Check the Leitweg-ID: Avoid routing errors
Anyone who wants to check a Leitweg-ID before sending can work through four points: The identifier must come from the contracting authority. Its format must not be changed, and the check digits are part of the identifier. In XRechnung, BT-10 BuyerReference is used to specify the Leitweg-ID. You must clarify the transmission channel separately because the XRechnung standard does not define it.
The Leitweg-ID identifies the invoice-receiving entity in the public sector and assigns the invoice to an organisational unit. This preliminary check is limited to origin, spelling, field assignment, and transmission channel.
This article focuses on the plausibility check before sending. If an XRechnung has already been rejected, also see: XRechnungen rejected: Leitweg-ID and buyer reference.
What you actually check in a Leitweg-ID
The Leitweg-ID is addressing information for electronic invoices sent to public-sector invoice recipients. Germany's federal government, federal states, and municipalities have agreed on a uniform system that can be used to address structured invoices. Invoice issuers receive the specific identifier in advance, for example as part of a procurement process or order.
Distinguish between checking the file and clarifying details with the recipient. If the public-sector recipient requires a Leitweg-ID, check in the file whether BuyerReference is filled with this identifier. Copy the character string from the information provided by the contracting authority. The format must not be changed; the check digits are also part of the Leitweg-ID. The Rhineland-Palatinate e-invoicing portal lists typing errors, transposed digits, and an incomplete Leitweg-ID as possible reasons for an unknown identifier.
It is also important to distinguish this from invoice exchange between private-sector businesses. In the B2B sector, no Leitweg-ID is needed to send or receive invoices. There, the invoice recipient can specify another suitable identifier in buyer reference BT-10 for internal routing purposes. Therefore, do not automatically treat every customer reference as a Leitweg-ID; first clarify whether the invoice recipient is a public-sector entity.
Buyer reference: This is where the Leitweg-ID belongs
In XRechnung, information element BT-10, called BuyerReference, is available for the Leitweg-ID. The technical field name may appear differently in invoicing software, so the documentation for the software in use is authoritative. For submissions to ZRE Rhineland-Palatinate, its troubleshooting guide identifies an empty or missing BuyerReference element as an error.
Do not confuse BT-10 with a VAT ID, customer number, or Peppol ID. The Rhineland-Palatinate e-invoicing portal names precisely these substitutions as possible errors when another value has been entered instead of the Leitweg-ID. Use the value you received from your contracting authority as the Leitweg-ID.
If you generated the XML file yourself, you can search specifically for the BuyerReference element. The Rhineland-Palatinate e-invoicing portal gives this example for UBL syntax: <cbc:BuyerReference>07-0009909900000-99</cbc:BuyerReference>. For your invoice, use the Leitweg-ID you received from your contracting authority.
Format, components, and check digits
In its troubleshooting guide, the Rhineland-Palatinate e-invoicing portal describes three components: rough addressing, fine addressing, and check digits; the components may be separated by hyphens. In this portal example, rough addressing comprises the first two digits, while the check digits consist of the final two digits after the last hyphen. The check digits described there consist of exactly two digits.
Do not alter the identifier on your own. The Rhineland-Palatinate portal points out that the format must remain unchanged and that the check digits are part of the Leitweg-ID. It lists spaces before, within, or after the identifier as possible errors. If the spelling differs from the original information, obtain the complete and correct Leitweg-ID, including its check digits, from the invoice recipient.
Checklist before sending
| Check | How to recognise it | What to do if it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Source | The identifier came from the contracting authority, for example with the procurement documents or order. | Do not copy it from examples or other invoices; ask the recipient for it. |
| Field | The Leitweg-ID is exported as buyer reference BT-10. | If the public-sector recipient requires a Leitweg-ID, check BuyerReference in the XML for this value. |
| Content | No VAT ID, customer number, or Peppol ID in place of the Leitweg-ID. | Enter the value confirmed by the recipient. |
| Spelling | The Rhineland-Palatinate portal lists spaces before, within, or after the identifier as errors. | Do not alter the format on your own. |
| Completeness | The portal help for Rhineland-Palatinate names rough addressing, fine addressing, and check digits. | Check all three components described. |
| Check digits | In the example from the Rhineland-Palatinate portal, there are two digits after the last hyphen. | Copy the identifier from the information supplied by the contracting authority. |
| Peppol | Leitweg-ID and Peppol ID are not treated as the same. | Before the first Peppol transmission, ask the contracting authority for both addressing details. |
Recognising typical routing errors
The ZRE Rhineland-Palatinate troubleshooting guide identifies an empty or missing BuyerReference element when a Leitweg-ID is expected there for routing. Therefore, for a submission through this portal, check in the generated file whether the element is filled with the required Leitweg-ID.
