What is a dispatch note?

A dispatch note is a document the sender prepares when a shipment leaves, listing what has been sent against a particular order, how many packages, by which courier or transporter and under which tracking number, and who dispatched it. It goes with the parcel or is sent to the customer by email or WhatsApp. It helps the receiver check the delivery and lets both sides trace the shipment later.

What is the difference between a dispatch note and a delivery challan?

A delivery challan is a document prescribed under Rule 55 of the CGST Rules for moving goods without an invoice, such as job work or goods on approval, and must carry specific details including taxable value and HSN. A dispatch note is an informal shipping document with no GST role that tells the receiver what was sent and how. Goods that need a challan or an invoice must carry one; the dispatch note is an addition, not a substitute.

Do I need a dispatch note if I already have an invoice?

Not legally, but it is useful whenever the invoice does not tell the whole story: a partial dispatch where only some invoice lines are shipped today, a shipment split across several couriers, or an order shipped to a different address than the billing address. It also carries the tracking number and the packer's name, which the invoice does not. Many businesses issue both and quote the invoice number on the note.

Can I add courier tracking details to a dispatch note?

Yes. The tool has fields for the courier or transporter name, the AWB, docket or LR number, the mode of transport and the expected delivery date. Because the note is stored against the customer, support staff can search by tracking number when a customer calls, and the same number can be included in the WhatsApp message that goes with the invoice share link.

Is a dispatch note a legal document under GST?

No. GST recognises the tax invoice, the bill of supply, the delivery challan and the e-way bill for movement of goods. A dispatch note has no status under GST, so it cannot be the only document travelling with taxable goods. Use it alongside the invoice or challan. For consignments over ₹50,000 an e-way bill is also needed, and its number can be noted on the dispatch note for convenience.

Who keeps the dispatch note and for how long?

The sender keeps a copy as proof of what was shipped and when, the receiver keeps the copy from the parcel to check the delivery, and the courier's own docket is a separate record. There is no statutory retention period for a dispatch note itself, but keeping it with the invoice for the same period as your accounts, six years under GST, makes disputes over short delivery easy to settle.

Dispatch Note

Create a dispatch note with order reference, items sent, courier and tracking details to accompany every shipment. Free PDF for Indian businesses.

Free account · 5 documents a month freeMade for India · ₹, GST, UPI, WhatsApp

In short

A dispatch note is a document that goes with a shipment to tell the receiver what has been sent, against which order, by which courier or transporter and under which tracking or LR number, and who dispatched it. VyaparKit's Dispatch Note tool creates numbered dispatch notes with order reference, items dispatched, courier and tracking details and a dispatched-by line, prints on your letterhead and downloads a PDF. Free accounts get 5 transport documents a month.

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Create a Dispatch Note in under a minute

Sign in once with Google or email. Your business name, GSTIN, logo, bank details and saved customers fill in automatically. Download a PDF or share a link on WhatsApp. 5 documents a month are free, forever.

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✓Beautiful PDF with your logo and details
✓GST calculated automatically where applicable
✓Saved customers, vendors and items, so no retyping
✓Share link with WhatsApp button and UPI QR
✓Converts to related documents in one click

About the dispatch note tool

A dispatch note, also called a dispatch advice or delivery note, is the simplest of the shipping documents. It is written by the seller at the moment of dispatch, lists what is in the parcel against the customer's order, and records how it was sent. Online sellers slip one into every box; a spare parts dealer sends one with each courier consignment; a printing press attaches one to the bundle going to a client. It is not a tax document and does not replace the invoice or delivery challan, but it is what the customer's receiving staff actually reads when the parcel arrives.

The problem with dispatch by memory is that nobody can later say what went in the box, which courier took it, or whether the second half of the order was ever sent. Customer support then spends an hour searching WhatsApp chats for a tracking number. VyaparKit's Dispatch Note captures the order or invoice reference, the items and quantities dispatched in this shipment, the number of packages, the courier or transporter, the AWB or LR number, the date, and the name of the person who packed and dispatched. Numbered as DSP/26-27/0001, it is searchable by customer or tracking number.

Partial dispatches are handled naturally: one sales order can have several dispatch notes, each listing what went that day. Pair the note with a Packing List for multi-carton shipments, print carton labels with Shipping Labels, and share the invoice link with the tracking number in the WhatsApp message so the customer has both.

