If a customer encounters an issue with connecting to the authority (Phase 2), they should first verify the basic requirements and then check the following points in order before escalating the issue:
Basic Requirements Before Starting
-
Plan: Phase 2 connection is not available in the Basic plan; it requires a Professional or Advanced plan or Qoyod Plan. If the customer is on an older plan, it is available for older plans (Lite, Plus, Premium, Advanced). If the message “Feature is not available, please upgrade” appears, the plan must be upgraded first from: Settings > Subscription Settings > Edit Subscription (Payment via Sadad activates the upgrade immediately)
-
Invoice Designer: Ensure that the invoice designer contains all required fields; this can be verified through the guidance menu located next to the invoice designer in Settings
Important Notes When Connecting to the Authority (Phase 2)
1) Business Name
Go to Settings, then General Settings
-
The name in the “Business Name” field must be in English
-
One word and very short
-
After successful connection, the business name can be edited later without any issues
2) Tax Number
Go to Settings, then General Settings and in the Tax Number field
-
Ensure that the tax number is entered correctly without any errors
-
Any discrepancy in a single digit prevents completion of the connection
3) Address
Go to Settings, then General Settings. The address must be:
-
Must be in Arabic
-
Ensure that the selected country is Saudi Arabia
-
If a country other than Saudi Arabia is selected, the following message will appear:
“You do not have access”
4) Connection Type (Production or Sandbox)
-
Ensure that the correct connection type is selected when entering the electronic connection
-
Production connection
-
Or Sandbox connection
-
-
You must obtain the appropriate connection code based on the selected connection type
-
Using a code that does not match the connection type will result in failure
5) Enable Phase 1
-
You must ensure that Phase 1 is enabled
-
If Phase 1 is not enabled, Phase 2 connection will not be completed at all
To verify that it is active, go to Settings, then General Settings, and in the “Enable Electronic Invoice according to Saudi Regulations” field, it should show “Electronic invoice regulations have been applied to this business”
-
If it is not present, click “Enable” and then save from the bottom of the page.
6) If All Data Is Correct and the Problem Persists
-
Log out from the authority’s website
-
Log in again
-
Request new codes
-
Retry the connection using the new codes
If Unable to Access the Fatoora Platform
-
Ensure that you are logged in with a business account, not a personal account
-
Verify your login credentials on the authority’s website first before accessing the Fatoora platform
-
If the issue persists, the customer should contact ZATCA directly at 19993
Connection Status: “Processing”
-
If the connection status shows “Processing” for a long time, verify: business name (English, one word), tax number, address in Arabic and Saudi Arabia as the country, correct connection type, Phase 1 enabled
-
If everything is correct: log out from the authority’s website, log in again, create new codes, and retry
Important Note
Most Phase 2 connection issues are caused by:
-
Mismatched business name
-
Selecting a country other than Saudi Arabia
-
Connection code incompatible with the connection type
-
Basic plan does not support Phase 2
-
Incomplete invoice designer
-
Verification code expired (more than an hour)
and not due to a system malfunction.
Note on Changing the Tax Number: If the business tax number is changed after completing the connection, please contact ZATCA to be informed of the required procedures.
Escalation Protocol
If all the above steps are unsuccessful, ask the customer for:
-
Business Number (appears at the top left and starts with #)
-
A screenshot of the General Settings page (Settings > General Settings) to review the following data:
-
Business name (must be in English and one short word)
-
Address (must be in Arabic and Saudi Arabia as the country)
-
Tax number (verify its accuracy)
-
Review the screenshot and verify the accuracy of the data. If all data is correct and the problem persists, escalate the conversation to the specialist to follow up on the connection.
If you’d like to see a video that explains the connection step by step, you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm2eoRa8TyE