Three things decide what a shopper pays for a product in Mercayo: the price you give each variant, whether your prices include GST, and the GST rate that the product's HSN code picks. A fourth, the compare-at price, does not change what anyone pays but shows the MRP or "was" price beside yours. This guide explains each one, where it is set, and what shoppers see on the product page, in the bag and on the invoice.
This is general guidance on how Mercayo works, not tax advice. Your CA should confirm your HSN codes and rates.
The Price
Each variant has its own Price (₹) in the Variants card of the Product Editor. Type rupees, with paise if you need them: 549, 549.50 or ₹1,299. The editor refuses negative amounts ("The amount cannot be negative") and more than two digits after the point ("At most two digits after the point (paise)").
A price of 0 is allowed (for a free sample, say), but a product whose every variant is at 0 is listed under No Price in the Products List health strip, so a forgotten price is easy to find.
The Compare-at Price (MRP)
Compare-at (₹) is the higher price shown struck through beside yours. In India this is usually the MRP printed on the pack.
- It must be more than the price, or empty: "Must be more than the price, or empty". Mercayo's database refuses anything else.
- Leave it empty when you do not show an MRP or a "was" price.
- Each variant has its own.
What Shoppers See
On the product page, with a compare-at price above the price:
| Product Page Style | Shows |
|---|---|
| MRP (the default) | ₹899, then "MRP ~~₹1,299~~" and "30% off" |
| Save | ₹899, then ~~₹1,299~~ and a "Save 30%" pill |
The style is the Price Style of the product page's Title and Price section, in the Page Editor. The percentage is rounded down to a whole number, so a shopper is never promised more than the real saving, and it shows only when it is at least 1%.
Before a shopper has chosen every option, a product whose variants have different prices shows "From ₹…" with the lowest price, and the MRP of that cheapest variant. On product cards, the compare-at price shows struck through, and the percentage only when every variant has the same price.
Prices with or Without GST
Your store chooses once, for every product, in Settings › Taxes › Your Prices and GST:
| Choice | What It Means | Example for a ₹799 Product at 18% |
|---|---|---|
| Prices I enter include GST (the default) | "The price shoppers see is what they pay; GST is worked out inside it." | The shopper pays ₹799. The invoice shows a taxable value of about ₹677 and GST of about ₹122. |
| GST is added on top of my prices | "Shoppers pay your price plus GST at checkout." | The product page shows ₹799; checkout adds ₹143.82 GST, so the shopper pays ₹942.82. |
Most Indian consumer brands use prices that include GST, because shoppers expect the price on the page to be the price they pay.
Changing the choice asks you to confirm and explains what changes ("Shoppers will pay more: a product priced ₹799 costs ₹799 plus GST at checkout. Your prices stay as you typed them."). "Orders and invoices already made keep the way they were priced. Store pages show the change at once."
On the product page, under the price, shoppers read Price includes GST. or GST is added at checkout.
HSN Codes and GST Rates
Every product sold by a GST-registered store needs an HSN code. Mercayo uses it to pick the GST rate.
Where the Rate Comes From
- You give the product its HSN Code in the GST card of the product editor: 4 to 8 digits, like 392690 for plastic phone cases or 6109 for cotton T-shirts.
- Your store keeps its own table of rates in Settings › Taxes › GST Rates by HSN Code, for example "3926 at 18%". A shorter code covers the longer ones under it: "6109 covers 61091000". When more than one row matches, the longest matching code wins.
- A rate row can apply only within a unit price band, for codes whose rate depends on the price ("like clothing up to ₹2,500 at 5%", in the admin's own example), and from a date, for a rate change the government announced.
Mercayo does not fill in rates for you: each store enters its own, so your accountant stays in control.
Finding the Right Code
The GST card has Find an HSN Code: "Type what it is, like phone case, or a code". The suggestions show each code with its rate from the GST notifications, for example "18% GST" or "Depends on the goods". Open one to see where it sits, the rates for particular goods, the source notification and any change already announced ("From … the rate becomes …").
- USE THIS CODE fills the code in.
- USE CODE AND RATE (or USE CODE AND ALL RATES) fills the code in and, if you have the right to change settings, adds the rate to your store's table. Without that right, the editor says so: "Adding 18% to the store's GST rates needs the settings right; ask the store owner."
- Some codes cover goods taxed differently. The picker then asks "Choose the rate that fits your product" and fills nothing in until you choose.
"Rates are read from the GST notifications and may be out of date or not fit your exact goods. Confirm with your accountant."
The Check Under the Field
Once a code is typed, the card compares it with your store's table:
| Message | What to Do |
|---|---|
| "Your store charges 18% for this code, the same as the list." | Nothing. |
| "Your store has no GST rate for HSN … yet…" | Press ADD 18% TO MY STORE (with the settings right), or add it in Settings › Taxes. |
| "Your store charges 12% for this code; the list shows 18%. Check which is right." | Ask your CA which applies to your goods. |
| "GST rate changed on …: the list now shows …, your store still charges …. Nothing was changed for you." | Update your rate in Settings › Taxes if the change applies to you. |
Remember to press SAVE on the product: the code is part of the product's draft.
How GST Is Charged on an Order
- Within your state: CGST and SGST, each half of the rate. To other states: IGST, the full rate. The state is the one of the delivery PIN code.
- GST is worked out on each line's value after its discounts.
- A store that is not registered, or is on the composition scheme, charges no GST lines. Rates you set are kept for when you register.
- Personalisation that adds to the price (an engraving at ₹149) is part of the item's price, so it is taxed at the item's rate.
The full picture, with invoices and credit notes, is in GST Invoices for Your Store and Taxes.
Cost
Cost (₹) in the Shipping and Stock card is what one piece costs you. It is for your reports only; shoppers never see it. Leave it empty if you do not track it.
Good to Know
- Prices are stored in paise, so ₹549.50 stays exactly ₹549.50 in the bag, the order and the invoice.
- The product list's Missing HSN number shows every product without a code.
- The CSV import refuses an HSN code that is not 4 to 8 digits and a compare-at price that is not more than the price. See Products CSV.
- Past orders and invoices keep the price and GST they were made with, whatever you change later.
Questions
Should my prices include GST?
For selling to consumers in India, usually yes: shoppers see the price they pay. If you sell mostly to businesses who claim input credit, prices before GST may suit you. Ask your CA.
I am not GST-registered. Do I need HSN codes?
Mercayo does not charge GST lines for an unregistered store, so orders go through without them. Adding codes now saves work when you register, and the products list will stop flagging them.
Why does the product page show "30% off" when the real saving is 30.7%?
The percentage is rounded down to a whole number so it never promises more than the real saving.
Can different variants of one product have different GST rates?
The HSN code belongs to the product, so every variant uses the same code. If your rate depends on the price (clothing above and below a price, for example), add a rate row with a unit price band and each variant is taxed by its own price.
Where do I change a GST rate for many products at once?
Change the rate in Settings › Taxes. Every product whose HSN code matches that row uses the new rate at once; the products themselves do not need editing.
Does a discount reduce the GST?
Yes. GST is charged on each line's value after its discounts.