This guide is in English for now. The tool itself works in your language.
E-Invoice › IRN and QR code on the invoice
IRN, Ack No. and QR code on your e-invoice
When the IRP accepts an invoice it sends back three things. The invoice you give the buyer must carry the QR code, and it is good practice to print the IRN and acknowledgement next to it.
What the portal gives back
- IRN (Invoice Reference Number): a 64-character code made from your GSTIN, the financial year, the document type and the invoice number. It is unique: one invoice number, one IRN.
- Ack No. and Ack Date: the acknowledgement of registration, with the date and time.
- Signed QR code: a long text signed by the IRP. It holds your GSTIN, the buyer's GSTIN, invoice number and date, value, number of items, main HSN code, the IRN and its date. Anyone (a tax officer, your buyer) can scan it and check it offline with the government's app.
Printing it here
- After uploading, download the result from the portal. It contains the IRN, Ack No., Ack date and the signed QR code text.
- Open the invoice in this maker (or step 3 of the Excel section for many) and press Load the portal's reply file.
- Or open Or type the numbers from the portal, type the IRN and Ack No., and paste the signed QR code text.
- Press Save, then Print / PDF. The invoice shows a box with the IRN, Ack No., Ack date and the QR code.
The QR code drawn here is made from the portal's signed text itself, so it scans exactly like the one on the portal's own printout. A QR code made from your own invoice details is not the e-invoice QR code.
Changed the invoice after registering it?
The IRP keeps the details it registered. If you edit the number, date, GSTINs or amount afterwards, this maker shows a warning, because the printed bill no longer matches the portal. Undo the change, or cancel and register again (below).
Cancelling an e-invoice
- An IRN can be cancelled on the portal within 24 hours of registration, as a whole (no part cancellation), and only if no active e-way bill is linked to it.
- A cancelled invoice number can never be registered again. Make the corrected invoice with a new number.
- After 24 hours, correct the invoice with a credit note or debit note, reported like any other e-invoice, or amend it in your GSTR-1.
A worked example
Invoice INV/26-27/101 for ₹39,270 is uploaded at 11:40 on 5 November 2026. The reply gives Ack No. 112620000123456, Ack date 2026-11-05 11:40:00 and an IRN beginning 8d2f…. At 15:00 you notice the buyer's PIN was wrong. The IRN can be cancelled until 11:40 the next day; you then issue INV/26-27/103 with the right PIN, because 101 can't be used again.