GSTN New Seamless e-Invoicing: Explore the New E Invoice Portal 2

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The Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) is set to enhance the e-invoicing landscape with the launch of the integrated services from NIC-IRP e-invoice-1 and e-invoice-2 portals. E-invoicing, or electronic invoicing, is a system where B2B invoices are authenticated electronically by the GST Network (GSTN) for further use on the common GST portal. It aims to ensure the accuracy of data and minimize manual errors, thus simplifying tax compliance.

Taxpayers with an Aggregate Annual Turnover (AATO) of more than 5 crores are required to generate e-invoices. To further streamline this process and provide more robust support, GSTN has introduced a second portal, e-invoice-2. This move aims to improve operational efficiency, ensure continuity during technical issues, and offer seamless interoperability between the two portals, providing taxpayers with greater flexibility and reliability in managing their e-invoices.

The Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) has announced that the National Informatics Centre (NIC) will release integrated services from the e-invoice-1 and e-invoice-2 portals. These updates will be available on the sandbox portals starting July 18, 2024, and on the production portals beginning August 1, 2024. The two portals, which will operate in parallel, aim to enhance the user experience by allowing seamless inter-operation between them. Below are the key highlights of these portals:

Portal Highlights

Web and API Modes for e-Invoice Services:
- Both NIC-IRP e-invoice-1 and e-invoice-2 portals provide web and API modes for e-invoice-related services, ensuring versatile access and functionality for users.
Unified Login Credentials:
- Taxpayers can use the same login credentials to operate both e-invoice-1 and e-invoice-2 portals. This simplification reduces the need to manage multiple sets of credentials.
API Token Compatibility:
- The same API token can be used for e-invoice and e-waybill services across both portals, providing greater ease of integration for businesses utilizing these services.
Alternative Access During Technical Issues:
- The e-invoice-2 portal can serve as a backup in case of technical glitches or other issues with the e-invoice-1 main portal. This ensures uninterrupted access to e-invoicing services.
Criss-Cross Operations:
- Users can print, download, and cancel e-invoices across both portals. For instance, an e-invoice generated on portal 1 can be printed, downloaded, or canceled on portal 2, and vice versa.
Redundancy for Non-Operational Issues:
- If the e-invoice-1 portal is non-operational due to technical reasons, all e-invoice services can be accessed through the e-invoice-2 portal, ensuring continuity in operations.
Sandbox Portal for API Testing:
- Taxpayers and developers can visit the sandbox portal (einv-apisandbox.nic.in) to find URLs of APIs and other relevant details. It is recommended to test all APIs in the sandbox environment before deploying them in the production environment.
Additional e-Invoice Portals:
- Beyond NIC-IRP, there are four other e-invoice portals available (IRP-3, IRP-4, IRP-5, and IRP-6) offering similar e-invoicing services. Taxpayers can choose the most convenient portal for their needs.

The introduction of these integrated services between NIC-IRP e-invoice-1 and e-invoice-2 portals marks a significant step towards improving the efficiency and reliability of e-invoicing processes for taxpayers. The ability to use unified credentials, compatible API tokens, and alternative access points will greatly enhance user convenience and operational continuity. GSTN encourages all users to test their integrations in the sandbox environment to ensure smooth transition to the new system once it goes live on the production portals.

For more information and to start testing the new services, visit the sandbox portal at einv-apisandbox.nic.in.

Thank you, Team GSTN