makseviite

Makseviide is an Estonian term meaning a payment reference. It is a code—often numeric or alphanumeric—included in a payment instruction to identify the intended recipient and the specific invoice, customer account, or purpose of the payment. The makseviide helps the payee automatically match the incoming funds with the correct record in their accounting system.

Purpose and use

The primary purpose of a makseviide is to facilitate automatic reconciliation of payments. By linking a transfer to a particular invoice or customer, it reduces manual lookup, speeds up processing, and lowers the risk of misallocation.

Content and formats

The content and format of a makseviide vary by issuer and payment system. It can be the issuing invoice number, a customer number, or a structured reference sometimes following international standards such as a creditor reference (for example, the ISO 11649 RF format in cross-border transactions). Some banks and payment systems expose a dedicated field for the makseviide or for remittance information where the reference should be entered.

Usage in payment workflows

On invoices, the makseviide is typically shown to guide the payer on what to enter in the bank transfer. In online banking, there is usually a specific field for the makseviide or remittance information. Accurate entry is important, especially for business-to-business payments, to ensure swift and correct allocation of funds.

Relation to related concepts

A makseviide is distinct from the invoice number itself, though it often encodes or references it. In SEPA and other modern payment schemes, the remittance information or creditor reference serves a similar purpose for cross-border payments and automated processing.