A GST verification app takes a 15-character GSTIN and returns its status, legal and trade name, registration date, constitution and nature of business. The FundRaksha Trust basic check does this free without sign-up, on Android and the web. Its paid reports add the filing record, a GST health score, supplier-reported defaults, court cases and the owner's credit score.
What a GST check returns
- Status: Active, Suspended, Cancelled, Provisional or Inactive. Anything other than Active needs a question before you deliver.
- Legal name and trade name: must match the purchase order and the bank account that pays you.
- Registration date: a registration only weeks old on a large first order is a reason for caution.
- Constitution: proprietorship, partnership, LLP or company, which tells you who is liable.
- Nature of business: a "trader" ordering industrial chemicals may be a middleman.
Before any of this, the number itself should pass the format and check-digit test. The GSTIN validator does that offline, and GSTIN format explained shows what each character means.
Free options compared
| Tool | What is free | Paid extras |
|---|---|---|
| GST portal, Search Taxpayer | Status, names, registration details, filing table; one GSTIN at a time with a captcha | None |
| FundRaksha Trust | Basic check: status, names, registration date, constitution, nature of business, no sign-up | Advance GST report 129 RP, GST + Financial 499 RP, bulk check 5 RP per GSTIN |
| KnowYourGST | GST number verification without captcha, search by name or PAN | Bulk GST and PAN search, verification and returns-status APIs |
| Masters India | Lists GSTIN search by PAN or name and a verify-GST-number tool | GST verification API, vendor verification API and other GST software |
All the free tools show broadly the same public registration data. The difference is what you can add on top.
Why a supplier needs more than status
An Active GSTIN tells you the registration exists. It does not tell you the buyer pays on time. The Advance GST report on Trust (129 RP) adds a GST health score, compliance risk, filing delays and missing returns, registered contact details, associated people and places, Aadhaar, eKYC and e-invoice signals, and defaults reported by other suppliers.
For a large credit sale, the GST + Financial report (499 RP) adds the owner's credit score and loan record, court cases, tribunals and FIRs, and a give-credit, caution or avoid decision. It is charged only when the report is ready, and paid reports never expire and can be reopened at no charge.
Worked example
A Surat fabric trader gets a WhatsApp order from a new buyer in Kolkata for ₹2,60,000 of sarees on 60 days. The trader runs the free check while still on the call: the GSTIN starts with 19 (West Bengal), status Active, trade name matches. The Advance GST report then shows GSTR-3B filed late in batches and one default reported by another supplier. The trader offers 50% advance and the balance on delivery. See fake GST number check for other warning signs.
Mistakes to avoid
- Checking once and never again. A GSTIN that was Active at the first order can be suspended or cancelled later. Re-check before raising a limit.
- Ignoring the trade name. A buyer can trade under a name quite different from its legal name. Bill the legal name; match the trade name to what the buyer calls itself.
- Trusting a screenshot. A buyer's screenshot of a GST certificate is not a check. Run the number yourself.
- Checking only the first GSTIN. A business with branches in several states has one GSTIN per state. Check the one you will bill.
Each of these takes seconds to avoid, and each has cost suppliers a full invoice.
Sources
Last reviewed: 2026-10-21. Information for Indian businesses; not legal advice.