Concept Definition
What is a buyer reference?
A buyer reference is an identifier provided by the buyer to the supplier that must appear on the invoice for the buyer to process it through their AP system. Common buyer references include purchase order numbers, cost center codes, contract numbers, and internal project codes. In Peppol BIS Billing 3.0, BT-10 carries the buyer reference.
How is buyer reference used in Peppol?
In Peppol BIS Billing 3.0, BT-10 (Buyer reference) is a mandatory field that links the invoice to the buyer's internal reference. In many B2G contexts, this is the purchase order number or tender reference. Without it, the invoice may be rejected.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is buyer reference the same as PO number?
- Not always. The PO number is a specific type of buyer reference. Other buyer references include cost center codes, project codes, or contract numbers. The invoice may carry both a PO number (BT-13) and a separate buyer reference (BT-10) for additional routing.
- What happens if the buyer reference is missing?
- In public sector e-invoicing where BT-10 is mandatory, an invoice without a buyer reference will fail Schematron validation and be rejected. In B2B, a missing buyer reference typically triggers a manual exception requiring the supplier to re-issue.