How to make a dispatch note in VyaparKit

1
Pick the customer and order
Open Dispatch Note and choose the customer, or click Add customer. Enter the order, sales order or invoice number and date this dispatch is against.
2
List what is being sent
Click Add line for each item with quantity dispatched. For a partial shipment, list only what is going now and note the balance quantity in remarks.
3
Enter the shipment details
Fill the number of packages, the courier or transporter name, the AWB, docket or LR number, the mode (surface, air, own vehicle) and the expected delivery date.
4
Add the dispatched-by line
Enter the name of the person who packed and dispatched, and the dispatch date and time. Add the delivery address if it differs from the billing address.
5
Create and send
Click Create and Download PDF. Put a copy in the parcel, and send the PDF with the tracking number to the customer on WhatsApp or email.

What a dispatch note should contain

Dispatch note number and date, and the customer's order number or your sales order or invoice number.
Sender's name and address from your business profile, and the customer's name and delivery address with a contact number.
Items dispatched with description, SKU or part number and quantity, and the balance still to be sent if this is a partial dispatch.
Number of packages and packing type, with weight if the courier charges by weight.
Courier or transporter name, AWB, docket or LR number, mode of transport and dispatch date.
Expected delivery date and any handling instructions (fragile, this side up, keep dry).
Name of the person who packed and dispatched, and a line for the receiver's signature and date.
Reference to the accompanying tax invoice or delivery challan, since the dispatch note itself is not a GST document.

Who uses the dispatch note

D2C brand in Jaipur shipping on Shiprocket

Every order box carries a dispatch note with the items and the AWB number, and the same PDF is sent on WhatsApp so the customer can track the parcel.

Spare parts dealer in Delhi

Orders from mechanics across north India go by courier daily; the dispatch note lists part numbers sent and the balance on back-order so nobody calls to ask.

Printing press in Sivakasi

Bundles of labels and cartons dispatched to FMCG clients carry a note with the job number, quantity and transporter, which the client's store matches against its purchase order.

Software firm shipping hardware kits

A Chennai company sending POS devices to retail outlets records serial numbers on the dispatch note so support knows which device went to which store.

Dispatch Note: frequently asked questions

What is a dispatch note?: A dispatch note is a document the sender prepares when a shipment leaves, listing what has been sent against a particular order, how many packages, by which courier or transporter and under which tracking number, and who dispatched it. It goes with the parcel or is sent to the customer by email or WhatsApp. It helps the receiver check the delivery and lets both sides trace the shipment later.
What is the difference between a dispatch note and a delivery challan?: A delivery challan is a document prescribed under Rule 55 of the CGST Rules for moving goods without an invoice, such as job work or goods on approval, and must carry specific details including taxable value and HSN. A dispatch note is an informal shipping document with no GST role that tells the receiver what was sent and how. Goods that need a challan or an invoice must carry one; the dispatch note is an addition, not a substitute.
Do I need a dispatch note if I already have an invoice?: Not legally, but it is useful whenever the invoice does not tell the whole story: a partial dispatch where only some invoice lines are shipped today, a shipment split across several couriers, or an order shipped to a different address than the billing address. It also carries the tracking number and the packer's name, which the invoice does not. Many businesses issue both and quote the invoice number on the note.
Can I add courier tracking details to a dispatch note?: Yes. The tool has fields for the courier or transporter name, the AWB, docket or LR number, the mode of transport and the expected delivery date. Because the note is stored against the customer, support staff can search by tracking number when a customer calls, and the same number can be included in the WhatsApp message that goes with the invoice share link.
Is a dispatch note a legal document under GST?: No. GST recognises the tax invoice, the bill of supply, the delivery challan and the e-way bill for movement of goods. A dispatch note has no status under GST, so it cannot be the only document travelling with taxable goods. Use it alongside the invoice or challan. For consignments over ₹50,000 an e-way bill is also needed, and its number can be noted on the dispatch note for convenience.
Who keeps the dispatch note and for how long?: The sender keeps a copy as proof of what was shipped and when, the receiver keeps the copy from the parcel to check the delivery, and the courier's own docket is a separate record. There is no statutory retention period for a dispatch note itself, but keeping it with the invoice for the same period as your accounts, six years under GST, makes disputes over short delivery easy to settle.