Delivery Note Template: What to Include and Proof of Delivery

Quick answer: A delivery note template lists the goods in a shipment, with item descriptions, codes and quantities, the order number, delivery address and date, but usually no prices. The customer checks the goods against it and signs a copy, which becomes your proof of delivery. You then issue an invoice for what was actually delivered.

If you ship goods to business customers, a delivery note is the document that settles "did it arrive?" before anyone argues about "how much do I owe?". It travels with the goods, gets signed by the receiver and comes back to you as proof that the order was fulfilled. Your invoice, which you can build in our free invoice generator, then bills exactly what the delivery note confirms.

This guide explains what a delivery note template should include, how it differs from an invoice and a packing slip, how proof of delivery works, how to handle part deliveries, and a worked example matching a delivery note to an invoice. If you ship within India under GST, the rules for a delivery challan apply instead.

What is a delivery note?

A delivery note (sometimes called a delivery docket, goods delivery note or dispatch note) is a document that accompanies goods to the customer. It lists what is in the delivery so the receiver can check it on arrival. Most delivery notes are produced in at least two copies: one stays with the customer and one is signed and returned to the supplier.

The delivery note sits in the middle of the order-to-cash cycle. The customer raises a purchase order, you ship with a delivery note, the customer signs for the goods, and you send an invoice. On the customer's side, accounts payable teams often compare all three before paying, a process explained in our guide to three-way matching. A clear delivery note makes that match easy and gets you paid faster.

Delivery note vs invoice vs packing slip

These documents overlap, which is why people mix them up. Our article on packing slip vs invoice covers the packing slip in depth; the table below shows where the delivery note fits.

Feature	Delivery note	Packing slip	Invoice
Main purpose	Confirm goods delivered and received	List parcel contents	Request payment
Prices shown	Usually no	Usually no	Yes
Signed by receiver	Yes, as proof of delivery	Rarely	No
Tax details	No	No	Yes, where applicable
Typical use	B2B, pallets, own-vehicle deliveries	Ecommerce parcels	Every sale
Travels with goods	Yes	Yes	Usually sent separately

For international shipments, the carrier's transport document and the commercial invoice take centre stage, as explained in bill of lading vs commercial invoice. A delivery note can still travel with the goods for the final recipient.

What to include in a delivery note template

A practical delivery note template includes:

• Title and delivery note number: "Delivery Note DN-2026-0315". Use a separate series from invoices.
• Supplier details: business name, address and contact number for delivery queries.
• Customer details: name, and both billing and delivery address if they differ. Our guide to billing vs shipping address explains why both matter.
• Customer purchase order number: essential for the customer's matching process. See invoice vs purchase order.
• Dispatch date and expected delivery date.
• Line items: product code, description, unit, quantity ordered, quantity delivered and quantity to follow.
• Package details: number of cartons or pallets and, for heavier freight, total weight.
• Carrier details: own vehicle, courier name or haulier, and any tracking number.
• Receiver confirmation block: signature, printed name, date, time and a space for notes on damage or shortages.
• Instruction to the receiver: for example "Please check goods before signing. Report shortages or damage within 48 hours."

Sample delivery note layout

Laid out top to bottom, a simple one-page delivery note reads like this:

• Header: your logo and business name, the words "Delivery Note", the delivery note number and the dispatch date.
• Two address blocks: "Deliver to" on the left, "Invoice to" on the right, with a contact name and phone number for the delivery site.
• Reference strip: customer PO number, your sales order number, carrier and number of packages.
• Items table: code, description, unit, ordered, delivered, to follow.
• Notes: delivery instructions such as "Rear entrance, call 30 minutes before arrival" or "Fragile: do not stack".
• Receiver block: "Received in good condition except as noted", followed by lines for signature, printed name, date and time, and a box for exceptions.

Keep it to a single page wherever possible. Drivers and warehouse staff read it standing up, often in poor light, so large quantities and clear codes matter more than design flourishes.

Proof of delivery: how a signed delivery note protects you

Proof of delivery (POD) is evidence that the goods reached the customer in the stated condition. A signed delivery note is the classic form; others include a courier's electronic signature, a photo at the delivery address or a tracking record. Strong PODs share a few features:

• A legible printed name, not just a scribble.
• The date and time of receipt.
• Quantities that match what was actually unloaded.
• Any exceptions written on the note before signing, such as "1 carton crushed" or "2 units short".

Electronic proof of delivery

Many couriers and an increasing number of small delivery operations now capture POD on a phone or handheld device instead of paper. The driver records the receiver's signature on screen, takes a photo of the goods at the door or loading bay and the app stamps the time and location. For a supplier this can be stronger than paper because the record cannot be lost in a van and is available the moment the delivery is made. Whichever method you use, make sure you can retrieve the POD quickly and attach it to an email if a customer asks, and that it is linked to the delivery note number and order reference.

What to do when the delivery is short or damaged

Ask the receiver to write the problem on the delivery note before signing, for example "2 cartons received damaged, contents not checked". The driver should not argue or ask the receiver to sign clean. Back at base, raise a replacement or a credit note for the affected goods rather than editing the original invoice, and, if a third-party carrier was involved, start their claims process within their time limits. The annotated delivery note is the starting point for every one of those steps.

