Running your business
Packing slip vs packing list: what's the difference?
One goes inside the box for the customer. The other travels with the freight for carriers and customs. Here's how to tell them apart and when you need each.
Key takeaways
- A packing slip goes inside a package so the customer can check what arrived.
- A packing list is a more detailed shipping document for carriers, freight forwarders, and customs, with weights, dimensions, and package counts.
- Neither usually shows prices. Values belong on the invoice, or on the commercial invoice for exports.
- Domestic parcels usually need only a packing slip. Freight and international shipments often need a packing list too.
A packing slip is a simple list of the items in a package, placed inside the box so the customer can check the order. A packing list is a more detailed shipping document for carriers, freight forwarders, and customs, showing package counts, weights, and dimensions. Many people use the terms interchangeably, but their readers differ.
If you sell online and ship parcels within your country, a packing slip is usually all you need. If you ship pallets, export goods, or work with a freight forwarder, you'll likely need a packing list as well. This guide compares the two and shows what goes on each.
Side-by-side comparison
| Packing slip | Packing list | |
|---|---|---|
| Main reader | The customer who opens the box | Carriers, freight forwarders, customs, and the receiving warehouse |
| Where it goes | Inside the package | On the outside of the shipment, with copies sent to the forwarder and buyer |
| Level of detail | Items and quantities for one order | Contents of every package, with weights, dimensions, and markings |
| Prices | Optional, often left off | Usually left off, because values go on the commercial invoice |
| Typical shipments | Online orders and domestic parcels | Freight, pallets, and international shipments |
| Main job | Checking the order and handling returns | Planning transport, checking cargo, and supporting customs clearance |
| Who prepares it | The seller or its warehouse | The shipper or exporter |
What a packing slip is
A packing slip is written for the customer. It tells whoever opens the box what should be inside, so they can spot a missing item before the packaging goes in the recycling. It helps your own team too. Whoever packs the order can check off each line as it goes in.
A typical packing slip includes:
- Your business name, logo, and contact details
- The order number and order date
- The customer's details, and the ship-to address if it's different
- Each item with its description, SKU, and quantity
- Return instructions or a short thank-you note
Prices are optional. Leaving them off suits gift orders, where the recipient shouldn't see what was paid, and orders where the invoice is sent separately. Some sellers also add a short returns section at the bottom, so the customer can mark what they're sending back and why.
What a packing list is
A packing list describes the shipment as cargo: how many packages there are, what's in each one, how much they weigh, and how they're marked. Carriers use it to plan handling. Receiving warehouses use it to check what arrived. In international shipping, it supports the commercial invoice during customs clearance.
A typical packing list includes:
- Shipper and consignee names and addresses
- The invoice or order reference, and the shipment date
- The number of packages and the type of each, such as cartons, crates, or pallets
- The contents of each package, with quantities
- Net and gross weights
- The dimensions of each package
- Marks and numbers on the packages, such as "Carton 3 of 12"
Packing lists usually don't show prices. The value of the goods belongs on the commercial invoice, which is typically the document customs uses to assess duties and taxes.
Which one do you need?
It depends mostly on who handles the shipment between you and the customer.
- A parcel to a customer in your own country. A packing slip is usually enough. The carrier's label covers the rest.
- A wholesale order of several boxes. Send a packing slip for the buyer's receiving team. If the order travels by freight on pallets, add a packing list that shows each pallet and its weight.
- An international shipment. Expect to prepare a commercial invoice, and often a packing list. Requirements vary by country, carrier, and the goods themselves, so confirm with your freight forwarder or customs broker before you ship.
- Goods that need a signature on arrival. A delivery note gives the recipient a line to sign as proof of receipt.
Some businesses use a single document for both jobs, titled "Packing list" and placed inside and outside the shipment. That works, as long as it includes the details every reader needs. The content matters more than the title.
How they relate to the invoice
Neither document asks for payment. The invoice does that, and it's usually sent separately by email. Use the same order number on the invoice, the packing slip, and the packing list. If a customer reports a missing item, you can trace it from the order to the box it should have been in.
Some sellers put a copy of the invoice in the box instead of a packing slip. That can suit business buyers who want the paperwork together, but it shows prices, which is a poor fit for gifts.
If items arrive short or damaged, the customer may ask for a credit. Handle that with a credit note against the invoice, not by changing the packing slip after the fact.
Make your shipping documents
Use the packing slip generator to list what's in each box, with optional prices and detail fields such as carrier, tracking number, or "Box 1 of 2." For exports, the commercial invoice generator lets you add fields such as HS code, country of origin, and gross weight. Both are free to build and preview, and download with Pro. To bill the order, use the free invoice generator.