A packing slip is a document that travels with a shipment listing exactly what is inside it. It tells whoever opens the box what should be there, in what quantities, against which order — so the contents can be checked without reference to anything else.
It is also called a delivery note, a packing list or a dispatch note, and in everyday use those terms mean the same document. What it is not is a bill: a packing slip states quantities, an invoice states money.
What a packing slip includes
A useful packing slip carries enough information to check the shipment and to resolve a problem with it.
Identification
- Packing slip number — a unique reference for this document
- Date of dispatch
- Purchase order number — the customer’s reference, and the field most often used to match the delivery at the other end
- Sales order number — your own reference
- Tracking or consignment number where applicable
The parties
- Ship from — your business name and address
- Ship to — the delivery address, which is frequently not the billing address
- Bill to, where different, so the receiving site knows which account it belongs to
- Customer reference or account number
The contents
- SKU or product code for each line
- Product description
- Quantity ordered
- Quantity shipped — and these two columns should be separate, because that is how a short shipment becomes visible on the document rather than discovered later
- Quantity backordered, where the shortfall is being sent later
- Unit of measure — units, cases or pallets, because ambiguity here causes genuine disputes
- Batch, lot or serial numbers where the goods require traceability
- Expiry dates for dated products
The shipment
- Number of packages in the consignment, and which package this slip covers where an order ships in several
- Total weight
- Shipping method and carrier
- Special handling notes — fragile, keep upright, temperature requirements
What is deliberately absent: prices, payment terms and totals. A packing slip going to a delivery address may be seen by people who should not see your pricing, and including it serves no purpose for checking the goods.
One practical convention. Where an order ships in multiple boxes, mark each slip “Box 1 of 3” and put the full contents list in box 1 rather than splitting it. The receiving site then knows immediately whether anything is still to arrive.
Packing slip vs invoice vs bill of lading vs order confirmation
Four documents that accompany the same transaction at different points and answer different questions.
| Packing slip | Invoice | Bill of lading | Order confirmation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | States what is in the shipment | Requests payment | Contracts the carriage of goods | Confirms what was ordered |
| Question it answers | Did I receive the right things? | What do I owe? | Who is responsible for these goods in transit? | Is my order correct? |
| Contains prices | No | Yes | Usually not | Yes |
| Travels with the goods | Yes, inside or attached to the package | Sometimes, usually sent separately | Yes, with the carrier | No |
| Who uses it | Warehouse and receiving staff | Finance and accounts payable | Carrier, shipper and consignee | Customer and sales |
| When it is issued | At dispatch | At or after dispatch | At collection | At order placement |
| Legal weight | Evidence of what was sent | A demand for payment, and an accounting record | A contract of carriage and a document of title | Acceptance of an order |
Packing slip versus invoice is the distinction that matters most day to day. The packing slip is checked by the warehouse; the invoice is processed by finance. Keeping prices off the packing slip and quantities consistent between the two is what allows a three-way match — purchase order, goods received note and invoice — to work at the receiving end.
The bill of lading is a different category of document entirely. It is a contract between the shipper and the carrier, evidence that the carrier took the goods, and in some forms a document of title that can transfer ownership. A packing slip has no such legal weight; it is a statement of contents.
Packing slip versus delivery note. These are the same document under two names. “Packing slip” is more common in North America and in ecommerce; “delivery note” is more common in the UK and in business-to-business trade. Some operations distinguish them — a packing list itemising the contents of each carton and a delivery note summarising the whole consignment — and that is a local convention rather than a general rule.
Why packing slips matter
They let the receiving site check the delivery. Without one, the recipient has to find their purchase order and reconcile from that, which is slower and frequently does not happen at all.
They surface short shipments immediately. With ordered and shipped quantities side by side, a shortfall is visible when the box is opened rather than discovered when someone tries to pick the stock weeks later.
They are the basis of a discrepancy claim. A dispute about what was delivered is settled against the packing slip and the signed proof of delivery. Without the document, it becomes one party’s word against the other’s.
They speed up receiving. A goods-in team scanning against a packing slip that matches the purchase order books stock in far faster than one working from an unlabelled pallet.
They make returns workable. Most returns processes start from the packing slip — it identifies the original order, and many businesses print the returns instructions on the reverse. A return arriving without any reference has to be investigated before it can be processed, and that is where returns backlogs begin.
They support traceability. Batch and serial numbers recorded on the slip mean the recipient knows which specific units they received, which is what a recall depends on.
They reduce customer service contacts. A customer who can see that item three of five is backordered does not need to telephone to ask where it is.
