diff --git a/server/config/routes.js b/server/config/routes.js
index 8e028c3d3c..00e7a0ee56 100644
--- a/server/config/routes.js
+++ b/server/config/routes.js
@@ -357,6 +357,7 @@ exports.configure = function (app) {
   app.post('/sales', patientInvoice.create);
   app.get('/sales/search', patientInvoice.search);
   app.get('/sales/:uuid', patientInvoice.details);
+  app.get('/sales/references/:reference', patientInvoice.reference);
 
   // Patients API
   app.get('/patients', patient.list);
diff --git a/server/controllers/finance/patientInvoice.js b/server/controllers/finance/patientInvoice.js
index 9086b45b6c..6c562e8a13 100644
--- a/server/controllers/finance/patientInvoice.js
+++ b/server/controllers/finance/patientInvoice.js
@@ -22,9 +22,14 @@ exports.details = details;
 /** Write a new patient invoice record and attempt to post it to the journal. */
 exports.create = create;
 
-/** Filter the patient table by any column via query strings */
+/** Filter the patient invoice table by any column via query strings */
 exports.search = search;
 
+/**
+ * Retrieves a sale uuid by searching for a human readable reference (e.g. HBB123)
+ */
+exports.reference = reference;
+
 /** Undo the financial effects of a sale generating an equal and opposite credit note. */
 // exports.reverse = reverse;
 
@@ -198,6 +203,8 @@ function linkSaleItems(saleItems, saleUuid) {
 
 /**
  * Searches for a sale by query parameters provided.
+ *
+ * GET sales/search
  */
 function search(req, res, next) {
   'use strict';
@@ -237,3 +244,34 @@ function search(req, res, next) {
   .catch(next)
   .done();
 }
+
+/**
+ * Searches for a particular sale uuid by reference string.
+ *
+ * NOTE - this cannot be combined with the /search route since it would require
+ * wrapping a MySQL query in an outer query to do the filtering.  This would be
+ * highly inefficient in most cases, or lead to complex code.
+ *
+ * GET sales/references/:reference
+ */
+function reference(req, res, next) {
+  'use strict';
+
+  var sql =
+    'SELECT s.uuid FROM (' +
+      'SELECT sale.uuid, CONCAT(project.abbr, sale.reference) AS reference ' +
+      'FROM sale JOIN project ON sale.project_id = project.id ' +
+    ')s WHERE s.reference = ?;';
+
+  db.exec(sql, [ req.params.reference ])
+  .then(function (rows) {
+    if (rows.length === 0) {
+      throw new req.codes.ERR_NOT_FOUND();
+    }
+
+    // references should be unique -- send back only the first result
+    res.status(200).json(rows[0]);
+  })
+  .catch(next)
+  .done();
+}
diff --git a/server/test/api/patientInvoice.js b/server/test/api/patientInvoice.js
index 1aa7a46de8..9c8d4956af 100644
--- a/server/test/api/patientInvoice.js
+++ b/server/test/api/patientInvoice.js
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ describe('The /sales API', function () {
 
   /** @const total number of sales in the database */
   var NUM_SALES = 2;
+  
+  /** @const a reference for one of the sales in the database */
+  var REFERENCE = 'TPA1';
 
   /** login before each request */
   beforeEach(helpers.login(agent));
@@ -198,6 +201,26 @@ describe('The /sales API', function () {
         })
         .catch(helpers.handler);
     });
+  });
+
+  describe('(/sales/references) reference interface for the sales table', function () {
 
+    it('GET /sales/reference/:reference should return a uuid for a valid sale reference', function () {
+      return agent.get('/sales/references/'.concat(REFERENCE))
+        .then(function (res) {
+          expect(res).to.have.status(200);
+          expect(res).to.be.json;
+          expect(res.body).to.have.property('uuid');
+        })
+        .catch(helpers.handler);
+    });
+
+    it('GET /sales/references/:reference should fail for an invalid sale reference', function () {
+      return agent.get('/sales/references/unknown')
+        .then(function (res) {
+          helpers.api.errored(res, 404);
+        })
+        .catch(helpers.handler);
+    });
   });
 });