SAP rejected invoice: common reasons and how to fix them

If your invoice was rejected by SAP, you are not alone. SAP ERP systems are strict by design and frequently reject invoices for structural reasons that are not clearly explained in the error message.

This page explains the most common reasons why SAP rejects invoices — and how to identify these issues before uploading the document again.

Why SAP rejects invoices

SAP validates invoice documents against strict structural and accounting rules. Even small inconsistencies in a PDF invoice can cause the document to be rejected during posting.

In many cases, the SAP error message does not clearly indicate the real cause, leading to repeated rejections, manual corrections, and delays.

Common reasons for SAP invoice rejection

• Missing or invalid tax ID — supplier tax information is incomplete or inconsistent.
• Invoice total mismatch — line items, taxes, and totals do not add up correctly.
• Duplicate invoice numbers — SAP detects a possible duplicate posting.
• Incorrect document structure — required fields are missing or unreadable in the PDF.
• PDF formatting issues — scanned or low-quality PDFs prevent proper validation.

The problem usually starts before SAP

Most SAP invoice rejections are not caused by SAP itself, but by issues already present in the invoice document before submission.

SAP only detects these problems at posting time — when the invoice has already entered the ERP workflow.

How to reduce SAP invoice rejections

Before uploading an invoice to SAP, it helps to perform a basic structural check of the PDF document:

• Verify that required invoice fields are present
• Check numerical consistency between lines, taxes, and totals
• Detect potential duplicate invoice numbers
• Ensure the PDF is readable and properly structured

Common invoice errors

• Invoice rejected by ERP
• Missing tax ID
• Invoice total mismatch
• Duplicate invoice
• Supplier invoice errors