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A Packing Slip is a shipment document placed inside or attached to a package that lists every product enclosed, its quantity, and its product identifier such as a SKU or item code. Unlike an invoice, it contains no pricing β its sole purpose is to allow the recipient to verify that what was ordered matches what was actually shipped. It also records the sender's contact details, the order reference number, the ship date, and carrier tracking information, giving both parties a shared record of the transaction's fulfillment.
Shipping without a packing slip forces customers, warehouse receiving teams, and retail buyers to open a package and guess what is inside β and any discrepancy between what was ordered and what arrived becomes an immediate dispute rather than a simple correction. Receivers matching incoming goods against purchase orders need a line-by-line contents list to process delivery efficiently; without one, goods receipt stalls and payment approval slows. For partial shipments, a packing slip with a clear backorder note eliminates the most common source of unnecessary support contacts. This template gives you a complete, print-ready packing slip in minutes β consistent across every shipment you send.
| If your situation is⦠| Use this template |
|---|---|
| Shipping goods internationally requiring customs documentation | Commercial Invoice (International) |
| Billing a customer for shipped goods | Invoice |
| Sending a formal list of goods for freight or import/export | Bill of Lading |
| Issuing a return authorization for goods coming back | Return Merchandise Authorization Form |
| Tracking inventory leaving a warehouse by SKU and batch | Inventory Tracking Sheet |
| Confirming a purchase order has been fulfilled | Purchase Order |
Why it matters: Recipients cannot identify partial shipments without seeing both numbers. Shortage disputes and unnecessary support contacts result.
Fix: Always include both 'Qty Ordered' and 'Qty Shipped' columns so any gap is immediately visible to the person opening the package.
Why it matters: For B2B orders and multi-location buyers, billing and shipping addresses differ frequently. Misrouted packages cause delivery failures and delays.
Fix: Pull the ship-to address directly from your order management system and verify it against the shipping label before inserting the slip.
Why it matters: Customers who receive fewer items than ordered assume items are missing or lost, generating avoidable customer service contacts and chargebacks.
Fix: Add a dedicated backorder line or note section and complete it whenever any ordered item is not in the current shipment.
Why it matters: High-volume recipients β warehouses, retailers, and corporate buyers β cannot reconcile the delivery against their purchase order without a matching reference number.
Fix: Make the order number a required field in your packing slip template so it cannot be left blank before printing.
Fill in your business name, return address, phone, and email in the sender block at the top of the form.
π‘ Save a pre-filled version as your master packing slip file so these fields populate automatically for every order.
Enter the customer's full name, company (if B2B), and the physical delivery address β not the billing address.
π‘ Pull the shipping address directly from your order management system rather than retyping it to avoid transcription errors.
Enter the unique order reference from your sales system, the date the customer placed the order, and today's ship date.
π‘ Use the same order number format your sales platform generates β consistency makes it easy to match the slip to invoices and returns.
Enter the carrier name, service level (e.g., FedEx Ground), and the tracking number generated when you printed the shipping label.
π‘ Add the carrier's tracking URL next to the number so recipients can click directly to check status without searching.
Add one row per product variant. Enter the product name, SKU, quantity ordered, and quantity actually packed in this shipment.
π‘ Compare each line against your pick list before finalizing β any discrepancy between ordered and shipped should be caught here, not by the customer.
If any items are missing from the shipment, note the SKU, reason, and expected ship date in the backorder field. Add fragile, hazardous, or gift notes in the special instructions area.
π‘ A single sentence explaining a backorder reduces inbound customer service contacts by giving the recipient a clear expectation before they even open the box.
Tally the total line items and unit count in the summary row, then export as PDF and print. Place the slip inside the package on top of the contents or in a document pouch on the outside.
π‘ Print two copies β one for the package and one for your shipment records β to simplify dispute resolution if a shortage claim arises later.
A packing slip is a document placed inside or attached to a shipment that lists every item packed, its quantity, and product identifier (such as a SKU). Unlike an invoice, it contains no pricing β its purpose is purely to allow the recipient to verify that what was ordered matches what was received. It also provides the sender's contact details, the order reference, and shipping information.
