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RRA EBM & Rexolia

For Rwanda based users​

This article is informative. It explains what the Rwanda Revenue Authority's Electronic Billing Machine (EBM) system is, why it matters to VAT-registered businesses in Rwanda, and what using EBM in Rexolia will look like once it is active.

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Certification is underway, Rexolia is not yet a CIS

Rexolia is currently working with RRA to be certified as a Certified Invoicing System (CIS) and to complete its EBM / VSDC integration. That process is underway but not complete: Rexolia is not yet a CIS, and EBM signing is not yet active in customer accounts.

Please treat this page as informative only. It describes RRA's EBM framework and how EBM is intended to behave in Rexolia once certification is granted. This article is subject to update as soon as RRA grants Rexolia its CIS certification.

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Scope of this page:

This page covers using EBM in your day-to-day operations, what EBM is, how it affects the receipts you issue, and what to do when something goes wrong.

The technical setup and configuration of EBM inside Rexolia — TIN and tax-rate configuration, MRC management, and related system functions — is a separate topic covered in Branch & System Configuration. That page is the reference for setup; this one does not repeat it.

What is RRA EBM?​

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The Electronic Billing Machine system is the Rwanda Revenue Authority's invoicing compliance infrastructure. Every sale made by a VAT-registered business must carry an RRA-issued receipt number, digital signature, and QR code before it is handed to a customer.

RRA certifies the software that produces these receipts. Only software that RRA has certified as a Certified Invoicing System (CIS) is allowed to sign them, through RRA's Virtual Sales Data Controller (VSDC). RRA's current certified signing method. Rexolia is working toward that certification.

In short, EBM is not an extra device or a separate form, it is the way RRA requires your everyday sales receipts to be signed and recognised. When EBM is active, every receipt carries proof, visible on the receipt and verifiable through a QR code, that RRA has accepted the sale. As a cloud-based system, Rexolia is designed to operate the VSDC integration on behalf of its customers, so a business does not install, host, or maintain any signing software or hardware itself.

What RRA EBM means for your business​

Whether you are setting up now or later, these are the EBM principles that will apply once your business is activated:

  • One TIN per business branch. RRA identifies each taxable branch by its Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). A branch invoices and files under a single TIN for its lifetime. See Change of Tax / Business ID, Ownership & Branch Merging.
  • Your business registers with RRA first. Each business and each branch must register for EBM with RRA and receive RRA's approval before its receipts can be signed. Only RRA grants this; Rexolia cannot.
  • Every normal sale is signed before it reaches the customer. The receipt receives an RRA receipt number, internal data, and a digital signature from RRA's VSDC.
  • Receipts carry an RRA-verifiable QR code so customers and auditors can confirm a receipt against RRA's records.
  • Numbering is per branch and sequential. Each branch's receipts are numbered in its own unbroken sequence, headquarters 00, then 01, 02, … for additional branches, each approved separately by RRA.
  • No physical device required. Because VSDC is a virtual controller, your business does not buy or install an EBM device.

What EBM changes on your receipts​

Until EBM signing is active, a receipt's SDC Information block shows placeholder values:

──────────────────────────────────────
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]
──────────────────────────────────────

Once EBM is active, every normal receipt is signed by RRA before it is shown to the cashier. The signed block is illustrative:

──────────────────────────────────────
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
──────────────────────────────────────
  • SDC ID identifies your business's signing profile with RRA.
  • MRC (Machine Registration Code) identifies the certified software that produced the receipt.

Both values are assigned by RRA and printed automatically. You never need to enter or edit them.

Additionally, the QR code printed on each receipt encodes the full RRA-mandated payload so that customers and auditors can verify the receipt against RRA's records. See RRA Receipts for details.

Activating EBM in Rexolia​

EBM is not yet available to activate, RRA has not yet granted Rexolia its CIS certification. This section will be updated when it is.

Once certification is granted and your business has been approved by RRA, activating EBM is intended to be a single action: Rexolia is designed to contact RRA on your behalf, confirm your business and branch, and retrieve your signing credentials automatically. No manual technical configuration is intended to be required of you.

How EBM is programmed and configured on the Rexolia side — TIN, branch, EBM Settings, MRC and related system functions — is documented in Branch & System Configuration. Refer to that page for setup.

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Certification status If EBM is not yet present in your account, that is because Rexolia's CIS certification from RRA is still in progress Rexolia is not yet a CIS. Check back once RRA has granted certification and this article has been updated.

How EBM signing works during a sale​

Understanding what happens when a cashier completes a sale helps with troubleshooting once EBM is active:

  1. Cashier confirms the cart and selects a payment method.
  2. Rexolia creates the receipt record internally.
  3. Rexolia sends the receipt data to RRA through its VSDC integration.
  4. RRA returns the 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.

This is designed to complete 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
FAILEDSigning failed after all retries sales are blocked until resolved
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Sales are blocked after prolonged EBM failure Rexolia's EBM integration needs periodic connectivity to RRA to keep issuing signed receipts. If connectivity is lost for more than 24 consecutive hours, RRA requires that new sales be blocked until the connection is restored. This is a legal requirement, not a Rexolia limitation. Resolve the connectivity issue or contact RRA before continuing operations.

Troubleshooting​

When will EBM be available in my Rexolia account?

Rexolia is currently working with RRA toward its CIS certification, and EBM / VSDC integration will be enabled once RRA grants it. Watch this page, it is subject to update as soon as certification is granted. In the meantime, register your business and branches for EBM with RRA so everything is ready.

Why do my receipts still show [PENDING EBM]?

That is expected while Rexolia is not yet a CIS and EBM is not active in your account. Receipts issued in this state are not RRA-compliant. The placeholders will be replaced once certification is granted and EBM is activated.

"Not yet approved by RRA" when activating

Activation only succeeds once RRA has approved your business's EBM / VSDC application. Check the status of your application at www.rra.gov.rw or with your RRA office before retrying.

Receipts show FAILED EBM status

If EBM is active and you see this, check your internet connection first. If connectivity is confirmed, the issue is most likely on RRA's side. Contact RRA if the problem persists for more than a few minutes.

Test receipts appearing in production reports

Training receipts (label TS/TR) are not transmitted to RRA's production system. Use Training mode in POS while practising so that training sales do not affect your inventory or production data.

Support​

For issues with EBM registration or RRA connectivity: