2 is when the invoice document was created and issued. These dates often differ - goods may be delivered before or after the invoice is issued, depending on business processes and payment terms.
BT-72 documents the actual delivery/performance completion, while BT-7 determines when VAT becomes chargeable for tax reporting. They are often the same date, but can differ for advance payments, milestone billing, or complex delivery schedules. German VAT law (UStG §13) typically aligns VAT liability with delivery completion.
Provide BT-72 when the delivery date is important for contract compliance, SLA tracking, warranty periods, or when it differs significantly from the invoice date. It's particularly important for project-based work, milestone deliveries, B2B logistics, and when delivery confirmation is required for payment processing.
Under German civil law (BGB §433, §447), the actual delivery date determines when risk transfers from seller to buyer, when ownership typically transfers, and when warranty periods begin. It's crucial for determining delivery obligations, calculating delay penalties, and establishing the basis for legal claims related to defective performance.
BT-72 provides documentary evidence of delivery completion required for Incoterms compliance. For terms like DDP, DAP, or FCA, the actual delivery date proves when the seller fulfilled their delivery obligations and when risk/costs transferred. This is essential for international payment processing, customs clearance, and dispute resolution.
Yes, BT-72 can be earlier than BT-2. This commonly occurs when goods are delivered or services are performed before invoicing, such as in monthly billing cycles, project completion billing, or when delivery confirmation is required before invoice generation. This reflects real-world business processes where delivery and invoicing are separate operational steps.
BT-72 enables automated delivery confirmation workflows, triggers payment processing based on delivery completion, supports inventory management updates, and facilitates customer satisfaction tracking. It allows ERP systems to automatically match delivery receipts with invoices, calculate delivery performance KPIs, and generate delivery compliance reports.
BT-72 must use ISO 8601 date format (YYYY-MM-DD), be a valid calendar date, and logically relate to other invoice dates. While the field is optional, when provided, it should be reasonable in relation to the invoice date and business context. Some business rules may require consistency with related delivery information fields.
BT-72 provides objective evidence for evaluating compliance with contractual delivery terms, including delivery deadlines, SLA requirements, and penalty clauses. It enables automated calculation of delivery performance metrics, identification of late deliveries, and supports contract enforcement. For just-in-time delivery or strict scheduling requirements, BT-72 is essential for performance monitoring.
Common scenarios include: advance invoicing for future deliveries, monthly billing for services delivered throughout the period, project milestone completion before final invoicing, partial deliveries with consolidated billing, emergency deliveries invoiced after completion, and subscription services where delivery occurs before billing cycles.
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