PEPPOL-EN16931-P0101: Credit note type code MUST be set according to the profile

StandardPeppol BIS Billing 3.0 (OpenPeppol)SeverityError: the invoice is rejectedSyntaxUBLApplies toInvoices and credit notes sent over the Peppol network (UBL) and, because XRechnung embeds the Peppol rule set, every XRechnung as well.

Official rule text

[PEPPOL-EN16931-P0101] Credit note type code MUST be set according to the profile.

Why this error occurs

The element is mandatory in this standard but is missing or empty in your file. Typical causes: the field is not filled in the invoicing software, the ERP export does not map it, or the element is present but contains only whitespace.

How to fix it

Add the element with a non-empty value at the position given by the context above. Check the master data (seller, buyer, payment) in your invoicing software; most tools expose the field under the business term name shown here. Re-validate after the change.

What the validator checks

Checked element (context):

UBL

cbc:CreditNoteTypeCode

Test (XPath):

$profile != '01' or (some $code in tokenize('381 396 81 83 532', '\s')
            satisfies normalize-space(text()) = $code)

Check your invoice

Drop your XML or PDF on the validator and every failed rule is linked to its page here. Free, no account, the file is not stored.

Check your invoice →

Same check via API:

curl -F file=@invoice.xml https://einvoicechecker.com/v1/validate

Related rules

PEPPOL-EN16931-P0100 Invoice type code MUST be set according to the profile
PEPPOL-EN16931-P0104 Tax Category G MUST be used when exemption reason code is VATEX-EU-G
PEPPOL-EN16931-P0105 Tax Category O MUST be used when exemption reason code is VATEX-EU-O
PEPPOL-EN16931-P0106 Tax Category K MUST be used when exemption reason code is VATEX-EU-IC
PEPPOL-EN16931-P0107 Tax Category AE MUST be used when exemption reason code is VATEX-EU-AE
PEPPOL-EN16931-P0108 Tax Category E MUST be used when exemption reason code is VATEX-EU-D
PEPPOL-EN16931-P0109 Tax Category E MUST be used when exemption reason code is VATEX-EU-F
PEPPOL-EN16931-P0110 Tax Category E MUST be used when exemption reason code is VATEX-EU-I

Frequently asked questions

What does PEPPOL-EN16931-P0101 mean?

PEPPOL-EN16931-P0101 is a peppol bis billing 3.0 rule: Credit note type code MUST be set according to the profile.

Will my invoice be rejected because of PEPPOL-EN16931-P0101?

Yes. PEPPOL-EN16931-P0101 is flagged "fatal"; validators (KoSIT, Peppol access points, the German ZRE/OZG-RE portals) reject the invoice until it is fixed.

Which formats does PEPPOL-EN16931-P0101 apply to?

Invoices and credit notes sent over the Peppol network (UBL) and, because XRechnung embeds the Peppol rule set, every XRechnung as well. Syntax: UBL.

Source: Peppol BIS Billing 3.0.20 (November 2025). Catalogue generated from the official schematron on 2026-10-14.