What is a delivery note?

Have you gotten into the habit of sending the invoice directly once the mission is finished or the product delivered, and are you questioning the real value of the delivery note? Whether your company offers services or sells goods, issuing a delivery note allows you to prove that you have fulfilled the contract and thus avoids unpaid invoices. Discover the function of a delivery note, what benefits you have in issuing one for each order, as well as the legal requirements necessary to establish a proper delivery note.

Definition of a delivery note

A delivery note is a commercial document issued by a company to a customer, at the end of a mission or upon receipt of products. The delivery note therefore concerns both professionals selling goods or service providers and details the order placed. It must be provided free of charge and always be accompanied by the corresponding invoice. Finally, it can be presented in electronic or paper form and must be produced in two copies, one for the customer and one for the company.

Its utility

When the buyer receives their order, they also receive the delivery note and the associated invoice. The customer must sign, except in case of dispute. The delivery note here serves as proof of the proper execution of the contract previously signed between the two parties, whether it was in the form of a quote or purchase order, and obliges the customer to pay the agreed price. It should be noted that the customer is only obligated to pay their due on the sole condition that the invoice is delivered with the delivery note.

Why create a delivery note?

Avoid unpaid invoices thanks to the delivery note

Creating a delivery note has a major benefit in protecting the professional from unpaid invoices. The customer's signature on the note legally proves that the company has correctly fulfilled the contract and obliges the buyer to pay what they owe. In case of non-payment, the signed delivery note has legal value allowing the pursuit of a "bad payer" customer before a judge.

Protect the customer from a professional error

If the professional made a mistake in the delivery of goods or made an error or shortcoming on one of the invoiced services, the customer has a right to dispute. The company must therefore resolve these reservations. The customer must absolutely not sign the delivery note, nor keep the merchandise nor pay the price of the order, as long as the professional has not repaired their error/shortcoming or made a delivery conforming to the order.

The delivery note, obligation or recommendation?

This accounting document is indeed not mandatory, even if it is commonly used by companies. For a sale of goods, the carrier delivers the package and presents to the buyer the delivery note that the latter must sign or possibly mention reservations.

How to create a proper delivery note?

Legal requirements for a delivery note

To draft a delivery note according to the rules, it will not be enough to search for delivery note templates on the internet, many of them being full of errors or omissions regarding legal requirements. It will be wise to use software for your delivery notes, invoices and quotes. These main requirements must appear:

• the seller's legal information: Identity, address, company form, VAT number, head office indication, company number (preceded by the mention "VAT BE");
• the customer's legal information: Identity, delivery and billing address;
• information specific to the order: detailed summary of the order and delivery date.

Delivery note and invoice

In the case of an order for several goods but delivered in several installments, a delivery note must be established for each shipment and a single invoice for the whole. The amount indicated on the invoice must correspond to that of the delivery note(s). Indeed, in case of a discrepancy identified during an audit, the company will have to explain itself.

The tolerance threshold for a possible difference between an invoice and a delivery note should be consulted in the company's purchasing procedure. Finally, to avoid possible errors, it will be preferable to use software for your delivery notes and invoices. This will automatically detect potential discrepancies and errors.

Errors to avoid

Sending a batch of goods in several installments with a single delivery note

The delivery note also serves as a summary list of the order concluded between the buyer and the seller. Therefore, the professional has an interest in ensuring that all the merchandise is sent at the same time, so that the customer can validate the proper receipt with their signature on the delivery note. Otherwise, the company would have no proof that the product actually arrived at the buyer's location, unless a unique delivery note is sent with each delivery.

Sending a delivery note by email

More and more companies transmit the delivery note by email and the package in the mailbox in case of absence, without any need for the customer's signature. This operation cancels the primary utility of the delivery note, namely: serving as proof of the proper receipt of the merchandise.

Let's note that the delivery note is strongly recommended for companies wishing to have proof of the proper receipt of the product sent, in order to avoid unpaid invoices. However, it must be correctly filled out to maintain legal value.

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