Fix BR-CL-23: Unit of measure (BT-130) not UN/ECE Rec 20

BR-CL-23 in your own invoice? Upload the file and find every error in seconds.

What does BR-CL-23 mean?

The unit of measure of every invoice line must be a code from UN/ECE Recommendation 20 (with the Rec 21 extension) - not free text such as "piece" or "hr". By far the most common error in self-built e-invoices.

Common causes of BR-CL-23

Unit of measure entered as plain text ('piece', 'pc', 'hr') instead of a code.
Self-invented or outdated abbreviations such as 'PCE' instead of 'C62'/'H87'.
No mapping from the internal unit names in the ERP system to the UN/ECE codes.

How to fix BR-CL-23

Find the faulty spot in the XML. Open the XML of the invoice and go to field BT-130 along this XPath://ram:IncludedSupplyChainTradeLineItem/ram:SpecifiedLineTradeDelivery/ram:BilledQuantity/@unitCode
Apply the fix. Code the unit of measure of the invoice line (BT-130) in the unitCode attribute with a code from UN/ECE Recommendation 20 (including the Rec 21 extension), not as plain text such as 'piece' or 'kg'. Examples: 'C62' (one/unit), 'H87' (piece), 'KGM' (kilogram), 'LTR' (litre), 'MTR' (metre), 'HUR' (hour), 'DAY' (day).
Validate again. Save the file and validate it again to check that BR-CL-23 is no longer reported.

Concrete fix

Code the unit of measure of the invoice line (BT-130) in the unitCode attribute with a code from UN/ECE Recommendation 20 (including the Rec 21 extension), not as plain text such as 'piece' or 'kg'. Examples: 'C62' (one/unit), 'H87' (piece), 'KGM' (kilogram), 'LTR' (litre), 'MTR' (metre), 'HUR' (hour), 'DAY' (day).

XPath//ram:IncludedSupplyChainTradeLineItem/ram:SpecifiedLineTradeDelivery/ram:BilledQuantity/@unitCode

Before / after: the XML example

This is the spot in question before and after the fix (Cross Industry Invoice, ZUGFeRD/Factur-X).

Wrong

<ram:BilledQuantity unitCode="Stueck">2.0</ram:BilledQuantity>

Correct

<ram:BilledQuantity unitCode="C62">2.0</ram:BilledQuantity>

Frequent questions about BR-CL-23

Where do I find the right code for my unit?

In UN/ECE Recommendation 20 (with the Rec 21 extension). Common codes: 'C62' or 'H87' for piece, 'KGM' for kilogram, 'LTR' for litre, 'MTR' for metre, 'HUR' for hour.

Is 'PCE' allowed for piece?

No. For piece use 'C62' (one unit) or 'H87' (piece). 'PCE' is not a valid Rec 20 code.

Related error codes

Check BR-CL-23 automatically

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