E-FACTURATIE ONTCIJFERD

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Peppol error codes

UBL-CR warnings: a UBL element that does not belong in the invoice

By Philippe Kimpe and Jelle Heyvaert, authors of E-facturatie Ontcijferd · Updated on 11 October 2026

A UBL-CR message means: the invoice contains a UBL element that the European standard does not use.

Rule set: EN 16931 (UBL) · Severity: warning: the invoice is not rejected · Checked against the official rules of May 2026

What does UBL-CR mean?

The validator shows this message (as worded in the official rules):

[UBL-CR-463]-A UBL invoice should not include the PaymentTerms PaymentDueDate

UBL 2.1 contains many more elements than the European standard EN 16931 needs. The UBL-CR rules (CR stands for conformance rule) warn each time the invoice contains such an element. There are more than 600 of them, from UBL-CR-001 to UBL-CR-6xx, one per element. It is a warning, not an error: an Access Point does not reject the invoice for it. The receiver may, however, ignore the information in that element. In the example, the due date is in cac:PaymentTerms/cbc:PaymentDueDate. The standard does not use that element, so the due date gets lost. The right place is cbc:DueDate.

Common causes

  • The software uses a generic UBL export that also writes elements outside the standard.
  • Information that fits a standard field is in another UBL element, such as the due date in PaymentTerms.
  • A template for another network or country adds its own elements.

How to fix it as the sender

  1. Look in the message which element it refers to, for example “PaymentTerms PaymentDueDate” for UBL-CR-463.
  2. If it contains important information, put it in the field that the standard provides. If it is not needed, leave the element out.
  3. Validate again and check that the warning is gone.

Received an invoice with this error?

An invoice with a UBL-CR warning is compliant and you can simply process it. Do check that no important information was in the ignored element, such as a due date or a reference. If it is missing from the right place, ask the supplier for it.

Example in the XML

❌ Wrong

<cac:PaymentTerms>
  <cbc:Note>Payment within 30 days</cbc:Note>
  <cbc:PaymentDueDate>2026-11-08</cbc:PaymentDueDate>
</cac:PaymentTerms>

✅ Correct

<cbc:DueDate>2026-11-08</cbc:DueDate>
...
<cac:PaymentTerms>
  <cbc:Note>Payment within 30 days</cbc:Note>
</cac:PaymentTerms>

Both snippets come from a complete test invoice that we checked with our validator: the wrong version gives exactly this message, the correct version no errors at all.

Try this error in the validator →

Good to know

A warning does not have to stop the invoice, but do not just leave it either. What is in an unused element is usually not read by the receiver.

Check your invoice

Drop your XML into the free validator. You see right away whether this error still occurs, with a link to the explanation for every message.

Go to the Peppol validator →

Official rule

The full rule with its technical test (Schematron) is in the official Peppol documentation:

Related error codes

  • BR-CO-25: There is still an amount to pay, but the invoice states no due date and no payment terms.
  • PEPPOL-EN16931-R008: The invoice contains an element without content.

Frequently asked questions about UBL-CR

Is an invoice with a UBL-CR message rejected?

No. UBL-CR rules are warnings. The Access Point accepts the invoice, but the receiver may ignore the element.

How do I know which element a UBL-CR code refers to?

The message names the element, such as “PaymentTerms PaymentDueDate”. The full list is on docs.peppol.eu.

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