
Ultimately, if an invoice is sent and paid too early, the client is owed a credit until the transaction is complete. A mixed invoice can seem more complicated as it combines both credit and debit charges on a single invoice. This type of invoice is rarely used with smaller businesses but can come up with invoicing multiple projects on a single bill. If you’re one of them, you risk overstocking and stockouts, and both can tie up your cash flow and delay customer orders.
Using a Shipment Invoice Template to Increase Efficiency
- When you work with a third-party logistics (3PL) company, the puzzle is already put together.
- Most of the time, master bills of lading are used for ocean and multi-carrier shipping.
- But, for that, you will need to make sure that your shipping invoice is highly detailed.
- Let’s explore shipping invoices vs commercial invoices and find out how shipping invoices vary from commercial invoices.
- It can be anyone such as a bank or the consignee (buyer/importer), giving them the right to receive the goods.
Manual templates often slow teams down, especially when handling recurring orders or bulk shipments. Whether you’re managing deliveries, tracking logistics, or billing clients, a clear and accurate invoice is essential. You can do a quick search online for free shipping invoice templates.
Where can you find free shipping invoice templates?
Welcome to our library of comprehensive shipping resources focused on expedited parcel and freight shipping for small and mid-sized businesses. When you work with a third-party logistics (3PL) company, the puzzle is already put together. You get one consolidated invoice of all your carriers, making for easy comparisons. A high cost surcharge is a fee charged for freight shipments in some densely populated areas – generally in large cities that are more difficult for the carrier to navigate. A standard parcel invoice includes the names of shipper and receiver, date of shipment, service level and zones.
Billing information
Parcel and freight shipments delivered to or picked up from residential addresses or home-based businesses in residential areas are assessed a surcharge. contra asset account By marking the address as such when the shipment is originally processed, you’ll avoid the surprise of this fee being added when you receive your invoice. It’s recommended to keep shipping invoices and bills of lading for at least seven years for tax and auditing purposes.

Email Delivery
- Sharing accurate information and real-time delivery updates plays a significant role in building trust and keeping customers happy.
- Creating an effective shipping invoice template that integrates with your other business tools is a crucial part of running your company.
- These time-saving features ease the overall process of creating and sending invoices to your respective clients.
- Understand legal rules, tax responsibilities, and how to avoid misclassification with this guide.
- If there are other charges which were not part of the invoice, they should be born by the buyer.
Showing accurate pricing breakdown is essential to maintain customer transparency and credibility. The Shipping Invoice Template by Template.Net can help you save time while automating the calculations in an easy billing format. It ensures that all the required information, including due dates, particulars, and terms and conditions, is included Retained Earnings on Balance Sheet in the invoice.
How to create a shipping invoice: 7 steps + template

Furthermore, the items and services that the business owner is intended to be aware of during the ship are detailed in shipping invoices. They contain detailed information regarding the shipment’s size, weight, packaging, and contents. Spending more time formatting shipping invoices than actually shipping products?
- A shipping invoice, also known as a bill of lading, is one of the important shipping documents that covers the details of products that are shipped from one place to another.
- When filling out this section of your shipping invoice, make sure to double-check everything.
- Without proper shipping invoices, companies may face delays in shipments, incorrect billing, and disputes with customers or carriers.
- If you prefer automated calculations and team collaboration, an Excel or Google Sheets invoice template is a great choice.
Excel / Google Sheets Shipping Invoice Template by Coefficient

You’ll be able to use the document instead of a shipping receipt, and on top of that, it can act as proof of sale. This invoice type is used by sellers of services or products that are subject to taxes. Now that you know what to include in your shipping invoice, you’re probably wondering how to make this important document. You can either create it from scratch on your own using tools such as Microsoft Word or Excel, which shipping invoice can be quite difficult and time-consuming, or use an online invoice generator. When filling out this section of your shipping invoice, make sure to double-check everything.


Bills of lading, cargo manifests, statements of facts—the list goes on. But if there’s something you absolutely cannot afford to mess up, it’s the commercial invoice and packing list (CPIL). Shipping Invoice Template has special design to simplify the invoicing process for shipping services. This template caters specifically to the needs of shipping companies, ensuring it aligns perfectly with their requirements.
How can I ensure my commercial invoice and packing list are always accurate?
You must also choose the manner in which your goods will be shipped, such as sea, air, or land transportation. The Incoterms are international terms used for reducing communication regarding shipped goods. For example, if the product is computers, it would be the cost of a single computer. Known as the “Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS)”, it’s a code that is attributed to each type of good.