What goes on a delivery note
- Your business details and a delivery note number
- The recipient's name, address and a contact
- The delivery date and the carrier or driver
- The order or invoice reference the delivery belongs to
- Each item and the quantity actually handed over
- Number of boxes or pallets, if it matters to the delivery
- Condition notes — damage, shortages, packaging problems
- A signature block for the person receiving the goods
Delivery note, packing slip, invoice
The three documents answer different questions, and the differences matter when a delivery is disputed.
| Document | Answers | Prices |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery note | What was handed over, and in what condition | No |
| Packing slip | What is inside this box or package | No |
| Invoice | What the buyer owes and when | Yes |
Why prices are left off
The delivery note travels through a loading dock, a reception desk and sometimes a shared inbox. The people handling it do not need to see your pricing, and a sheet that quotes the wrong price invites an argument at the worst moment. The invoice is the document that asks for money; the delivery note only records what changed hands. BillCanvas prints quantities, never rates, on this document.
When something arrives damaged
Check the count before signing. If a box is crushed, a pallet is short or an item is visibly damaged, write it on the delivery note and photograph the goods before the driver leaves. A signature on a clean sheet makes a later claim much harder, because the paperwork says everything was fine. If the recipient refuses to sign at all, note the refusal, the time and the reason on your copy.
Send the invoice separately
The delivery note is not a bill. When the goods are accepted, raise an invoice for the same order and reference the delivery note number. If the customer ordered against a purchase order, the purchase order generator covers the buyer's side of the paperwork.