Ensure the delivery of your goods thanks to the delivery note: meaning and model to download
In the world of invoicing, what is a packing slip? If you've reached this article, it's probably because at some point you've asked yourself this question. Don't worry, we have the answer.
Although it is not mandatory, the delivery note is a very useful document both when making a sale and when making a purchase. Among other things, it is key to verify transactions and to be able to claim your rights, if necessary.
Let's see what are the advantages of a packing slip, its definition, what it should contain and how to prepare it.
Delivery note: meaning
A delivery note is a commercial document used in sales transactions to confirm receipt of a good or service.
☝️ This documentary evidence is drawn up by the sender of the order and must be signed by the receiver when it is delivered.
💡 Did you know that this word, which comes from Arabic, means "the receipt"?
What is a delivery note for?
As we have seen, the delivery note serves as proof of a commercial transaction. But let's take a closer look at its usefulness according to the parties involved:
- For the seller: it proves receipt of the product or service by the buyer.
- For the buyer: it confirms receipt of the agreed order.
- For the carrier (if any): it proves the delivery of the good or service.
Therefore, it serves to confirm that an order has been shipped and received by the customer.
☝️ The delivery note justifies the delivery of the goods but does not prove payment for the goods.
👉 Generally, two copies are envisaged: the original document and a copy. The first document is kept by the buyer; the second is for the seller or the letter carrier.
Importance
Although it is not a mandatory document, the preparation of the delivery note is interesting for several reasons:
- It testifies to the agreement of both parties as to the transaction.
- It contains information on the delivery operation: how was it carried out?
- It allows the seller to claim payment.
☝️ Delivery notes are not recorded in the accounting books.
🎯 It is a good practice to keep delivery notes together with your invoices for possible claims. Often, and especially in the case of recapitulative invoices, these do not include the description of the goods delivered, but refer directly to the delivery note drawn up.
Delivery note vs. invoice
It is important not to confuse the delivery note with the invoice. Both are two commercial documents that accredit a commercial action but:
- One justifies delivery (the delivery note);
- the other justifies payment (the invoice) and, therefore, has tax functions.
Likewise, the two main differences are that:
- The invoice has taxation and fiscal validity, while the delivery note does not.
- The invoice is mandatory, while the delivery note is not.
Sample packing slip
Now that you know all the details of the packing slip, let's see what form it takes.
🔵 Example of a priced packing slip:
Delivery note template
At Appvizer we have one thing in mind: to make life easier for business owners and freelancers. That's why we've created a free, customizable packing slip template.
If you want to start tracking your orders, download it now:
What does a delivery note have to have?
Like any formal document, the delivery note must respect a series of requirements. That is to say, it must have some common characteristics and contain certain specific information.
In general, it must contain the following information:
- Delivery note number;
- place and date of issue;
- fiscal data of the seller (name or company name, address and VAT number);
- buyer's tax data (name or company name, address and NIF or CIF);
- description of the good or service;
- quantity of goods and services;
- place and date of delivery;
- form of delivery (method used).
☝ ️ You can also include the cost. It is still not necessary to include the price of the order, since its function is not related to payment but to delivery.
Types of delivery notes
In relation to the data included, we can talk about two types of documents:
1. valued delivery note.
This is the delivery note that includes the price with taxes and discounts, if applicable. This is because it is not usually accompanied by the invoice.
👉 It also includes all the information relating to the seller, the buyer and the order (products and quantity).
2. Delivery note without valuation
In this case, the delivery note is delivered together with the invoice, so it does not specify the price.
👉 It does include all information related to the order (products and quantity).
💡 Both delivery notes are common and accepted. The use of one or the other will depend on the selling company or the requirements requested by the buyer.
How to make a packing slip?
If you know how to make an invoice, making a delivery note should not be too much trouble. As you can see, although the validity and objectives are not the same, the content and format are very similar.
If, on the other hand, you prefer things even easier, there are invoicing programs that facilitate the management of administrative tasks; making the delivery note can be one of them. As an interesting point, these include both web-hosted and on-premise options.
You see, you've run out of excuses for not optimizing your business processes 😉.
Article translated from Spanish