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RRA EBM Activation

For Rwanda based users​

This guide applies to businesses registered in Rwanda. Once your business is registered with the Rwanda Revenue Authority and you have obtained your OSDC credentials, this page walks you through activating Electronic Billing Machine (EBM) compliance in Rexolia.

:::info What is EBM? The Electronic Billing Machine system is Rwanda Revenue Authority's real-time invoicing compliance infrastructure. Every sale made by a VAT registered business must be signed by RRA's servers and carry an RRA-issued receipt number, digital signature, and QR code before it is handed to a customer. Rexolia implements this through the Online Sales Data Controller (OSDC) RRA's cloud-based signing service meaning no physical device or local software installation is required. :::

Before You Begin​

You must have completed the following before activating EBM in Rexolia:

  1. Obtained a TIN from RRA. Your TIN appears on your business registration certificate issued by RDB (Rwanda Development Board). Enter it during initial Rexolia setup (see Getting Started).

  2. Registered for EBM at www.rra.gov.rw or at the nearest RRA office. During registration, select the right SDC for your EBM type that will work with cloud-based software like Rexolia. You do not need a physical device.

  3. Received your OSDC credentials from RRA. After your application is approved, RRA will issue your cmcKey, SDC ID, and MRC per branch.

:::info Rexolia is is working on RRA-certification You do not need to apply for CIS (Certified Invoicing System) certification. That certification belongs to Rexolia as software RRA has already reviewed and approved Rexolia as a compliant invoicing system. Your Business only needs to complete the OSDC registration above. :::

Understanding Your OSDC Credentials​

When RRA activates your OSDC access, they provide the following values. You will need all of them to complete activation in Rexolia.

MRC Machine Registration Code​

Format: BBBCCNNNNNN (11 characters, no spaces)

  • BBB: Rexolia's software developer ID, assigned by RRA to Rexolia. This is fixed and the same for all Rexolia installations.
  • CC: Rexolia's certificate number, also assigned by RRA.
  • NNNNNN: A 6-digit serial number that uniquely identifies your specific installation. RRA or Rexosoft assigns this per branch.

Example: REX01000001

The MRC is printed on every receipt you issue. It allows RRA to trace any receipt back to the certified software that produced it. Do not modify or reuse MRC numbers across branches.

SDC ID Sales Data Controller Identifier​

Format: SDCxxxxxxxxx (12 characters)

Example: SDC013000001

This is RRA's identifier for your virtual SDC instance. It appears in the SDC Information block on every receipt, identifying which signing controller processed the transaction.

cmcKey Communication Key​

A 255-character alphanumeric string.

Example: f0b9831bd2334874b7ec815e40347bc4...

This is the authentication credential Rexolia uses to sign every receipt with RRA's servers. It is unique per business branch and must be kept confidential treat it like a password. Do not share it or include it in emails.

:::warning Keep your cmcKey secure Anyone with your cmcKey can sign receipts against your TIN on RRA's infrastructure. Rexolia stores it encrypted. If you believe your cmcKey has been compromised, contact RRA immediately to request a new one. :::

Activating EBM in Rexolia​

Once you have received your credentials from RRA, go to Settings → EBM Settings in the left navigation menu.

You will be presented with the EBM Credentials form. Fill in the following fields:

FieldValue to enter
MRC NumberThe 11-character MRC code provided by RRA
SDC IDThe 12-character SDC identifier provided by RRA
Communication Key (cmcKey)The 255-character key provided by RRA
Branch ID00 for headquarters, or the branch code if you operate multiple locations

Click Save and Activate. Rexolia will immediately attempt a test connection to RRA's OSDC server to verify the credentials.

:::note Sandbox vs Production RRA provides a sandbox environment at sdcsandbox.rra.gov.rw for testing before going live. Rexolia uses the sandbox automatically when you enable Test Mode in EBM Settings. Switch to production mode only when RRA confirms your credentials are live. :::

What Changes After Activation​

Before activation, receipts show placeholder values in the SDC Information block:

──────────────────────────────────────
SDC INFORMATION
SDC ID        : [PENDING EBM]
RECEIPT NUMBER: [PENDING EBM] NS
Internal Data : [PEND-ING-EBM-DATA]
Receipt Sig.  : [PEND-ING-SIG]
MRC           : [PENDING EBM]
──────────────────────────────────────

After activation, every receipt is signed in real time by RRA's servers:

──────────────────────────────────────
SDC INFORMATION
Date: 09/05/2026     Time: 14:32:11
SDC ID        : SDC013000001
RECEIPT NUMBER: 168/4821 NS
Internal Data : TE68-SLA2-34J5-EAV3
Receipt Sig.  : V249-J39C-FJ48-HE2W
MRC           : REX01000001
──────────────────────────────────────

Additionally, the QR code printed on each receipt encodes the full RRA-mandated payload:

ddmmyyyy#hhmmss#sdc_id#sdc_receipt_number#internal_data#receipt_signature

Customers and RRA auditors can scan this QR code to verify the authenticity of any receipt against RRA's database.

Receipt Signing Flow​

Understanding what happens when a cashier completes a sale helps with troubleshooting:

  1. Cashier confirms the cart and selects payment method
  2. Rexolia creates the receipt record internally
  3. Rexolia sends the receipt data to RRA's OSDC server at api-ebm.rra.gov.rw using your cmcKey
  4. RRA's server returns: SDC ID, receipt counters, internal data, and digital signature
  5. Rexolia writes these values to the receipt and generates the PDF
  6. The signed receipt is displayed and available for printing

The entire process typically completes in under two seconds on a stable connection.

EBM Status on Receipts​

Every receipt in Rexolia carries an EBM status:

StatusMeaning
PENDINGAwaiting signing normal for a few seconds after checkout
SUCCESSSigned successfully by RRA's OSDC server
FAILEDSigning failed after all retries sales are blocked until resolved

:::warning Sales are blocked on EBM failure If Rexolia cannot reach RRA's signing server after multiple retries, new sales are blocked until the connection is restored. This is a legal requirement. RRA does not permit issuing receipts without a live OSDC connection. Resolve the connectivity issue or contact RRA before continuing operations. :::

Multi-Branch Setup​

If your Business operates more than one location, each branch requires its own set of OSDC credentials from RRA. In Rexolia, go to Settings → EMB Setting → Select Branches and add each branch. Each branch has its own EBM Settings form where you enter the branch-specific MRC, SDC ID, and cmcKey.

Branch IDs follow RRA's format: 00 for headquarters, 01, 02 etc. for additional branches.

Troubleshooting​

Receipts show FAILED EBM status

Check your internet connection first. OSDC requires a live connection to RRA's servers. If connectivity is confirmed, verify that your cmcKey has not expired. Contact RRA if the issue persists.

:::warning EBM and offline operation Rexolia requires a live connection to RRA's OSDC server to issue compliant receipts. Operating without internet connectivity means receipts cannot be signed and will not be RRA-compliant. This is a legal requirement. Offline receipt issuance is not supported. :::

Test mode receipts appearing in production reports

Ensure Test Mode is disabled in EBM Settings before going live. Training receipts (label TS/TR) issued in test mode are not transmitted to RRA's production system. Switch to Training mode in POS if you are in training to avoid inventory manipulation and transmission of draft data to RRA

Credentials rejected by RRA server

Double-check that you have entered the cmcKey exactly as provided. it is case-sensitive and must contain no extra spaces. If you copied it from an email, paste it into a plain text editor first to strip any hidden formatting characters before entering it in Rexolia.

Support​

For issues with OSDC credentials or RRA connectivity: