As a business owner, understanding the process of every transaction you make is a must. From placing orders, up to the actual billing, you must be aware of how it should work accordingly. You must know and familiarize yourself with each element involved in the whole purchasing process in your online business. Among these elements, is what we call a packing slip.
Curious? Sit back and relax because this blog will give you ideas on what is a packing slip, why is it important for your business, and the best hacks you should do to create packing slip for your business.
What is a packing slip?
One way you can define packing slip is that it is simply a written list. A type of written shipping slips that contains all the details about an order you are about to ship to a customer. People tend to refer to packing slips as a packaging slip, shipment slip, or an order slip, but generally, it is simply called a packing slip.
A packing slip is also a business’s way of making documentation of their transactions. Packing slip generator helps online businesses to keep a record of every order and purchase information they received. When you create packing slip, this information is written and printed on a piece of paper, before being bound on packages for a smoother flow of delivery. Most of the time, a packing slip contains data like the customer's name, address, amount of order, extra charges made within the order, fees, and even a packing slip control number.
Packing slips do have a role to play in making online transactions and the ordering process smoother. But, why do you really need to print a packing slip for your business transactions? How important is it in an online business?
Well, Strikingly has the best answers for you in this next part.
Why print packing slips?
Printing a packing slip can generally save you from a lot of troubles. First, once you create a packing slip, you instantly have a record of the transaction you made. You can use this to ensure that everything that is needed to be received by your customer is already included in the package. Specifically for bulk orders, packing slips can be used as a reference in checking what packages have been received, and how many more are still pending/haven't arrived.
Packing slip also helps customs during shipments done internationally. It can make their job easier when it comes to estimating the value of each product content, and eventually add appropriate additional fees.
Generally, a packing slip is one written and printed document which you can use in making your transactions flow smoothly. And when this happens, customers would love your service and eventually choose to transact with you for a longer time.
Image taken from Fighting Pretty
What to put in your packing slip?
Making your print packing slips design isn't just the same as printing a simple document. You should put high considerations on every data you are going to include in your packing slip. Doing this step will help you avoid getting complaints from customers and even make delivery easier to handle.
To give you a better look, check out these packing slip must-haves, which you should never miss:
- Order exact date
- Purchaser's name
- Purchaser's exact address
- Recipient's name
- Recipient's address
- A detailed list of what was ordered
- List of what is included in the shipment/delivery (your created packing list document)
- A list of what will ship separately
- The exact quantity of items
- Total weight of items
- Your company/business’s name
- Your company's working contact information
- Packing slip/order slip/shipping slips number
Image taken from Dr.Chai Tea
Knowing the difference between packing slips, shipping slips, and invoices
Invoices, shipping slips, and packing slip all play essential roles in every business transaction. But, if there is one common difference these two have, is their main purpose.
All types of businesses use invoices in their transactions. However, not all businesses use printed packing slips. How? When a business offers a service, they do not need to use packing slips. Instead, they make invoices. A packing slip is only used when a product is being sold to the target market.
Another distinct difference between these two is with regards to who is going to receive such documents. If you happen to be the one sending a packing slip or invoice, you should put high considerations into who are you going to send them specifically. Keep in mind that invoices are primarily made and must be sent to individuals who are responsible for the payment. This set of individuals could include accounting staff. Packing slips, on the other hand, must be received by the designated department assigned to record and keep track of all incoming goods and products. These include specific personnel on warehouses or any large-scaled operations department. If you want to avoid complaints and hassles, knowing where to send these two documents is very important.
Shipping slips, however, differ from a packing slip in terms of the information they contain and to whom it is addressed. A packing slip basically contains all the details about the items inside a package that is off for shipping. Shipping slips, on the other hand, contains all information that couriers need in order to deliver the package to a customer’s door. Shipping slips are generally made for tracking and smooth flow of delivery fulfillment.
All shipments done by any type of business must have a packing slip. Each information written on packing slips is used by many online purchasers in ensuring that their orders are complete and right. Invoices, also include payment statements, as well as how the purchaser can make their payments and when it is due. If the consumer has already placed their payments, the invoice will then show the payment method details and when it was made.
Image taken from Strikingly
How to print packing slip
Printing packing slips depends on where you are selling your products. Different website builders mean different styles in providing print packing slips layouts. The tools you’d be using are also one aspect that can affect how your print packing slips would look like. You can have an Amazon-themed print packing slips if you work your business with Amazon or a PayPal packing slip if you do your transactions with Paypal. Generally, packing slips could look different from one another but still exist for the same reason. Design them however you want them to be, but ensure that you never miss the important elements they should contain.
Here are a few helpful resources that help you deal with packing slips and get you started:
- Amazon
- eBay
- Etsy
- Magento
- BigCommerce
- Shopify
- PayPal
- Strikingly
Manage your transactions smoothly with Strikingly
Managing transactions has never been complicated with Strikingly. Aside from starting your own Simple Store, you can also manage your orders, set up shipping for orders received, and even make email notifications to simplify your communications!
Manage Your Orders
Strikingly allows you to manage your orders and set their current status whether it is already completed, pending, or canceled.
- Pending - Pending indicates that your customer has successfully placed an order on your online store and payment has been processed.
- Completed - This indicates that an order has been fulfilled.
- Cancelled - Cancelled indicates that you have processed a refund for the order made.
Managing your transactions on your websites is the first step in ensuring that the details you will be including in your print packing slips are appropriate. You have to put high considerations on every status in every order made to keep yourself updated and make immediate responses when needed.
Image taken from Strikingly
Set Up Your Simple Store Shipping Rate
Shipping rates are also one of the main information included in a packing slip. It is important to include this information on your packing slip to help your customers understand how they ended up paying the amount for their order. You can also set up a shipping rate on your orders on your Strikingly Simple Store.
We offer a shipping option for our Simple Store. In Flat Rate Shipping, a standard rate is charged regardless of a package’s total weight or size. You only charge one standard shipping fee for every ordered item. This option is an ideal match for most businesses who want to start a simple shipping setup that is easy to understand by them as well as their customers.
Image taken from Strikingly
Print Your Simple Store Packing Slip with Strikingly
Strikingly now gives you the power to design and print your own order receipts! You can now print your order transactions and customer subscription details in just one click. Use this feature in making receipts, package slips, or even shipping label documents. You can start printing packing slips on your Strikingly Simple Store using these three easy steps.
- Go to your Strikingly Simple Store account.
- Click “Orders” to view order and subscription details.
- Click the “Print details” button.
Image taken from Strikingly
Managing your online business transactions is tough when you don’t know who to rely on. You must have not just the right tools, but most importantly the best website builder to suffice all your website building needs.
Strikingly can offer you a lot in the world of online business and website building. We offer free website templates and amazing features you can enjoy. We don’t just exist to build websites, we work for more.
If you got more questions on how to start your own online store, chat with us! And we’ll start building it together.