They document who packed it. Many operations include a packer identifier, which is how a pattern of errors gets traced to a training gap rather than remaining anonymous.
When to use a packing slip
Always, for physical goods shipped to a business. Business receiving processes assume one, and its absence creates work at the other end.
For ecommerce orders to consumers, where a slip inside the box confirms the contents, carries the order number and usually the returns instructions. Some brands omit it for presentation reasons or to reduce paper, and the trade-off is more customer service contacts and slower returns — worth making deliberately rather than by default.
For multi-box shipments, on every box, marked with its position in the consignment.
For partial shipments, showing what is included and what is still to come.
For internal transfers between your own sites, where the receiving location needs to check and book in stock the same way it would a supplier delivery.
For returns you send back to suppliers, so they can identify what arrived and why.
Where it is less necessary: digital goods, services, and shipments where an electronic advance shipping notice already carries the same data into the recipient’s system. Large retailers increasingly work from an electronic notice rather than a printed slip, and a paper copy still travels with the goods for the people physically handling them.
How to create and print a packing slip
From your order or inventory system. Almost every ecommerce platform, order management system, accounting package and inventory management system generates packing slips from the order. This is the right route, because the data comes from the order rather than being retyped.
From a WMS at the point of packing, which is better again — the slip reflects what was actually picked and scanned rather than what was ordered, so a short shipment appears on the document automatically.
From a template, for very small operations. A spreadsheet or word processor template with the fields listed earlier is entirely adequate at low volume.
Practical points that make a difference:
- Print at the packing bench, after the scan-verified pack rather than before picking. A slip printed in advance describes what should have been packed, not what was.
- Include the purchase order number prominently. It is the field the recipient matches on, and it is the one most often buried in small text.
- Put it where it will be found — inside the box on top of the contents, or in a document wallet on the outside for pallets.
- Use a document wallet for pallet shipments, because a slip taped loose is lost in transit.
- Keep a copy, digitally at minimum. It is your evidence in a discrepancy.
- Barcode the order number so the recipient can scan rather than key it.
- Consider a duplicate for signature where proof of delivery matters and the carrier does not provide it.
Where to go deeper
- Warehouse processes — where packing sits in the flow.
- What is order fulfilment — the process this document supports.
- What is a SKU — the codes listed on the slip.
- What is reverse logistics — why returns depend on it.
- What is inventory control — the receiving check it enables.
- What is a WMS — generating slips from what was actually packed.
The one-line takeaway
A packing slip lists what is in a shipment so the recipient can check it without reference to anything else — quantities, not prices. Show ordered and shipped quantities side by side, print it at the packing bench from what was actually scanned, and put the purchase order number where it can be found, because that is the field everything downstream matches on.
Frequently asked questions
What is a packing slip? A document that travels with a shipment listing its contents — the products, quantities and order references — so the recipient can check what arrived against what was ordered. It carries quantities rather than prices, and it is also called a delivery note, packing list or dispatch note.
What is the difference between a packing slip and an invoice? A packing slip states what is in the box and carries no prices; it is used by warehouse and receiving staff to check the delivery. An invoice requests payment, shows prices and totals, and is processed by finance. Keeping them separate is what allows a three-way match between purchase order, goods received and invoice.
Is a packing slip a receipt? No. A receipt is proof that payment was made. A packing slip is evidence of what was shipped and contains no payment information at all. The two are sometimes combined for consumer orders, and they remain different documents serving different purposes.
Do you need a packing slip? For goods shipped to a business, effectively yes — receiving processes assume one, and its absence creates work and disputes. For consumer ecommerce it is optional, and omitting it produces more customer service contacts and slower returns, so it is a trade-off worth making deliberately.
What is the difference between a packing slip and a delivery note? They are the same document under different names. “Packing slip” is more common in North America and ecommerce; “delivery note” is more common in the UK and in business-to-business trade. Some operations distinguish a per-carton packing list from a consignment-level delivery note, which is a local convention rather than a rule.
What is the difference between a packing slip and a bill of lading? A packing slip states the contents of a shipment and has no legal weight beyond being evidence of what was sent. A bill of lading is a contract between shipper and carrier, evidence the carrier received the goods, and in some forms a document of title that can transfer ownership.
What should a packing slip include? The packing slip and purchase order numbers, the dispatch date, ship-from and ship-to addresses, and per line the SKU, description, quantity ordered, quantity shipped and any backordered quantity — plus batch or serial numbers and expiry dates where the goods require them, the number of packages, weight and carrier. Not prices.
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