Case Identifiers
Every case has three identifiers. Use the right one for each situation.
| Field | Source | Example | Use For |
|---|---|---|---|
id | Debitura | 3fa85f64-5717-4562-b3fc-2c963f66afa6 | API calls, webhook correlation |
reference | Debitura | Q8OAXF3W | Display, support conversations |
creditorReference | You | INV-2024-001 | Your internal tracking |
How They Work
id is the UUID assigned when you create a case. Use it for API operations (GET /cases/{id}) and correlating webhook events.
reference is an 8-character human-readable code. Use it in your UI and when contacting support. You can also look up cases by reference: GET /cases/case-reference/{reference}.
creditorReference is your identifier (typically an invoice number). It must be unique per creditor and prevents duplicate case creation.
Webhook Correlation
Webhook payloads include caseId and reference, but not your creditorReference. To correlate events back to your system:
Option 1: Store a mapping when creating cases
1. POST /cases with creditorReference: "INV-2024-00789"
2. Response includes id: "abc-123-..."
3. Store mapping: { debituraCaseId: "abc-123-...", yourRef: "INV-2024-00789" }
4. When webhook arrives with caseId, look up yourRef from the mapping
Option 2: Fetch on demand
1. Receive webhook with caseId: "abc-123-..."
2. GET /cases/abc-123-...
3. Response includes creditorReference: "INV-2024-00789"
Option 1 is faster (no API call per webhook). Option 2 is simpler if you don't want to maintain a mapping table.
Lookup Endpoints
| Identifier | Endpoint |
|---|---|
id | GET /cases/{id} |
reference | GET /cases/case-reference/{reference} |
creditorReference | No direct endpoint—use your stored mapping or list cases |
For webhook payload details, see Webhooks. For handling duplicates and retries, see Idempotency.