What is a GSTIN?
A GSTIN is the 15-character GST identification number issued to a registered business in India. What each character means and how to read one.
A GSTIN (Goods and Services Tax Identification Number) is the 15-character identifier issued to every business registered under GST in India. It replaced the older state VAT and central excise numbers.
Reading a GSTIN
Take 27AAPFU0939F1ZV:
| Position | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | 27 | State code (27 is Maharashtra) |
| 3–12 | AAPFU0939F | The entity's PAN |
| 13 | 1 | Entity number for that PAN within the state |
| 14 | Z | Fixed character, currently always Z |
| 15 | V | Checksum |
Two useful consequences of that structure. First, the PAN sits inside the GSTIN, so the two can be checked against each other. Second, a business operating in several states has a separate GSTIN per state, all sharing one PAN — so "the same supplier" can legitimately present different GSTINs.
What a GSTIN does and does not tell you
It tells you the business is registered, in which state, and under which PAN. It does not tell you the business is solvent, active, or the one you think you are dealing with. Registration is an administrative fact, not an endorsement.
What people get wrong
Accepting a GSTIN without checking status. Registrations get cancelled and suspended. A number that was valid last year may not be now — see GSTIN verification.
Assuming one GSTIN per business. Multi-state operations have several, legitimately.
Not matching the name. The registered legal name on the GSTIN should match the entity you are contracting with. A mismatch is worth a question before it is worth a purchase order.
On Bidancer
GSTIN is part of business KYC. Verification happens once, at onboarding, so every business you engage with has already been through it — you are not collecting and checking numbers per transaction. See the verification guide.