viitenumerot

Viitenumerot are numeric identifiers used to link payments, documents, or records to a specific item, such as an invoice or order. They help automate reconciliation in accounting and banking by allowing the recipient to match incoming funds and transactions to the correct entry. Viitenumerot are commonly used in invoicing, payments, and procurement processes.

They are typically composed of digits and may include a check digit to detect input errors. The issuer—such as an invoice sender, a bank, or an ERP system—generates the number and associates it with the item. The number is included on the invoice and in payment instructions to facilitate automatic matching.

In Finland, viitenumerot are widely used in bank transfers and invoice processing. When customers pay, they often enter the viitenumero in their online banking form; the bank uses the number to allocate the payment to the correct invoice in the recipient’s accounting. Many Finnish invoicing standards and software rely on these numbers to automate reconciliation and reduce manual data entry.

Variations of viitenumerot exist, with formats and validation rules defined by banks or accounting standards. The key principle is to provide a stable, unique identifier that remains valid over time and helps prevent misallocation. Viitenumerot are distinct from account numbers (IBAN) and from payment amounts themselves.