A packing slip lists what is in the box with no prices. An invoice is a request for payment that includes unit prices, totals, taxes, and payment terms. Both documents typically reference the same order number so they can be matched, but they serve different purposes: the packing slip is for receiving verification and the invoice is for accounts payable.
For domestic shipments in most countries, a packing slip is not legally required β but it is standard business practice. International shipments typically require a commercial invoice for customs purposes, which contains similar information but also includes declared values. Some industries, such as pharmaceutical and food distribution, have regulatory documentation requirements that a packing slip alone does not satisfy.
At minimum: sender name and address, recipient name and delivery address, order number, ship date, carrier and tracking number, itemized line items with product descriptions and SKUs, quantity ordered versus quantity shipped, a backorder note for any missing items, total units shipped, and a notes field for special handling. Missing any of these makes it harder for recipients to verify and accept the shipment.
No β a standard packing slip does not require a signature. It is an informational document, not a legal contract. Some businesses add a receiver signature line so the recipient can acknowledge delivery in writing, which is useful for high-value B2B shipments or when proof of delivery is important for dispute resolution.
A bill of lading is a legal freight contract between the shipper and the carrier that transfers liability for the goods during transport. A packing slip is a simple list of contents for the recipient. Bills of lading are used for freight and LTL shipments; packing slips accompany parcel shipments via carriers like UPS, FedEx, or USPS and have no legal freight-contract function.
Yes β dropshippers commonly use branded packing slips supplied to their fulfillment partners so the customer receives documentation showing the seller's brand, not the warehouse's. The template should include your brand name, logo placement, return instructions pointing to your own returns portal, and no supplier pricing or references.
Show both 'Qty Ordered' and 'Qty Shipped' on every line item row. For items not included in this shipment, enter zero in the 'Qty Shipped' column and add a note in the backorder field with the expected ship date. This gives the recipient a complete picture of the order status without needing to contact your support team.
An invoice is a payment request that includes unit pricing, tax, and total amount due. A packing slip contains no financial information β it exists solely to let the recipient verify the contents of a shipment. Both documents should reference the same order number so accounts payable and receiving teams can reconcile them easily.
A purchase order is issued by the buyer before delivery to authorize a purchase. A packing slip is issued by the seller at the time of shipment to document what was actually sent. Receiving teams match incoming packing slips against their open purchase orders to confirm fulfillment and trigger payment.
A bill of lading is a legal freight contract between shipper and carrier governing liability for goods in transit. A packing slip is a contents list for the recipient with no carrier-contract function. Bills of lading are required for freight and LTL shipments; packing slips accompany standard parcel deliveries.
A commercial invoice is required for international shipments to satisfy customs authorities β it includes declared values, country of origin, and harmonized tariff codes. A packing slip omits pricing and is not accepted by customs as a standalone declaration. Cross-border shipments need both documents.
High shipment volume means packing slips must include return instructions, order numbers that match the platform's reference format, and branded presentation that reinforces the customer experience.
Bulk and pallet shipments require line items broken out by batch number or lot code, and packing slips often need to match purchase order line numbers exactly for warehouse receiving systems.
Perishable shipments require temperature handling instructions, use-by or best-before dates per item, and lot traceability codes to support rapid recalls if needed.
Medical device and supply shipments must include lot numbers, expiry dates, and regulatory item codes; the packing slip often supplements a certificate of conformance attached separately.
| Path | Best for | Cost | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use the template | Any business shipping physical goods that needs a clean, complete packing document in minutes | Free | 2β5 minutes per shipment |
| Template + professional review | Businesses adding custom fields for lot numbers, serial numbers, or regulatory codes | $0β$100 (internal ops review) | 1β2 hours |
| Custom drafted | Enterprise fulfillment operations integrating packing slips into an ERP or WMS with automated data population | $500β$5,000+ (developer or systems integrator) | 1β4 weeks |
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