Quick answer: A GeM order is not commercially complete at dispatch. The seller must align order acceptance, delivery evidence, provisional receipt, inspection, consignee acceptance, invoice data and payment follow-up so that each portal milestone is supported by documents.
Many tender teams celebrate the purchase order and hand the file to operations without a structured transition. That is where margin begins to leak: the delivery date is misunderstood, consignee details are wrong, installation evidence is missing or the invoice is raised before acceptance data is aligned.
GeM order execution should be managed as a chain of verifiable events. The exact portal labels and timing depend on category and contract, but the control logic remains stable.
Order acceptance and internal handover
Review the order immediately against the bid, catalogue and commercial approval. Confirm item or service, model, quantity, tax, consignee, delivery period, installation, inspection, warranty, performance security and payment terms. Escalate a genuine discrepancy through the prescribed route rather than silently supplying something different.
Create an order file with the purchase order, bid, accepted specifications, buyer-added terms, approved cost sheet and named owners. Reserve inventory or staff, block the delivery date and initiate securities. A sales-to-operations meeting should identify every document required at dispatch and acceptance.
Delivery and provisional receipt
Prepare a consignee-wise packing list, invoice or delivery challan as applicable, e-way bill, serial or batch list, warranty certificate and inspection documents. Capture proof of dispatch and delivery. For services, use attendance, transaction logs, reports or milestone evidence agreed in the contract.
A provisional receipt or receipt acknowledgement confirms physical or initial receipt; it may not establish final acceptance. Record shortages, damage or pending installation openly. Do not pressure the consignee to certify completion before the buyer can reasonably inspect the supply.
CRAC and final acceptance
The Consignee Receipt and Acceptance Certificate, commonly called CRAC, is a key acceptance milestone on GeM. Its issue may follow inspection, installation, testing or service verification. Review the certificate for accepted quantity, rejected quantity, date and deductions.
Where an item is rejected, request the reason and preserve test or inspection evidence. Respond within the contract process, arrange replacement or challenge an unsupported rejection through the appropriate channel. The financial team should not assume that physical delivery alone starts the payment clock when the contract ties payment to acceptance.
Invoice and payment control
Reconcile the invoice with the order and acceptance certificate: legal name, GSTIN, HSN or SAC, quantity, tax rate, consignee, place of supply, bank account and reference numbers. Attach required security, warranty, inspection and acceptance records. Avoid duplicate or premature invoices that create portal and GST reconciliation problems.
Track invoice submission, buyer processing, payment advice, deductions and bank credit. Maintain an ageing report by order and reason. For delayed cases, use a documented escalation ladder—consignee, paying authority, buyer organisation and applicable grievance or MSE remedy—while preserving a professional relationship.
Practical checklist
- Reconcile the order with the bid before acceptance.
- Assign delivery, document, security and payment owners.
- Prepare consignee-wise dispatch and serial/batch evidence.
- Distinguish provisional receipt from final acceptance.
- Check CRAC quantity, date, rejection and deductions.
- Match invoice tax and bank data to order and acceptance.
- Track ageing until cash and security release are complete.
Frequently asked questions
Is PRC the same as CRAC?
No. Provisional receipt records initial receipt, while CRAC generally records consignee receipt and acceptance after the applicable verification. The live order and category workflow should be checked.
Can a seller invoice immediately after dispatch?
Only where the contract and portal workflow permit. In many cases, invoice processing depends on receipt, inspection or acceptance milestones.
What should a seller do about partial rejection?
Obtain the documented reason, compare it with the accepted specification, preserve evidence and follow the replacement or dispute process within the contract timeline.
Final takeaway
Cash conversion depends on evidence conversion. Manage the order from acceptance through CRAC and invoice as one controlled workflow, and payment problems become easier to prevent, diagnose and escalate.
Related reading
- GeM Seller Registration 2026: Documents, Validation and First Steps
- How to Find the Right GeM Bids Without Wasting Hours
- GeM Catalogue Optimisation: Titles, Specs, Images and Pricing
Official references
- Government e-Marketplace
- GeM latest updates and features
- General Financial Rules, 2017 — updated to 31 January 2026
- Manual for Procurement of Goods, Second Edition 2024
Editorial note: This article is educational, not legal or bid-specific advice. Tender conditions, portal workflows, thresholds and government instructions can change. Always read the latest tender document, corrigenda, applicable office memoranda and portal guidance before acting.