Delivery Note (Lieferschein)

A delivery note — in German, Lieferschein — is the document accompanying a shipment. It lists what is being delivered: items, quantities, sender, and recipient. At goods-in, it is the basis for checking whether what arrived matches what was ordered.

What does a delivery note contain?

There is no legally prescribed format in Germany, but these details are standard practice:

• Name and address of sender and recipient
• Delivery note number and order or purchase-order number
• Delivery date
• Description and quantity of the delivered items
• Notes on partial deliveries or outstanding quantities

Prices are optional — many businesses deliberately omit them, for example when goods ship directly to a trading partner's end customers.

Is a delivery note mandatory?

No. Unlike the invoice, the delivery note is not required by law in Germany. It is standard for good reasons: it documents the handover, simplifies incoming-goods checks, and is often the decisive document in disputes. If it serves as an accounting record or is referenced on the invoice, German retention periods apply — as commercial correspondence, typically six years.

Delivery note vs. invoice vs. consignment note

• Delivery note: documents what was delivered; addressed to the goods recipient.
• Invoice: requests payment and is tax-relevant.
• Consignment note: documents the transport contract between sender, carrier, and recipient.

Digital delivery notes

Paper delivery notes get lost, carry unreadable signatures, and reach accounting days later. Digital delivery notes fix this: the driver captures signature, photos, and timestamps at handover, and every party sees the record instantly. Combined with digital proof of delivery, the entire delivery is documented end to end — from pickup to signed receipt.

Free delivery note template

For anyone who (still) needs paper delivery notes, we created ready-made templates with all the fields that have proven useful in practice:

Download the delivery note template — free as PDF, Word, and Excel, including a bilingual German/English version.

The template includes: sender and recipient, delivery note, order, and reference numbers, delivery date, an items table with article, quantity, and remarks, plus fields for notes and the signed acknowledgement of receipt. Pre-dispatch checklist:

1. Enter the delivery note and order number (for matching!)
2. Record all items with quantity and unit
3. Note partial deliveries and outstanding quantities
4. Have it signed at handover — date, name, signature

And if you want to go one step further: instead of filling in, scanning, and filing paper templates, a digital delivery note captures everything right at handover — legally robust and instantly in the system.

Frequently asked questions

Who issues the delivery note? The sender or seller — usually generated automatically by the ERP or shop system.

Does the recipient have to sign it? A signature is not mandatory but common: it documents acceptance and protects both sides in later disputes.

How long must delivery notes be retained? As commercial correspondence, generally six years in Germany; longer periods apply if they serve as accounting records.

Sources

• § 257 HGB – retention of records (German Commercial Code)
• § 147 AO – retention rules (German Fiscal Code)