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Create XRechnung Invoice using REST-API

Generate a complete XRechnung-compliant XML invoice from structured form data. Submit seller and buyer details, line items, totals, and Leitweg-ID — the API produces a valid XRechnung 3.0 CII XML document, validated against EN 16931 Schematron rules and KoSIT CIUS constraints, ready for submission to German government portals (ZRE, OZG-RE) or via the Peppol network.

POST /v1/create/xrechnung

Request

Submit invoice data as multipart/form-data. All monetary values use decimal format (e.g. 1234.56).

Invoice Header

Field Type Description
InvoiceNumber * string Unique invoice identifier (e.g. INV-2025-001).
IssueDate * string Issue date in YYYY-MM-DD format.
PaymentDueDate string Payment due date in YYYY-MM-DD format.
Currency * string ISO 4217 currency code (e.g. EUR, USD).

Seller & Buyer

Both parties share the same field structure. Replace Seller with Buyer for the buyer fields.

Field Type Description
SellerName * string Legal business name.
SellerLegalId string Legal registration number (e.g. SIRET, HRB).
SellerTaxId * string VAT identification number (e.g. DE123456789).
SellerStreet * string Street address.
SellerPostcode * string Postal code.
SellerCity * string City name.
SellerCountry * string ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code (e.g. DE, FR).

Line Items

Submit one or more line items using indexed field names: Lines[0].Description, Lines[1].Description, etc.

Field Type Description
Lines[n].Description * string Description of the goods or service.
Lines[n].Quantity * decimal Quantity of items.
Lines[n].UnitPrice * decimal Price per unit (net, excluding VAT).
Lines[n].LineTotal decimal Line net total. Auto-calculated from Quantity × UnitPrice if omitted.
Lines[n].UnitCode string UN/ECE Rec 20 unit code. Default: C62 (piece). Common: HUR (hour), DAY.
Lines[n].TaxPercentage * decimal VAT rate for this line (e.g. 19, 20).
Lines[n].TaxCategoryCode * string VAT category: S (standard), AE (reverse charge), E (exempt), G (export).

Totals & Payment

Field Type Description
LineTotalAmount * decimal Sum of all line net totals.
TaxTotalAmount * decimal Total VAT amount.
GrandTotalAmount * decimal Total payable amount (net + tax).
PaymentMeansCode string UNTDID 4461 code: 30 (credit transfer), 49 (SEPA DD), 54 (card).
IBAN string Seller bank account IBAN.
BIC string Seller bank BIC/SWIFT code.

Headers

Header Value
Authorization * Bearer YOUR_API_KEY
Content-Type multipart/form-data

Response

200 Returns the generated PDF as a binary download.
Content-Type: application/pdf
400 Validation failed. Returns a ProblemDetails object with field-level errors. 
{
  "type": "https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc9110#section-15.5.1",
  "title": "Model Validation Failed",
  "status": 400,
  "errorCode": 4002,
  "detail": "One or more fields are invalid.",
  "errors": {
    "SellerName": ["Seller name is required."],
    "Lines[0].Description": ["Line item description is required."]
  }
}
400 The generated invoice failed EN 16931 Schematron validation. 
{
  "type": "https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc9110#section-15.5.1",
  "title": "XML Validation Failed",
  "status": 400,
  "errorCode": 4001,
  "detail": "The generated invoice contains 2 validation error(s).",
  "errors": {
    "xml": [
      "[BR-CO-15] Invoice total amount with VAT = 1785.00 expected 1500.00 + 285.00.",
      "[BR-S-08] VAT category tax amount must equal category basis × rate."
    ]
  }
}

Error Reference

Errors are returned as RFC 7807 ProblemDetails. The errorCode field indicates the error category.

errorCode Meaning errors key
4001 XML validation — the generated XML violates EN 16931 Schematron rules. errors.xml[]
4002 Model validation — one or more request fields are missing or invalid. errors.{FieldName}[]
4000 General error — check detail for more information. —

Code Example

curl -X POST https://api.invoicexml.com/v1/create/xrechnung \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -F "InvoiceNumber=INV-2025-001" \
  -F "IssueDate=2025-07-01" \
  -F "Currency=EUR" \
  -F "SellerName=Acme GmbH" \
  -F "SellerTaxId=DE123456789" \
  -F "SellerStreet=Musterstr. 1" \
  -F "SellerPostcode=10115" \
  -F "SellerCity=Berlin" \
  -F "SellerCountry=DE" \
  -F "BuyerName=Example Corp" \
  -F "BuyerTaxId=FR87654321012" \
  -F "BuyerStreet=12 Rue de Rivoli" \
  -F "BuyerPostcode=75001" \
  -F "BuyerCity=Paris" \
  -F "BuyerCountry=FR" \
  -F "Lines[0].Description=Consulting Services" \
  -F "Lines[0].Quantity=10" \
  -F "Lines[0].UnitPrice=150.00" \
  -F "Lines[0].UnitCode=HUR" \
  -F "Lines[0].TaxPercentage=19" \
  -F "Lines[0].TaxCategoryCode=S" \
  -F "LineTotalAmount=1500.00" \
  -F "TaxTotalAmount=285.00" \
  -F "GrandTotalAmount=1785.00" \
  -o invoice-xrechnung.xml

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between /create/xrechnung and /create/zugferd?

The /create/zugferd endpoint produces a hybrid PDF/A-3 with embedded XML, ideal for B2B exchange. The /create/xrechnung endpoint produces a standalone XML document with stricter German CIUS rules, required for B2G submissions to government portals.

Is the Leitweg-ID required?

Yes. XRechnung mandates a Leitweg-ID (routing identifier) in the BuyerReference field for B2G invoicing. You must supply it in the request data — the API validates its presence before generating the output.

Which XRechnung version is generated?

The API generates XRechnung 3.0 in CII syntax by default, aligned with the latest KoSIT validation rules and the current German e-invoicing requirements.

Is the output validated automatically?

Yes. Every generated XRechnung invoice is validated against EN 16931 Schematron business rules and the additional XRechnung CIUS constraints before delivery. If validation fails, the API returns a 400 response with errorCode 4001 and the specific rule violations.

Where do I submit the generated XRechnung?

XRechnung invoices are typically submitted via the Peppol network or uploaded directly to the ZRE (Zentrale Rechnungseingangsplattform) or OZG-RE portals for German federal, state, and municipal authorities.