GST verification · GSTIN checks

Fifteen characters, and what they tell you

A GSTIN on an invoice or a sign-up form is a claim. A GST check turns it into a fact: the registration exists, it's active, and it belongs to a named business. Here's how to read a GSTIN, what a check confirms, and what it doesn't.

Talk to Peneu Reading a GSTIN

GSTIN check

Illustrative

29ABCDE1234F1Z5

Format: Valid · check sum correct
Status: Active
Legal name: KAVERI PACKAGING PRIVATE LIMITED
Trade name: Kaveri Packaging
PAN inside: ABCDE1234F
Matches your record?: Legal name matches the supplier master

A made-up GSTIN and business. Fields returned by a real check depend on the source and the provider.

Reading a GSTIN

Every GSTIN is built the same way. CBIC's GST registration flyer describes it: a 15-digit number in which the first two digits are the State code, the next ten are the PAN of the legal entity, the next two are the entity code, and the last digit is a check sum.

State codeThe state or union territory where this registration is held.
PAN of the legal entityThe same in every GSTIN the business holds, in any state.
Entity codeAssigned at registration; CBIC calls it the entity code.
Check sumCalculated from the others; catches most typing errors.

Structure as described by CBIC. The example GSTIN is made up.

What the structure alone can and can't tell you

Because the structure is fixed, you can catch a lot before any lookup: a GSTIN that's the wrong length, has letters where digits belong, or fails the check sum was mistyped, and you can ask for it again straight away.

You can also compare the PAN inside it with the PAN the business gave you. If they differ, the GSTIN belongs to a different legal entity, whatever the name on the form says.

What the structure can't tell you is whether the number was ever issued, whether it's still active, or whose it is. For that, you need a lookup against the GST records.

Format checks compared with a lookup
Question	Format check	Lookup
Is it well formed?	Yes	Yes
Was it typed correctly?	Mostly (check sum)	Yes
Does it match the PAN I have?	Yes	Yes
Does it exist?	No	Yes
Is it active?	No	Yes
Whose is it?	No	Yes: legal and trade name

Registration status, and what to do about it

Active

The registration is in force.

Then: Proceed, after checking the name matches who you think you're dealing with.

Suspended

The registration is on hold while something is resolved.

Then: Pause and ask the business. Check the effect on invoices and tax credit with your adviser.

Cancelled

The registration has ended.

Then: Don't rely on it for new invoices. Ask whether the business has a new registration.

Status names as commonly shown in GST records. What a status means for your own tax position is a question for your adviser.

One business, several GSTINs

GST registration isn't centralised across states. A business operating in several states typically holds a registration, and a GSTIN, in each one. So a supplier can quite properly give you one GSTIN on an invoice from their Pune warehouse and another on an invoice from Bengaluru.

The PAN inside each GSTIN is what ties them together. Store the supplier once, with its PAN, and its GSTINs underneath, rather than creating a new supplier for each registration.

Kaveri Packaging · PAN ABCDE1234F

27ABCDE1234F1Z…warehouse registration
29ABCDE1234F1Z…head office registration

Made-up GSTINs, shortened. Same PAN, different state codes.

Where a GST check belongs

Where to check a GSTIN
Moment	Why it matters	Read more
Adding a supplier	The GSTIN on their invoices should be real, active and theirs	Vendor payments
Onboarding a B2B customer	Their GSTIN appears on the invoices you issue them	KYB
Onboarding a marketplace seller	Confirms the seller is a registered business before they sell	Marketplace payments
Periodic review	Registrations get suspended or cancelled after you onboard	Re-check on a schedule

Mismatches you'll see, and what they usually mean

Common GSTIN mismatches
What you see	Usually means	Do
Legal name differs from the name on the form	The form has a trade name or brand	Compare with the trade name; accept if it matches
PAN inside the GSTIN differs from the PAN given	A different legal entity, perhaps a group company	Ask which entity you're contracting with
State code doesn't match the address	The GSTIN is for another of their registrations	Ask for the registration for that location
Check sum fails	A typing error	Ask for it again; don't look it up
Status suspended or cancelled	The registration isn't in good standing	Pause; ask the business; check with your adviser

A GST check inside your onboarding

Done by hand, a GSTIN check means copying a number into the GST portal and reading the result. Done inside onboarding, the same check runs for every supplier or customer, gives a consistent answer and leaves a record.

The order matters: cheap checks first, so the lookup only runs on numbers that could be real.

