Viitenumbri

Viitenumbri, commonly referred to in Finnish as viitenumero, is a numeric reference used in payments to identify a specific invoice or customer account. It is provided by the creditor on an invoice and should be included by the payer when making a transfer. The primary purpose is to enable the recipient to automatically match incoming funds to the correct invoice and update their accounts receivable without manual intervention.

In Finland, viitenumero is used in domestic banking and invoicing to streamline payment reconciliation. The number is usually a continuous string of digits that is entered into the bank’s reference field when a payment is made, for example via online banking or mobile payment apps. Banks validate the reference to detect entry errors and to ensure the payment can be correctly allocated. The viitenumero is distinct from the payer’s bank account number (IBAN) and the recipient’s account details; it acts as a link to the specific invoice or contract.

In addition to national usage, the concept can interoperate with international creditor references defined by ISO 11649, which uses an RF-prefixed format for cross-border or standardized references. While many Finnish invoices rely on a locally produced numeric viitenumero, organizations may also adopt ISO 11649 references for compatibility with European payment rails.

Format and length of viitenumero can vary by issuer, but the key feature is that it uniquely identifies a payment’s intended recipient or purpose and supports automated reconciliation. Practically, it should be kept consistent on invoices and correctly entered by the payer to ensure efficient processing.