Reference
Markdown exportBT-73 Invoicing period start date
Start date of the period to which the invoice applies.
Quick answer
Start date of the period to which the invoice applies.
Delivery and payment
Delivery dates, payment means, and the operational context around settlement.
In plain language
Start date of the period to which the invoice applies.
Start date of the period to which the invoice applies.
Important for subscriptions, rentals, and all invoices that bill a service period instead of a single delivery moment.
What you usually enter here
ISO 8601 date format (YYYY-MM-DD)
Typical valid values include: 2026-04-01, 2026-01-01
Optional according to EN 16931-1.
What goes wrong often
Avoid values like: 01.04.2026, 2026/04/01
Examples in context
Important for subscriptions, rentals, and all invoices that bill a service period instead of a single delivery moment.
Optional according to EN 16931-1.
Valid Examples
Use these points as the practical checks for this section.
- 2026-04-01
- 2026-01-01
Invalid Examples
Use these points as the practical checks for this section.
- 01.04.2026
- 2026/04/01
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-73
Data Type:
date
Cardinality:
0..1
Requirement:
Optional
Since Version:
Optional
XML Implementation
/Invoice/cac:InvoicePeriod/cbc:StartDate/CrossIndustryInvoice/SupplyChainTradeTransaction/ApplicableHeaderTradeDelivery/ram:BillingSpecifiedPeriod/ram:StartDateTimeWhy the standard cares about this field
Business Context
Important for subscriptions, rentals, and all invoices that bill a service period instead of a single delivery moment.
Legal Requirement
Optional according to EN 16931-1.