1Format and check sumInstant, on the form, before submission. Catches typos.
2PAN inside vs PAN givenInstant. Catches the wrong entity.
3LookupStatus, legal and trade name from the GST records.
4Name matchAgainst the business name you hold, with a person reviewing close calls.
5Store the resultWhat came back, when, and the decision, alongside the supplier record.

What a valid GSTIN doesn't prove

A GSTIN is public. Anyone can copy a real business's GSTIN from one of its invoices and put it on a form. A clean lookup tells you the registration is real and names the business; it doesn't tell you the person in front of you works for it.

Name match
Does the legal name match the business you're contracting with?
PAN match
Is the PAN inside the GSTIN the one the business gave you?
Bank account
Is the account you'll pay in the same business's name? See bank account verification.
Authority
Is the person signing up authorised to act for it? That's KYB.

Your customers' GSTINs on your invoices

GST checks aren't only for suppliers. When you invoice business customers, their GSTIN goes on your invoice, and a wrong or inactive one causes problems for them and questions for you. Checking it once, when the customer account is created, is cheaper than correcting invoices later.

Store the GSTIN against the customer's billing location, since a customer with several registrations should be invoiced with the one for the place of supply. What your invoices must show is a question for your tax adviser.

At account creation
Check the GSTIN and store the legal name that came back.
On every invoice
Use the stored, checked GSTIN for that billing location.
Periodically
Re-check active customers' registrations; statuses change.

GST checks and your tax credit

Businesses often check suppliers' GSTINs because their own input tax credit can depend on their suppliers' registrations and filings. How that works, and what you need to check and keep for your own claims, is a tax question. A GSTIN check is one input to it, not the whole answer; confirm your obligations with your tax adviser.

Keeping GST records current

Store each GSTIN with the legal name and status that came back, the date checked, and the supplier or customer location it belongs to. Then schedule re-checks for active relationships, so a registration that's cancelled after onboarding is noticed before the next invoice or payment rather than at year end.

GST verification questions

Does every business have a GSTIN?

No. Only businesses registered under GST have one, and some small businesses aren't required to register. A supplier without a GSTIN isn't necessarily doing anything wrong; what that means for your own invoices and tax is a question for your adviser.

Can I verify GSTINs in bulk?

Yes. Checking an existing supplier or customer list in one go is a common clean-up exercise. Review the mismatches and inactive registrations it finds before changing any records.

What's the difference between legal name and trade name?

The legal name is the name of the registered entity, such as a private limited company's full name. The trade name is the name it does business under, which can be a brand. GST records typically show both, and either can appear on documents you receive.

What is a GSTIN?

A GSTIN is the 15-digit GST identification number allotted to a business when it registers under GST. According to CBIC's GST registration flyer, the first two digits are the State code, the next ten are the PAN of the legal entity, the next two are the entity code, and the last digit is a check sum.

Can one business have more than one GSTIN?

Yes. GST registration isn't centralised across states: a business registers in each state where it's required to, and each registration has its own GSTIN. The PAN inside each GSTIN is the same, which is how you can tell they belong to the same legal entity.

What does a GST verification check?

That the GSTIN is real and what the GST records say about it: typically the legal name, the trade name, the registration status and when it was registered. Checking the format alone only tells you the number is well formed, not that it exists.

What does it mean if a GSTIN is cancelled or suspended?

The registration isn't in good standing: it has been cancelled, or is suspended while a question is resolved. Treat it as a reason to pause and ask the business, not as proof of fraud, and check how it affects your invoices and tax credit with your adviser.

Does a valid GSTIN prove who I'm dealing with?

No. It proves the registration exists and names the business. It doesn't prove that the person who gave it to you represents that business. For that, business verification looks at directors, documents and authorisation.

Can I check a GSTIN myself?

Yes. The GST portal offers a public taxpayer search. An API-based check does the same kind of lookup inside your own onboarding flow, so it can run automatically for every new supplier or customer.

Does Peneu provide GST verification?

Which fields a GST check returns through Peneu, and how, is confirmed during onboarding.

Check GSTINs in your onboarding

We'll walk through where GST checks fit alongside KYB and account checks.

Talk to Peneu

Official sources

CBIC / GST Council — GST Registration under GST Law (flyer)15-digit GSTIN structure; no centralised registration across states; one registration for all GST taxes.
GST portal — public taxpayer search

Last reviewed 26 September 2026. Examples, amounts and screens marked illustrative are not Peneu figures.