Inventory glossary
What is Packing slip?
A packing slip is a document included with a shipment that lists the items and quantities inside the box, without prices.
For a small Shopify store, the packing slip is your first checkpoint when stock arrives. You compare it line by line against your purchase order to confirm you got the right products and the right counts before you touch anything else.
Keep packing slips until you have finished checking the shipment into your system. If a slip shows fewer units than ordered, or an item is missing entirely, flag it with the supplier right away rather than after you have already shelved everything.
Example
A candle store orders 120 units of a jar candle from its supplier. The box arrives with a packing slip listing 120 units. The owner counts the jars and finds only 114. The packing slip helps her spot the 6-unit shortage immediately so she can report it that day.
Common mistakes
- Throwing away the packing slip before counting the actual items received.
- Assuming the packing slip quantity is correct without a physical count.
- Mixing up the packing slip with the invoice, which includes pricing and payment terms.
Packing slip and SteadyShelf
When you receive stock in SteadyShelf against an open purchase order, you are confirming the same quantities a packing slip would show, so matching the two catches discrepancies before they become inventory errors.
SteadyShelf is launching on the Shopify App Store. Join early access to get the install link first.
Related terms
Purchase order · Receiving · Partial receipt · Three-way match · Goods received note
FAQ
Does a packing slip show prices?
No. A packing slip lists items and quantities only. Pricing and payment terms appear on the invoice, which is a separate document.
What should I do if the packing slip does not match what I physically received?
Count the items again to confirm the shortage or overage, then contact the supplier with the purchase order number and the specific difference before receiving the stock into your system.
Let SteadyShelf do this math for every SKU
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