A different value in the correct field can also prevent routing. The Rhineland-Palatinate portal gives a VAT ID, customer number, or Peppol ID instead of the Leitweg-ID as examples.
For spelling, the same portal guide lists spaces before, within, or after the Leitweg-ID. It also lists typing errors, transposed digits, and an incomplete Leitweg-ID as further possible causes of an unknown identifier. For subsequent error analysis, the Rhineland-Palatinate processing report also displays the value taken from the e-invoice at the “Check LID prefix” step.
For submission through the Rhineland-Palatinate portal, its troubleshooting guide also describes routing based on the first two digits: there, they identify the federal government or federal state and determine the responsible e-invoicing portal. OZG-RE separately publishes an overview of the invoice recipients connected to this portal.
Do not confuse Leitweg-ID and Peppol ID
The Leitweg-ID appears in field BT-10 of the XRechnung record and serves there as addressing information at the functional level. By contrast, the Peppol ID addresses the receiving organisation within the Peppol infrastructure.
Even if the Leitweg-ID is included in the Peppol ID, the two values are not completely identical. The code list identifier 0204 and a separator are prefixed to the Peppol ID. Before the first transmission via Peppol, ask the contracting authority for the required addressing information.
A practical pre-check workflow
Start with the information provided by the contracting authority because the Leitweg-ID is transmitted in advance, for example as part of a procurement process or order. Copy the character string without manually reformatting it. The format must not be changed; the portal guide also lists spaces before, within, or after the identifier as errors.
If the public-sector recipient requires a Leitweg-ID, next open the exported XRechnung as text and search for BuyerReference. Check whether the element is filled with the required Leitweg-ID. Also check whether another customer identifier was inserted accidentally.
Finally, clarify the transmission channel. XRechnung describes the format, data structure, and semantics but does not define the transmission channel. Peppol is one of the uniform channels available to public contracting authorities for machine-to-machine transmission.
How faktoora helps
In faktoora, when creating an invoice, you can select the invoice format and enter the Leitweg-ID received from the invoice recipient in the field provided. You can find the individual steps in the guide Create an XRechnung, ZUGFeRD, or PDF invoice. If an invoice has already been rejected, see instead XRechnungen rejected: Leitweg-ID and buyer reference.
Frequently asked questions
Can I look up a Leitweg-ID online?
There is currently no nationwide database containing all Leitweg-IDs. KoSIT information names two ways to obtain one: directly from the contracting authority or, as a rule, from the authority's website. Therefore, check the information from your contracting authority and, where appropriate, its authority website.
As an invoice issuer, do I need my own Leitweg-ID?
No, the Leitweg-ID was created to address public-sector invoice recipients, so invoice issuers do not need their own Leitweg-ID.
Is the buyer reference always a Leitweg-ID?
No, in the B2B sector, BT-10 can contain another suitable identifier for internal routing purposes. For invoices to Germany's federal government, federal states, and municipalities, the Leitweg-ID is used as an identification attribute.
Are the Leitweg-ID and Peppol ID the same?
No, the Leitweg-ID is entered in BT-10 of the XRechnung record, while the Peppol ID provides technical addressing within the Peppol infrastructure. A Peppol ID based on the Leitweg-ID additionally contains the identifier 0204 and a separator.
What should I do if the check digits are wrong?
The Rhineland-Palatinate portal guide describes the last two digits after the last hyphen as check digits. In the event of a discrepancy, it recommends asking the invoice recipient for the complete, correct Leitweg-ID, including its check digits.
Sources
- The Leitweg-ID, Coordination Office for IT Standards, 22 January 2025.
- XRechnung, Coordination Office for IT Standards, accessed 28 September 2026.
- XRechnung FAQ, Coordination Office for IT Standards, accessed 28 September 2026.
- Peppol FAQ, Coordination Office for IT Standards, accessed 28 September 2026.
- Overview of invoice recipients on OZG-RE, E-Invoicing in the Federal Administration, accessed 28 September 2026.
- The Leitweg-ID cannot be assigned to an invoice recipient, E-Invoicing Rhineland-Palatinate, accessed 28 September 2026.