If a customer later says goods never arrived, or withholds part of the invoice, the POD is your main evidence. Customers that deduct disputed amounts without warning are covered in our guide to short payments and deductions, and disputes more generally in our invoice dispute guide. Keep signed delivery notes with the invoices they support; the record-keeping periods are the same.

Delivery notes and the VAT tax point (UK)

For UK VAT-registered sellers, the delivery date matters for tax as well as for logistics. HMRC's VAT guide (Notice 700) says the basic tax point for goods is usually the date you send them to your customer or the customer takes them away. If you issue a VAT invoice within 14 days after that basic tax point, the invoice date normally becomes the tax point instead. HMRC also says you should normally issue a VAT invoice within 30 days of the tax point.

A dated delivery note therefore helps you show when the basic tax point arose. That matters most at the end of a VAT period: goods dispatched on 30 September and invoiced on 2 October can fall into different periods depending on which date sets the tax point, and the delivery note is the record that proves the dispatch date. It is not a VAT invoice itself: the invoice still needs the details listed in GOV.UK guidance on what invoices must include. Our UK invoice generator includes VAT fields. This is general information, not tax advice.

Worked example: a part delivery matched to the invoice

A UK wholesaler receives purchase order PO-7781 for 120 ceramic mugs at 4.50 pounds each. Only 96 are in stock, so it ships those and backorders the rest. The delivery note looks like this:

Code	Description	Ordered	Delivered	To follow
MUG-WH-12	White ceramic mug, 12 oz	120	96	24
Packages: 4 cartons of 24 units. Carrier: own van. Received by: J. Patel, 28/10/2026 10:42, "All 4 cartons received in good condition."

The invoice then bills only what was delivered:

• 96 mugs x 4.50 = 432.00
• VAT at 20% on 432.00 = 86.40
• Total due = 432.00 + 86.40 = 518.40

The invoice quotes PO-7781 and delivery note DN-2026-0315, so the customer's accounts team can match purchase order, signed delivery note and invoice line for line. When the remaining 24 mugs ship, a second delivery note (DN-2026-0329) and a second invoice for 24 x 4.50 = 108.00 plus VAT of 21.60 (total 129.60) follow. Across both deliveries the customer pays 518.40 + 129.60 = 648.00, which equals 120 x 4.50 = 540.00 plus 20% VAT of 108.00.

Who uses delivery notes

Delivery notes are most common wherever goods move between businesses on account rather than being paid for at the till: wholesalers and distributors supplying shops, manufacturers shipping to other manufacturers, builders' merchants delivering to sites, caterers delivering to offices, and printers delivering finished jobs. Larger customers often insist on one, because their goods-in team will not accept a delivery that cannot be matched to an order. Smaller customers appreciate one too, because it lets them check a delivery against their order before the invoice arrives.

How to create a delivery note in 6 steps

1. Start from the order. Copy the customer's PO number, delivery address and requested items.
2. Pick and count. Record the quantity actually packed, not the quantity ordered.
3. Fill in the template. Add the delivery note number, dates, line items and package count; leave prices off.
4. Print two copies. One for the customer, one for signature and return. Electronic POD apps can replace paper.
5. Get it signed on arrival. Ask the receiver to check the goods, note any problems, print their name and sign.
6. Invoice from the signed note. Bill the delivered quantities and reference both the PO and the delivery note number.

You can build the delivery note in any document tool, but our generator is designed for invoices, so use it for the invoice step: list the delivered quantities, add your tax rate, and put the PO number in the PO field and the delivery note number in the notes. A tidy layout such as the slate invoice template keeps references easy to spot.

Common delivery note mistakes

• Copying ordered quantities instead of packed quantities. The note must reflect what is actually on the van.
• Accepting unsigned or illegible signatures. Ask for a printed name every time.
• No order reference. Without the PO number, the customer cannot match the delivery.
• Invoicing before confirming delivery on disputed accounts. For customers with a history of claims, wait for the POD.
• Losing the signed copy. Scan it the same day and file it with the invoice.
• Mixing up delivery and invoice numbers. Use different prefixes, such as DN and INV, so nobody pays against a delivery note or files an invoice as a goods-in record.
• Skipping the delivery note for "regular" customers. Familiarity is exactly when shortages go unnoticed. Send one every time.
• Treating the delivery note as the invoice. If you use one document for both, it must carry all invoice details, including a unique invoice number and tax.

For cash-on-delivery customers, our guide to cash on delivery invoicing shows how drivers collect payment and how to reconcile it. If you run a courier business delivering for others, our sibling guide to the courier delivery invoice template covers billing per drop and per mile.

Send the invoice that matches your delivery note

A delivery note template records what left your premises and what the customer accepted, and a signed copy is your proof of delivery if anything is questioned. Keep prices off it, show ordered, delivered and outstanding quantities, and invoice exactly what the signed note confirms. When the delivery is done, open the invoice generator, add the delivered items with the PO and delivery note references, and download your invoice in minutes. Download the result as a PDF invoice you can email, print or upload to a client portal.