Free Packing Slip Template (Fillable PDF, Word, Excel)

What is on the page

Order number and customer PO

The two numbers that let the receiver match the box to what they ordered and let you match any query to the shipment.

Ship date, carrier, tracking

When it left and how to trace it. Put the tracking number on the slip so the customer has it even if the email went to spam.

Ship to and shipped from

Where it went and where it came from, with a returns address if that differs from your main one.

Ordered, shipped, backordered

The three quantities that make a packing slip useful. If they are all the same, the order is complete; if not, the backorder column says what is coming later.

Carton number and carton summary

On the multi-carton design: which box each item is in, and each box's size, weight and seal check.

Packed by and checked by

Who filled the box and who verified it. Two signatures cut picking errors more than any software does.

Returns section

On the e-commerce design: a tear-off the customer fills in and puts in the parcel when sending something back.

Packing slip vs invoice vs delivery note

A packing slip lists the contents of a shipment without prices. It goes inside the box for the receiver to check against. The invoice asks for payment and goes to accounts, usually by email, not in the box. A delivery note is close to a packing slip but is signed by the receiver on arrival as proof of delivery; packing slips aren't usually signed by the customer. Many businesses use one document for both; the distinction matters when the receiver's signature is needed, as it is for B2B deliveries and anything valuable.

No law requires a packing slip, but customs does require a commercial invoice or packing list for international shipments, carriers require one for freight claims, and most B2B customers won't book goods in without one. For e-commerce it is also the document customers use to start a return.

Which design to use

• Standard: single-box or single-pallet B2B shipments against a PO. Ordered, shipped and backorder columns handle partial shipments.
• Multi-carton: several boxes in one shipment. The carton column and carton summary let the receiver check box by box and spot a missing one.
• E-commerce with returns: consumer parcels. Variant column for size and color, a gift flag, and a returns form with reason codes.

How to fill it in

1. Copy the order number, PO number and ship-to from the order or the customer's purchase order.
2. List every line on the order, including ones you're not shipping yet, with ordered and shipped quantities. The backorder column shows the gap.
3. For multiple boxes, number the cartons, note which lines are in which, and fill the carton summary with dimensions and weight.
4. Record the carrier and tracking number.
5. Have the packer sign; have someone else check and sign on high-value orders.
6. Put one copy in the box (on top, or in a packing-list pouch on the outside) and keep one with the order.

Mistakes that cause claims and returns

• Shipped quantity left blank, so the receiver assumes everything is in the box.
• Backordered items missing from the slip entirely, so the customer thinks they were forgotten.
• Prices on a slip that goes to a gift recipient or to a drop-ship customer.
• No tracking number on the paper copy.
• No returns instructions in consumer parcels which turns every return into a support ticket.

Partial shipments and backorders

When you can't ship a full order, say so on the slip. Fill the ordered quantity from the order, the shipped quantity from what is in the box, and let the backorder column show the difference. Add a note with the expected date and whether the balance ships at no extra freight. Invoice only what shipped, quoting the same order number, so the three-way match at the customer's end still works.

Editing the Word and Excel versions

The Excel versions calculate the backorder column (ordered minus shipped) automatically. Put your business block and returns address in once and save a master; for e-commerce, the returns section and reason codes rarely change. In Word, the slip is a set of tables; delete the carton summary if a shipment is a single box, or add rows for long orders.

Questions

Should a packing slip show prices?

No. It lists contents and quantities. Prices belong on the invoice. The exception is international shipments, where customs needs a commercial invoice with values; that's a separate document.

What is the difference between a packing slip and a packing list?

The same thing in most industries. "Packing list" is more common in freight and export, where it may add carton dimensions and weights (the multi-carton design covers that).

Where does the packing slip go?

Inside the box on top of the contents, or in a clear packing-list pouch on the outside of the carton. For multi-carton shipments, put the slip in carton 1 and mark "1 of 3" on each box.

Do I need a signature from the customer?

Not on a packing slip. If you want proof of delivery signed by the receiver, use the delivery note template.

Does the PDF calculate backorders?

No, the PDF is fillable only. The Excel version calculates the backorder column.