What is a packing list?
A packing slip is a document that describes the contents of the shipment to the customer. A packing slip contains separate line items for each shipped item. Each line item describes the product number, product description, and quantity of units shipped. Weight can also be stated. This document is printed by the seller, who either includes it in the package or attaches it to the outside of the package in a sealed bag.
The consignee can use the packing slip to verify the contents of the delivery.
 What is the difference between a packing list and an invoice?
While similar in nature (almost identical at first glance), packing slips and invoices serve different purposes for purchase orders. A packing slip is used to represent physical goods received, where an invoice is a financial document for an order that contains information such as the selling price of each product, payment terms, payment method, and date.
In some cases, packing lists and invoices are for different people. An invoice is a bill sent to the person responsible for payment, and a packing list is sent to the consignee. If you order something for yourself, both documents will appear in front of you. However, if you buy something for someone else, you get an invoice, but the recipient gets a packing slip.
While both documents start with an e-commerce store, invoices are triggered by payment platforms, while packing slips are triggered by shipping or fulfillment technology.
Also, all businesses use invoices, but not all businesses use packing lists.
Why is the packing list important?
1.Make sure the right item is shipped to the right customer
One of the most frustrating experiences for customers is missing items from their order or not receiving the product they purchased. This negative customer experience reduces the likelihood of a business getting repeat customers. After all, no one likes receiving parts or orders or the wrong product. The cost of shipping lost or correct items eats into profits. If left unchecked, these can hinder the company's growth.
There are some great ways to help improve accuracy when picking. However, implementing a technically superior picking solution is worthless if the items are still not packaged correctly. A printed packing slip can be used as a basic but effective check during the packing process to ensure that all the correct items have been placed in the pack.
2.Items put in the package
Often, warehouse pickers collect items from multiple orders at the same time. During the packaging process, products need to be packaged for each customer. The packer will use the product list to determine which items should be packed together.
3.Identify damaged items
Packing lists help identify and organize damaged items—whether a fragile item was damaged in transit or an entire package was damaged in transit. Delivery exceptions like this will happen, but having a packing slip as a backup can help expedite refunds or resending of packages
4.Confirm receipt of all items
Packing slips are used to identify lost items and ensure receipt of all items ordered. You can think of it as a written record or record that should be included with the shipment. If your order is delivered in multiple packages, you can more easily keep an eye out for any inaccuracies if the e-commerce order tracking shows that all packages were delivered.
5.Streamline returns and refunds
Returns and refunds are sometimes unavoidable in e-commerce. But a packing list can stop this little headache from turning into a migraine. Having a packing slip can help expedite the process of refunding a customer or sending a new package if an item is damaged in transit.
Likewise, having a packing list can help customers quickly identify if a product that should be in the package is not. While they're unlikely to be happy with a lost item, at least now it's faster to spot the problem and fix a refund or send the product again.
For companies that sell fashion items or other products with a high volume of returns or exchanges, it's even more important to try to reduce the number of customer inquiries about the return/exchange process. Having a large customer support team can be costly, so clear return/refund instructions on the packing slip can help reduce the number of touchpoints the customer support team needs to be involved in.
What information is usually included on a packing slip?
1.Detailed list of shipped and out-of-stock items
A key element of a packing list is to clearly state what is in the package. It's an easy way to help packers ensure accuracy before shipping a package and help your customers quickly determine if their order was received correctly.
While customers should have been informed that one of the items they ordered is out of stock, it is best to include it on the packing list.
2.Quantity per piece
To check every item with a packing slip, it's not enough to just look at the product name or SKU, as many sellers order more than one item. The Quantity column helps reduce the length of the list so that if many of the same items are ordered, the packing list won't be several pages long.
3.Other important information
While packing slips do vary from company to company, standard practice is to include information such as shipping address, company name, purchaser's name and address, order date, and relevant contact information on the packing slip.
What is the difference between a packing list, a bill of lading, and a shipping label?
A packing slip contains information for a single customer order, while a picking list contains multiple customer orders on a single document. Pick list items tend to be ordered in a way that is efficient for pickers to navigate the warehouse. Picking with a packing list is not as efficient as a pick list, because pickers may visit the same warehouse rack multiple times while picking turns.
The shipping label allows a package to move smoothly through the supply network because it contains important information about the shipping of your order, including: its source address, destination address, tracking barcode and its shipping category.
