TradeCheck checks every ABN a buyer enters, and adds risk flags to the order when something doesn't look right. This article covers what TradeCheck checks, where the ABN data comes from, and what each flag means.
What TradeCheck checks
TradeCheck runs three checks, in this order:
- The number itself. An ABN has 11 digits and a built-in checksum. A number that fails the checksum can't be a real ABN.
- Your blocked list. TradeCheck checks the ABN against your store's blocked ABNs before it looks the ABN up, so blocking works even when the ABR is down.
- The Australian Business Register. TradeCheck looks the ABN up in the ABR's ABN Lookup service, the official public record of Australian businesses. It records the registered name, entity type, ABN status (Active or Cancelled), GST registration and state.
TradeCheck keeps an ABR result for 24 hours, so the same ABN entered twice in a day uses the first result. Re-verify now on the order page skips the saved result and looks the ABN up again.
Risk flags
Flags show on the order page, never to buyers. Flags are advisory: they never stop an order on their own.
| Flag | When TradeCheck adds it | Colour |
|---|---|---|
| ABN fails checksum | The number can't be a real ABN | Red |
| ABN not found on ABR | The ABR has no record of the ABN | Red |
| ABN cancelled | The ABR lists the ABN as cancelled | Red |
| ABN is on your blocked list | The ABN is on your blocked list, whichever block setting you use | Red |
| Not registered for GST | The business has no current GST registration | Amber |
| Business name differs from ABR | The name the buyer entered doesn't match the ABR names | Amber |
| ABR state differs from order address | The ABR state matches neither the billing nor the shipping state | Amber |
| ABN registered in the last 30 days | The ABN became active less than 30 days ago | Amber |
| PO number missing | The PO number field is required, but the order has none | Amber |
Name matching: TradeCheck compares the entered name with the business's registered name and all its current business and trading names. It ignores capital letters, punctuation, and words like Pty, Ltd, Limited, The, Co, Company, Trust, Trustee and Trading. The names match when one contains the other's words, or when 80% or more of their words are the same. TradeCheck flags a trading name that isn't registered with the ABR.
State check: TradeCheck skips the state check when the order has no billing or shipping state.
What buyers see
While the ABN is checked, the form shows "Checking the Australian Business Register…". When the ABR finds it, the form shows the registered name, the ABN, Active or Cancelled, and GST status.
- Cancelled ABN: "This ABN is cancelled on the Australian Business Register. Remove it to enter another." The buyer can still carry on.
- ABN not found: "We couldn't find this ABN on the Australian Business Register. Check the number."
- ABR unavailable: "We couldn't check this ABN right now. You can still continue." TradeCheck saves the details without a check, and staff can press Re-verify now on the order later.
Plus checkout orders
When a buyer enters details inside Plus checkout, TradeCheck checks the ABN with the ABR the first time the order is opened in the Shopify admin, or when the buyer views the Thank you or Order status page.
Using the details elsewhere
TradeCheck saves the details and check results as order metafields: ABN, business name, PO number, cost centre, approver, ABN legal name, ABN status, GST registered, risk flags and verified time. Logged-in buyers also get customer metafields with their last verified ABN. You can use the metafields in packing slips, invoice templates and Shopify Flow.