What is a despatch note?

What a despatch note shows

Fields vary by business, but most despatch notes carry the same core facts.

• The sender, the customer and the delivery address.
• The order reference and the despatch date.
• Each line sent, with quantities, and any batch or expiry details.
• Lines not sent, or sent short, so the customer is not surprised.
• Usually no prices, because the invoice carries those.

Despatch note, delivery note and POD

In UK practice “despatch note” and “delivery note” are often used for the same document. Where a business separates them, the despatch note records what left the warehouse, and the delivery note records what reached the customer.

A signed delivery note, or its electronic equivalent, is the proof of delivery. A despatch note on its own proves only what was sent.

Why the gap matters

Differences between what was despatched and what was delivered are where invoice queries start. A short pick, a line left on the dock or a breakage in transit all show up as a gap between the two records.