On July 16, 2024, you could issue invoices using Carta Porte 3.0. On the 17th, you couldn’t anymore. There was no transition period, no grace period, no “you can keep using the old version while you get used to it”: overnight, version 3.1 became the only valid one.
If you’re still mentally comparing both versions, or worse, if your system is still configured with old catalogs, it’s time to review what really changed in your data, catalogs, and validations before a CFDI (Mexican electronic invoice) goes uncertified.
Migrating isn’t just about changing the version number. It involves updating catalogs, reviewing merchandise and routes, validating tax data, and training those who generate the invoices.
Here you’ll find exactly what changed between 3.0 and 3.1, how to create a migration plan without surprises, and which validations to review before sending your first invoice in production. Let’s begin:
Key Points
Carta Porte 3.1 replaced version 3.0.
Systems, catalogs, and operational data must be updated.
Reviewing validations helps avoid rejections and penalties.
Key Changes Between Versions 3.0 and 3.1
Version 3.1 includes updated catalogs, new validation rules, and different data requirements in the addendum. Before issuing the CFDI, review your systems, documents, and processes: it’s not enough to assume that everything remains the same.
Catalog and Validation Adjustments
Version 3.1 introduced new catalogs, and several validations were fundamentally changed. Verify that your codes for goods, units, hazardous materials, transport categories, locations, and means match the current SAT catalogs.
Important: Don’t rely on the filling instructions you’re already familiar with. Data that previously passed without issue may now result in rejection if the SAT requires a specific code, a relationship with another field, or a new format.
The authority published version 3.1 on June 17, 2024, and put it into effect just one month later, on July 17, 2024. This guide on the changes in Carta Porte 3.1 goes into technical detail if you need to compare field by field.
Before migrating, your to-do list should include:
Updating the catalogs in your system.
Reviewing mandatory rules and dependencies between fields.
Conducting stamping tests with real transactions.
Correcting templates, interfaces, and internal validations.
And here’s the information we already mentioned but is worth repeating: version 3.0 was only accepted until July 16, 2024. There was no transition period between versions, as this analysis of the transition explains: those who didn’t migrate on time were left without the ability to issue stamps.
New Requirements for Shipping Data
Version 3.1 generally requires greater precision: data on origin, destination, goods, transport, and carriers must be aligned with commercial and tax documentation, not just filled in for the sake of filling in the fields.
Locations and goods deserve special attention. The codes for goods, quantities, units, weight, value, and documents must exactly match what you are actually transporting: if you use road transport, also validate the vehicle, trailers, permits, and insurance, if applicable.
Tip: Migrating involves adjusting processes, not just updating the system version. Define who enters each piece of data, who validates it before stamping, and who stores the documentation evidence; without this clarity, the version change is not very useful.
Also, update the integrations with your billing and transport providers to avoid incomplete fields or obsolete codes, and compare the changes published for Carta Porte 3.1 with your current templates. Migration and Operational Compliance Plan
Before seriously issuing invoices with version 3.1, coordinate the necessary technical, documentary, and operational changes: validating catalogs, training staff, and testing the transfer scenarios your company handles are not optional steps.
Review of Billing and ERP Systems
First, confirm that your billing system, ERP, or electronic invoicing platform already allows you to select version 3.1 of the addendum and includes the current catalogs, validation rules, and fields published by the SAT (Mexican Tax Administration Service) since July 17, 2024, according to this publication on its main changes.
Next, verify the connection between inventory, orders, routes, and invoicing: the data must be identical in the addendum, whether it be goods, quantities, units, locations, operators, vehicles, or permits. And confirm that the system generates the correct CFDI (electronic invoice) for each transaction: Income if you provide transportation services, Transfer if you move your own goods.
Next, verify the connection between inventory, orders, routes, and invoicing: the data must be the same in the addendum, including goods, quantities, units, locations, operators, vehicles, or permits. Confirm that the system generates the correct CFDI for each operation: Income if you provide transportation services, Transfer if you move your own goods.
(This last sentence appears to be incomplete and possibly a fragment from a different source.) Ask your provider for proof of the update, define who is responsible for fixing errors when they occur, and keep a copy of the configuration, the catalogs used, and the date you made the change; this record will be invaluable if something goes wrong and you need to reconstruct what happened.
Process updates and training