If BrightBooks does not generate a SEPA file or shows a warning, use this guide.

1. “No SEPA file generated” / list of missing fields

When you click Pay, BrightBooks checks:

• Your bank account IBAN/BIC
• Your business address
• Each supplier’s IBAN/BIC and address
• The execution date

If anything is missing or invalid, BrightBooks:

• Blocks the SEPA file.
• Shows a list of suppliers/business entries with the missing fields (e.g. Street, Town, Postcode, Country, IBAN, BIC). 

How to fix

1. Note the names and missing fields shown in the message.
2. Correct each entry:
   • Business address: Settings > General Setup > Business Details
   • Supplier details: supplier/contact record
   • Bank account IBAN/BIC: Chart of Accounts
3. Return to Banking > Payments > Pay Suppliers.
4. Run Create SEPA File again and click Pay.

2. Supplier does not appear in the SEPA payment list

Likely causes

• Supplier is missing IBAN or BIC.
• Supplier is not set up as a creditor in the system.
• Supplier has no outstanding invoices.

How to fix

1. Open the supplier/contact record.
2. Check:
   • IBAN is entered.
   • BIC is entered.
3. Check that the supplier has unpaid invoices.
4. Refresh Pay Suppliers and check the list again.

3. “Address incomplete” / missing Street, Town, Postcode, Country

From 15 November 2026, SEPA requires fully structured addresses. Missing any of these for your business or a supplier will block the file.

How to fix – Business address

1. Go to Settings > General Setup > Business Details.
2. Make sure:
   • Street / Address Line 1
   • Town
   • Postcode
   • Country
     are all filled in.
3. Save, then rerun the SEPA payment.

How to fix – Supplier address

1. Open the supplier/contact record (invoice address).
2. Check:
   • Street / Address Line 1 (must be an actual street, not only the company name)
   • Town
   • Postcode
   • Country
3. Save, then rerun the SEPA payment.

Important:
If any supplier in the run has an incomplete address, no file is created. Fix all suppliers listed in the error message.

4. Supplier has no postcode

Older records may have no postcode. SEPA requires this field.

How to fix

• Add a valid postcode for the supplier’s invoice address.
• If the supplier genuinely has no postcode, use the best available local equivalent recognised in your country.
• Save and rerun the SEPA payment.

5. Mixed complete and incomplete suppliers

Scenario: Some suppliers are fully set up; others are missing address or bank details.

What happens

• BrightBooks blocks the whole file.
• The error message lists every supplier causing the issue.

How to fix

1. Work through the list one by one.
2. For each supplier:
   • Add missing IBAN/BIC.
   • Complete the address (Street, Town, Postcode, Country).
3. When all listed suppliers are fixed, rerun the SEPA payment.

6. Bank rejects the uploaded SEPA file

If the bank rejects your uploaded file:

Check the basics

• Was the file created recently (not an older pain.001.001.03 file)?
• Did you upload the correct file for this payment run?
• Does the bank confirm they support pain.001.001.09?

What you can do

1. Confirm that:
   • Bank account has IBAN/BIC.
   • Business and supplier addresses are complete.
2. Regenerate the file:
   • Go back to the same payment run in Pay Suppliers.
   • Download the SEPA file again (BrightBooks will rebuild it in pain.001.001.09).
3. Try uploading the new file to the bank.

If the bank still rejects the file, share the error message with Support so they can check the file in a SEPA validator.

7. Regenerating older runs

If you re-download an old SEPA run:

• BrightBooks always rebuilds it in the new format (pain.001.001.09).
• It uses your current business and supplier details.
• If any data now fails the checks (missing address, IBAN, BIC), regeneration will be blocked and you’ll see a list of issues.

How to fix

• Update the business/supplier details listed.
• Regenerate again once all issues are fixed.