What a delivery note is for
A delivery note links the goods handed over to the order and the later billing record.
A checking list at handover. Compare what arrived with the listed goods. Record shortages and visible damage while the facts are fresh, then contact the supplier about anything unresolved.
A record of delivery. The receiver's name, signature, date and time record who acknowledged the handover. Write down what was checked and what was not; a signature alone does not establish every fact about condition or legal acceptance.
A link between the order and the invoice. Retain the customer order reference across the documents, and keep each delivery-note number with the related records. In the invoice generator, the customer's order reference goes in the PO field; there is no dedicated delivery-note-number field promised here.
Signing and legal acceptance are different questions. UK Sale of Goods Act section 35 contains inspection and reasonable-time conditions, and excludes the consumer contracts identified in subsection (9). The wording, contract and applicable law still matter. See the source-backed acceptance explanation, checked 25 September 2026.
What goes on a delivery note
Keep the shipment reference, destination, goods, counts and receiver's acknowledgement together. These are practical fields for a general handover record, not a universal statutory checklist.
Copies. Keep matching sender and customer records, including any corrections made at handover. An Indian delivery challan in the supply-of-goods case has a specific three-copy requirement and labels; see the country guidance.
Retain the supporting records. File the annotated note with the related order, invoice and any shortage correspondence. A signature is one part of that record, not a guarantee that every dispute is resolved.
- Delivery note number — a distinct reference for this handover; keep it with the order and invoice records.
- Date of despatch and date of delivery — often the same day, often not, and the gap matters when payment terms start on delivery.
- Seller details — trading name, address, and someone to phone about a shortage.
- Deliver To address — kept separate from the billing address: head office pays, the site takes delivery.
- Customer order or PO number — the customer's reference for matching the delivery to the order.
- Line items — description or product code, unit, quantity ordered and quantity delivered. Record any balance to follow in the table or notes.
- Package count and weight, if relevant — distinguish the number of packages from the item quantities inside them.
- Carrier or driver — courier or driver name, sometimes the vehicle registration.
- Delivery instructions — site access and handling instructions where needed.
- Signature block — printed name, signature, date and time, plus a line to note damage or shortages.
Why these delivery note templates have no prices
The general templates here leave out prices because they record a handover, while the invoice records the amount being billed. Keeping those jobs separate can make receiving and invoice matching clearer.
That is not a global rule. India's CGST Rule 55 lists taxable value and, where transport is for supply to the consignee, tax rate and amount on a delivery challan. A generic unpriced file does not meet those requirements just because it has been renamed.
If a document arriving with the goods includes prices, check what it is intended to do. Do not assume either that it is invalid as a handover record or that it is a valid tax invoice. See the country-specific source notes, checked 25 September 2026.
Related document names are not interchangeable
The name is a starting point, not a compliance test. These are the distinctions supported by the sources checked on 25 September 2026; the main template page explains the conditions and fields.
| Name / context | What to check |
|---|---|
| Delivery note — general handover template here | Goods, received quantities, condition notes and acknowledgement; no claim that this generic file meets every local rule. |
| Delivery challan — India | CGST Rule 55 specifies when it can travel instead of an invoice and includes value, conditional tax fields and copy requirements. |
| Delivery receipt — Philippines | BIR RR 7-2024, section 2(2), classifies it as supplementary, not the invoice supporting an input-tax claim; the printed warning and applicable printing requirements matter. |
When you don't need a delivery note
A separate delivery note may add little where another record already captures the goods handed over, quantities, date and acknowledgement needed for your transaction. Check your contract, local document rules and recordkeeping obligations before omitting it.
A courier's proof of delivery may show that a parcel reached an address without recording every item inside it. A worksheet may record services without covering a separate shipment of goods. A payment receipt records money received; it should not automatically be treated as a substitute for a required sales invoice or transport document.
Where an Indian delivery challan or a Philippine registered document is needed, use that jurisdiction's requirements. The country-specific notes explain why a general template is not a compliance shortcut.