A good-looking store is only half the job. Before you can take a real order, you need a working payment gateway, invoices your CA will accept and a reliable way to ship and handle returns. These steps take longer than most people expect, so start them early, ideally while the design is still in progress.
1. Payment gateway onboarding
A payment gateway lets you accept UPI, cards, netbanking and wallets, and settles the money into your bank account. Popular Indian gateways have similar onboarding steps.
Documents you will usually need
- PAN of the business, and of the owner or directors
- GST registration certificate, if you are registered
- Business registration proof, such as a partnership deed, certificate of incorporation or shop and establishment licence
- A current account in the business name, with a cancelled cheque or bank statement
- Address proof for the business
- Identity proof for the authorised signatory
Requirements differ by gateway and by business type. A proprietorship needs different papers from a private limited company. Ask the gateway for its current list before you apply.
Website checks
Gateways review your website before they activate a live account. They usually want to see real products with prices, contact details, and clear policy pages. A half-built site or a placeholder page often causes delays. We cover the policy pages in section 7.
Settlement
Ask each gateway how settlement works. Key questions include how many days after a payment the money reaches your bank, how refunds are deducted, and what reports you get for reconciliation. Also ask about charges for each payment method, since they can differ between UPI, cards and wallets.
2. Payment methods: UPI, cards, netbanking and COD
Most Indian shoppers expect UPI. Many still use cards and netbanking, and many first-time buyers still prefer cash on delivery.
- UPI: enable UPI intent on mobile so customers can pay in their preferred UPI app with one tap. Also allow QR or UPI ID entry for desktop users.
- Cards and netbanking: enabled by default on most gateways. Check that saved cards follow current tokenisation rules, which the gateway handles.
- Wallets and pay later options: useful for some audiences. Enable them if your customers ask for them.
- Cash on delivery: COD brings orders, but it also brings more returns and failed deliveries. Consider limits on order value, COD only for serviceable pin codes, or a small COD charge. Some stores confirm COD orders by phone or WhatsApp before dispatch.
3. GST-compliant invoices
Every order needs a proper tax invoice. Your store platform does not always produce one that meets Indian requirements by default. You will usually need an app, a plugin or a custom template.
What a GST invoice usually includes
- Your business name, address and GSTIN
- A unique, consecutive invoice number and the invoice date
- Customer name and billing and shipping addresses
- The customer's GSTIN for B2B orders
- Place of supply
- Product description, quantity and HSN code for each item
- Taxable value, and the tax breakup: CGST and SGST for sales within your state, or IGST for sales to other states
- Discounts and shipping charges, with tax applied as your CA advises
- Total amount, in figures and often in words
Get your HSN codes and rates right
Each product needs the correct HSN code and GST rate. Add these to your product data from the start. Wrong codes or rates cause problems in your returns later. Rules and rates change, so confirm the current requirements for your products with your CA.
Other points to check with your CA
- Whether e-invoicing applies to your business
- How to treat discounts, coupons and free shipping on the invoice
- How credit notes should work for returns and refunds
- Whether marketplace or TCS rules affect you if you also sell on marketplaces
4. Shipping aggregator setup
A shipping aggregator such as Shiprocket connects your store to several courier companies through one account. Orders flow in from your store, you choose a courier, print labels and track deliveries in one place.
Setup steps
- Create an account and complete KYC with the aggregator.
- Connect it to your store using the official app or plugin.
- Add your pickup address or addresses.
- Set default package weights and dimensions for each product. Charges depend on these, and wrong figures lead to weight disputes.
- Choose courier preferences, such as cheapest, fastest or best rated for your routes.
- Set up COD remittance to your bank account and check the remittance cycle.
5. Pin-code serviceability
Not every courier delivers to every pin code, and COD is not available everywhere. Add a pin-code checker on product pages or at checkout. It should tell the customer whether you deliver to them, the expected delivery time and whether COD is available. This prevents orders you cannot fulfil and reduces customer service calls.
6. Returns and RTO
Returns are part of online selling. Plan for them before your first order.
- Customer returns: decide which products can be returned, within how many days, and in what condition. Set up reverse pickup through your aggregator if you offer it.
- RTO (return to origin): this happens when a delivery fails and the parcel comes back to you. Common causes include wrong addresses, customers not reachable and refused COD orders. You usually pay shipping both ways.
- NDR (non-delivery report): when a courier fails to deliver, the aggregator raises an NDR. Act on these quickly. A call or message to the customer often saves the delivery.
To reduce RTO, verify phone numbers, confirm COD orders before dispatch, and make sure addresses include a landmark and correct pin code.
7. Policy pages
Payment gateways usually require these pages before they approve your live account. They also build trust with customers.
- Shipping policy: delivery areas, timelines, shipping charges and what happens with delays
- Refund and cancellation policy: how and when customers can cancel, return or get a refund, and how long refunds take
- Privacy policy: what personal data you collect, why, how you store it and who you share it with
- Terms and conditions: the rules for using your site and buying from you
- Contact page: business name, address, email and phone number
Write these to match how you actually work. Copying another store's policies leads to promises you cannot keep. Ask a lawyer or your CA to review them, especially the privacy policy, since data protection rules in India continue to evolve.
8. Test everything before launch
Use the gateway's test mode first, then run a few real orders with small amounts before you announce the launch.
Pre-launch test checklist
- Place a test order with each payment method: UPI, card, netbanking and COD.
- Test a failed payment and confirm the order is not marked as paid.
- Check the order confirmation email and SMS or WhatsApp message.
- Download the invoice and check GSTIN, HSN codes, tax breakup and invoice numbering.
- Place one order from within your state and one from another state. Confirm CGST and SGST or IGST apply correctly.
- Confirm the order appears in your shipping aggregator with the right weight.
- Test the pin-code checker with serviceable and non-serviceable pin codes.
- Process a cancellation and a refund. Check the credit note and the refund in the gateway dashboard.
- Check the first settlement reaches your bank account and matches your records.
- Open every policy page and check the links from the footer and checkout.
Where to start
Apply to your payment gateway and shipping aggregator as soon as your business documents and a basic version of the site are ready. Get your product list with HSN codes to your CA early. These approvals and checks run in parallel with design and development, and they are often what decides your launch date.
How WebCrea can help
We set up payment gateways, GST invoicing and shipping integrations as part of our store builds, and we test the full order flow before launch. We work alongside your CA so that invoices and tax settings match their advice.