Shipping Receipt Template
A shipping receipt records what was sent and what the sender paid. It shows the carrier and service, the tracking number, both addresses, the weight and dimensions, any declared value or insurance, and the postage with surcharges broken out. The tracking number carries the most weight here, because nothing else proves the parcel entered the network. You can make one free below.
Sellers reach for this document twice: once at the counter, and again months later when a buyer claims a parcel never arrived. The second time is when a missing tracking number costs real money.
What goes on a shipping receipt
- Carrier name and the branch or drop-off point
- Date and time accepted
- Tracking or consignment number
- Sender name and address
- Recipient name and address
- Service level, such as ground, express or next day, with the expected delivery date
- Number of pieces
- Actual weight, and the dimensions
- Dimensional weight, and which of the two was billed
- Declared value and insurance purchased
- Signature on delivery, if requested
- Surcharges on their own lines: fuel, residential delivery, remote area, oversize
- Customs value and contents description for international
- Postage total, tax and payment method
One parcel
Accepted 6 February at 15:22. Ground service, tracking 1Z9078W40391226614, one piece. Actual weight 4.2 lb, dimensions 18 by 14 by 10 inches, dimensional weight 8.2 lb, billed on dimensional. Base rate $14.85, fuel surcharge $1.93, residential delivery $5.30. Declared value $200 with insurance $2.70. Total $24.78. Expected delivery 10 February.
Dimensional weight is why the price surprised you
Carriers bill on whichever is greater, the actual weight or the dimensional weight, which is the volume of the box divided by a fixed divisor. A light parcel in a big box is billed as if it were heavy. So a 4 lb shipment gets charged at 8 lb, and senders conclude the carrier has overcharged them. It is the most common billing complaint carriers get.
Putting both weights on the receipt with a note of which was billed removes the argument entirely, and it also tells the sender that a smaller box would have been cheaper.
Make a shipping receipt
Tracking number, both weights and the surcharges each get a field in the receipt generator. Download the PDF and keep it with the order.
Related templates
- Delivery note template
- Sales receipt template
- Commercial invoice template
- Itemised receipt template
- General receipt template
- All free templates
Frequently asked questions
What is dimensional weight on a shipping receipt?
It is the volume of the parcel converted into a billable weight. Carriers charge on the greater of actual and dimensional weight, so a light item in a large box is priced as though it were heavier.
Why does the tracking number matter so much?
It is the only evidence the parcel was accepted into the carrier network. Without it a seller usually cannot open a lost parcel claim or defend a buyer dispute about non delivery.
Do I need a shipping receipt for a customs claim?
For international parcels, keep the receipt alongside the customs declaration. When a shipment is delayed or lost, a carrier will ask for the declared value, the contents description and the service used.