E-Invoicing
E-Invoicing with the IRN and Signed QR Code, in the Background
If your turnover is above the e-invoicing limit, every business invoice, export invoice and credit note must be reported to the GST portal before it is handed over. Mercayo does it for you in the background, through your own GSP account, and prints the IRN and the signed QR code on the invoice.
- No fee on your orders, on every plan
- Free for 14 days
Kosha is a demo store on Mercayo. Its products, orders and customers are sample data.
In short
What It Does
What Is Reported
| Document | Reported As |
|---|---|
| Tax invoice to a business (the buyer's GSTIN given at checkout, or a B2B trade buyer's) | INV, supply type B2B |
| Export invoice, with IGST or under a LUT | INV, EXPWP or EXPWOP |
| Credit note against one of these | CRN, naming its invoice |
| Invoices to shoppers without a GSTIN, bills of supply | never: they stay as they are |
How It Works
When the invoice is issued, Mercayo queues it and reports it in the background, through your GSP's e-invoice API, in the government's e-invoice format (INV-01). The GST portal's Invoice Registration Portal (IRP) answers with the IRN, the acknowledgement number and date, and a QR code it signs. They print in an e-Invoice block at the top of the invoice: the PDF your team downloads and the one your buyer downloads.
If the portal is busy, Mercayo tries again by itself. If it refuses a document (an HSN it does not accept, an inactive buyer GSTIN), the reason shows on the order and in Orders → Invoices → Needs Attention, in the portal's own words; fix the cause and press RETRY.
Cancellations Within 24 Hours
The portal lets an IRN be cancelled only within 24 hours. When an order is cancelled or comes back undelivered within that time, Mercayo cancels the IRN at the portal and the invoice says "IRN cancelled". After 24 hours, or if the portal refuses the cancellation, the credit note is reported instead, as the rules ask.
GSTR-1
The portal fills GSTR-1 from your e-invoices, so the EXPORT FOR GSTR-1 download keeps them in files of their own, with their IRNs, to check against the portal, and out of the sheets you upload: nothing is entered twice. A cancelled IRN's invoice is counted as cancelled.
What Is Checked Today
Mercayo's e-invoicing is built on the NIC e-invoice API's published format and tested end to end against a test portal that checks every document. Connecting a live GSTIN opens once Mercayo has checked its GSP with a real account; until then you can connect a sandbox (test) account and try every step. Mercayo tells you when live accounts are open.
For your store
Why It Matters
For a business above ₹5 crore, an invoice without an IRN is not a valid tax invoice, and your business buyers cannot claim input tax credit on it. Typing every invoice into the government's portal, or running a separate e-invoicing tool, is slow, and a missed one costs your buyer money and you a customer.
Mercayo reports each document the moment it is issued, from the same frozen invoice your buyer gets, so the IRN, the invoice and your GSTR-1 always agree. Refusals are shown in plain words where you already work, with one button to send again, and cancellations inside the 24-hour window happen without you watching the clock.
Your login stays yours: Mercayo uses your own GSP account, seals the password and secrets the moment you connect, and never shows them again.
Step by step
How It Works
Register With Your GSP
Register for the e-invoice API through a GSP (GST Suvidha Provider). Note the e-invoice user name and password you create, and the GSP's client ID and client secret.
Connect and Test
In Settings → Invoices → E-Invoicing, choose Sandbox or Live, enter your GSTIN, user name, password, client ID and client secret, and press CONNECT AND TEST. Mercayo signs in and looks your GSTIN up before anything is saved.
Confirm Your Turnover and Switch It On
Switch on Our Turnover Is Above the E-Invoicing Limit and E-Invoicing (IRN and QR Code). From then on, every business and export invoice is reported as it is issued.
Watch Needs Attention
Open Orders → Invoices. Anything the portal refused is at the top with its reason; fix it (an HSN, an address's PIN code) and press RETRY.
Your shoppers
What Your Shoppers See
A business buyer downloads the same invoice your team does, with the IRN, the acknowledgement and the signed QR code, from their order page or their account.
Settings
Settings You Control
All are under Settings → Invoices → E-Invoicing.
Mercayo
Mercayo's Controls
Mercayo keeps the turnover limit up to date for every store and can switch e-invoicing on or off for a store, with a reason your admin shows. Mercayo never sees your GSP password: it is sealed the moment you connect. On Mercayo's demo stores the IRNs and QR codes are samples, marked as not valid for GST, and nothing is ever sent to the portal.
Limits today
Good to Know Before You Start
- Live GSTINs connect once Mercayo has checked its GSP with a real account; until then, sandbox (test) accounts only.
- You need your own e-invoice API access through a GSP; Mercayo does not register you.
- E-way bills, debit notes, SEZ supplies and the B2C dynamic QR code (above ₹500 crore) are not part of it yet.
- A marketplace seller's own invoices are not e-invoiced by the store's account.
- The registered address in Settings → Taxes needs its PIN code, and every product an HSN of 4 to 8 digits.
Questions
About E-Invoicing
Do I need e-invoicing?
Only if your aggregate turnover in any financial year since 2017-18 was above ₹5 crore. Below it, Mercayo's GST invoices are all you need.
Which invoices are reported?
Invoices to businesses with a GSTIN, export invoices, and the credit notes against them. Invoices to shoppers without a GSTIN are not.
Does it slow down checkout?
No. The invoice is issued with the order as before; reporting happens in the background, and a portal outage never stops a sale.
What if the portal refuses an invoice?
The portal's reason shows on the order and in Orders → Invoices → Needs Attention. Fix the cause and press RETRY.
Can I cancel an IRN?
Within 24 hours, by cancelling the order: Mercayo cancels the IRN at the portal. After that the rules allow only a credit note, which Mercayo reports.
Is my GSP password safe?
It is sealed the moment you connect, with your client ID and secret, and never shown again, to you, your team or Mercayo's support.
Related
Related Features
- GST InvoicesEvery order gets the right GST document, a tax invoice or a bill of supply, numbered without gaps per financial year, as a PDF for you and your shopper.
- Credit NotesWhen an invoiced order is cancelled, comes back undelivered or is refunded, Mercayo issues the GST credit note itself, once, for exactly what was taken back.
- Business (B2B) InvoicesBusiness buyers add their GSTIN and legal name at checkout; the GSTIN is checked and the GST invoice names the business, ready for input tax credit.
- Invoices Screen and GSTR-1 ExportOrders → Invoices lists every invoice and credit note with its PDF, and EXPORT FOR GSTR-1 downloads the return's files for a month or a quarter.
More in GST and Invoices: GST Invoices | Credit Notes | Tax Settings | HSN Finder | Business (B2B) Invoices | Invoices Screen and GSTR-1 Export
