Delivery Note Template
A delivery note goes with a shipment and records what was delivered, against which order, and who received it. It is not an invoice: it carries no prices, tax or payment terms, and nobody pays from it. The supplier's driver or carrier hands it over, the recipient counts the goods, notes any shortage or damage and signs, and the signed copy goes back to the supplier as evidence of delivery. The invoice then bills what the signed note shows was delivered. This download is an editable HTML file with the supplier and recipient, delivery note number and date, the customer's order or purchase order number, delivery address, carrier, package count, back-ordered items, condition on arrival, a 'received by' block, and a table of items with quantity ordered and quantity delivered side by side. Fill it in your browser, print two copies and send them with the goods. InvoiceQuickly does not create delivery notes; it creates the invoice, estimate and credit note that sit around one.
Preview this editable document
Download the HTML file to edit its fields, then print or save as PDF. Totals are entered manually.
What This Template Includes
- Delivery note number
- Delivery date
- Customer order or purchase order number
- Delivery address and site contact
- Carrier, driver or tracking reference
- Number of packages or pallets, and total weight
- Items back-ordered and expected date
- Condition on arrival: shortages or damage noted
- Received by: printed name, signature, date and time
How to fill in this Delivery Note
- Download the template. It opens as an editable HTML file in your browser.
- Replace each bracketed field with your details. Totals are not calculated for you, so check the arithmetic.
- Print it or save it as a PDF from your browser. InvoiceQuickly does not create or store this document type.
Payment terms and the delivery note
A delivery note has no payment terms because it does not ask for payment. Payment terms belong on the invoice, which you issue after delivery (or with it) and which should quote the delivery note number. If the goods are delivered cash on delivery, say so on the delivery note ('COD: payment collected by driver') so the recipient is not surprised, but issue the invoice or receipt separately. When part of an order is back-ordered, invoice only what the signed note shows as delivered, or agree with the customer before you invoice the full order upfront.
Tax and the delivery note
A delivery note is not a tax document. It does not replace the VAT, GST or sales tax invoice, and it shows no tax because it shows no prices. It does matter for tax indirectly: the invoice should match the quantities on the signed delivery note, and the delivery date can be the date that sets when tax is due on goods in some countries, so keep the two documents linked by number. For cross-border shipments, a delivery note is not a commercial invoice or customs document; use the commercial invoice and the carrier's transport document for customs. This template is only a layout. Check any record-keeping rules that apply where you trade.
Industry context (2026)
A signature on a delivery note usually records receipt, not that the goods are right. In the United States, Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code, which the states adopt with their own variations, says acceptance of goods occurs when the buyer, after a reasonable opportunity to inspect them, signals that they conform or that it will keep them anyway, fails to make an effective rejection, or does something inconsistent with the seller's ownership (UCC section 2-606). That is why receivers often sign 'subject to inspection' and note visible damage on the spot. On the buyer's side, the signed delivery note is the receipt document in a three-way match: accounts payable pays a supplier invoice once the purchase order, the goods receipt and the invoice agree. This is general information, not legal advice; contract terms and local law decide what a signature means. Last reviewed October 2026.
Worked example
Worked example (hypothetical): Ridgeway Lumber in Columbus, Ohio, delivers to a building site for Hollis Construction against purchase order HC-PO-2291. Delivery note DN-0583, dated 27 October 2026, carrier: own truck, driver T. Brooks, 3 pallets, about 1,450 kg. Line 1: 2x6 framing lumber, 16 ft, quantity ordered 120, delivered 120. Line 2: fast-setting post concrete, 50 lb bags, ordered 40, delivered 32; back-order note: '8 bags to follow, expected 30 October'. Line 3: joist hangers, boxes of 50, ordered 10, delivered 10. The site supervisor, Dana Ruiz, counts the goods, writes '2 bags split, line 2' and signs 'Received 27/10/2026, 10:40, subject to inspection'. Ridgeway's invoice INV-1188 then quotes DN-0583 and bills 120 lengths, 30 bags (32 delivered less 2 damaged) and 10 boxes. When the 8 back-ordered bags arrive on a second note, DN-0590, they go on a second invoice. Hollis's accounts team can match purchase order, delivery notes and invoices line by line, and nobody has to argue about the 10 bags that were missing or damaged on the day.
Common mistakes to avoid
Invoicing the order instead of the delivery
Billing 40 bags when the signed note shows 32 invites a dispute. Invoice what was delivered, and bill back-orders when they arrive.
One quantity column
Without separate ordered and delivered columns, a short delivery looks complete. Show both so the gap is visible to everyone who signs.
No purchase order number
Large customers cannot approve an invoice they cannot match to a purchase order and a receipt. Put their PO number on the delivery note and the invoice.
Signing 'received in good condition' without checking
Recipients who sign a pre-printed 'good condition' line without counting have weakened any later claim. Count first, note problems, then sign.
Losing the signed copy
The signed note is the supplier's best evidence that goods arrived. File it with the invoice, or photograph it at the door.
Invoicing Tips
- 1Print two copies: one stays with the recipient, the signed one comes back with the driver. A photo of the signed copy on the driver's phone works if paper gets lost.
- 2Show quantity ordered and quantity delivered in separate columns. A single 'quantity' column hides short deliveries until the invoice is disputed.
- 3Quote the customer's purchase order number exactly as they issued it. Their accounts team matches the delivery to the order by that number, not by yours.
- 4Write back-orders on the note ('8 bags to follow, expected 30 October') so the shortfall is agreed at the door, not argued about later.
- 5Ask the recipient to write damage or shortages next to the line before signing. 'Received in good condition' signed over a split pallet is hard to retract.
- 6Leave prices off. Delivery notes are read by site staff and drivers who do not need to see what the customer is paying.
Related Resources
- All invoice and business document templates
- Three-way match: purchase order, receipt and invoice agreeing before payment
- Purchase order: glossary definition
- Credit notes explained: correcting an invoice after damaged or missing goods
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a delivery note?
A delivery note is a document that travels with goods and lists what is in the delivery, with the order it relates to. The recipient checks the goods against it and signs it, so the supplier has a record of what was delivered, when and to whom.
Is a delivery note the same as an invoice?
No. An invoice asks for payment and shows prices, tax and payment terms. A delivery note shows quantities only and confirms what arrived. The invoice should bill what the signed delivery note shows as delivered and quote its number.
What is the difference between a delivery note and a packing slip?
The terms overlap and businesses use them differently. Commonly, a packing slip lists the contents of one package and is put inside it, while a delivery note covers the whole delivery and is signed by the recipient as proof it arrived. If your customer uses one name, use theirs.
Who signs a delivery note?
The person who receives the goods signs it, printing their name with the date and time. The driver or carrier may countersign. The supplier keeps the signed copy as evidence of delivery, and the recipient keeps the other copy for matching to the invoice.
Should a delivery note show prices?
Usually not. Prices belong on the invoice. Leaving them off keeps pricing private from site staff and carriers and avoids two documents showing different amounts.
What if the delivery is short or damaged?
The recipient writes the shortage or damage next to the item before signing, for example '2 bags split'. The supplier then invoices only what was delivered in good condition, or issues a credit note later if the invoice has already gone out.
Can InvoiceQuickly create delivery notes?
No. InvoiceQuickly creates invoices, estimates and credit notes. Use this editable HTML template for the delivery note, then raise the invoice for the delivered quantities and put the delivery note number in the invoice notes.