GST invoices for intercity shipments: what you need at booking

Most personal shipments don't need a GST invoice. If you're sending semester luggage, a gift, or food from home — skip this guide.

If you're shipping business goods, samples, or anything where you'll need a paper trail for a tax filing, read on.

Do you need one?

What Patwadi's invoice includes

When you request a GST invoice at booking, we generate a document that includes:

• Our GSTIN
• Your booking reference number
• Declared goods category and value
• Origin city and destination city
• The freight charge and applicable tax

This is your logistics expense record — a record of what you paid us to move something. It does not replace your own sales invoice if you're moving stock between your business's locations. You'll still need to issue that separately under your own GSTIN for the goods themselves.

How to request one

Select "GST invoice required" in the booking form when you fill in your route and details. When our team confirms your slot via WhatsApp, they'll ask for your GSTIN if you want it included on the invoice. That exchange takes about thirty seconds.

A word on declared value

Your declared value is separate from the GST invoice. It affects the liability cap on your shipment — the maximum we can pay out in a damage or loss claim — not the invoice amount.

For the pilot period:

• General goods: ₹10,000 declared value cap
• Electronics: ₹5,000 declared value cap

If your shipment is worth significantly more than these caps, contact us before booking. We'll discuss what's possible on your specific corridor and whether additional coverage makes sense.

Common scenarios

Moving stock between your own locations

You have a manufacturing unit in one city and a retail outlet in another. You ship goods between them regularly. You need a Patwadi GST invoice for the freight. You'll also need your own stock transfer documentation for the goods — that's separate from us.

Sending samples to a buyer

The buyer needs to see what the goods look like. You ship samples. The Patwadi invoice covers the freight cost, which you can expense. The buyer may or may not need an invoice from you for the samples themselves depending on their accounting setup — that's between you and the buyer.

Documents for a commercial transaction

Physical documents that need to move between cities. If they're originals — passports, property deeds, wills — we can't ship those (see the prohibited items guide). If they're business documents, contracts, signed agreements — these ship fine; request the invoice at booking.