What else goes in the box? Packing slip, invoice and returns information
,
by Verpakkingdeals.nl
6 min reading time
Packing slip, invoice, and return information: what belongs with an order and what does the law say? A standard enclosure will save you a lot of emails later on.
The box is closed, the label is attached, and then the question arises: should another piece of paper go inside? Many small webshops answer this question anew with each order. One customer receives a packing slip, another nothing, and a week later an email arrives: "Can I still get an invoice?" or "How do I return this?"
That costs time you don't need to spend. With one fixed set of documents that always goes along, that discussion is gone. Below is what belongs in the box, what is legally required of you, and how to practically include it without crumpled papers or a packing slip that disappears among the packing material.
Packing slip and invoice are not the same
They often look like the same A4 sheet, but they serve different purposes.
A packing slip is a table of contents: which items, what quantities, what order number. No amounts are needed. It helps your customer check if everything is included, and it helps you with a complaint: you immediately see what was sent.
An invoice is a financial document. It should include amounts, VAT, and your company details. Your customer uses it for administration or to claim something.
For most consumer orders, a packing slip in the box and the invoice by email suffice. If you sell to businesses, it's the other way around: the invoice is the most important document, and the packing slip is a service.
When you are obliged to send an invoice
The Tax Authorities distinguish based on who you deliver to. If you deliver to other entrepreneurs or legal entities, an invoicing obligation generally applies; for deliveries to private individuals, this obligation usually does not apply. There are exceptions, including for distance sales and certain goods, so for your situation, check the page Who is obliged to invoice? from the Tax Authorities.
If you create an invoice, there are standard details that must be included – such as your VAT identification number, a consecutive invoice number, the date, a description of what you have supplied, and the VAT amount. The full list can be found in the invoice requirements overview. Set up that list correctly in your template once, and you won't have to think about it again.
Are you unsure whether your situation falls under an exception? This blog is not tax advice; present it to your accountant or consult the Tax Authorities directly.
Return information: the topic that generates the most questions
For online purchases, consumers generally have a 14-day cooling-off period to cancel the purchase, and then another 14 days to return the product. The explanation and exceptions – for example, for items that cannot be returned for hygiene reasons if the seal is broken – are available on ACM ConsuWijzer and on the cooling-off period page of the Authority for Consumers & Markets.
What that practically means for the box: your customer needs to know that there's a cooling-off period, how to use it, and where the package needs to go. You don't need to include a legal text for this. The ACM provides a model form for termination or withdrawal and a corresponding model instruction that you can use as a basis.
Good to know now: the ACM has called on online sellers to prepare for a withdrawal button, which will allow customers to cancel an online purchase with one clear button. Keep an eye on ACM publications for the introduction and precise requirements, so you can adapt your webshop and enclosed information in time.
How to include it without hassle
Paper in a box can go wrong in two ways: it gets crumpled among the items, or it disappears into the packing material and the customer doesn't find it. A few practical solutions:
Always place the document on top. Visible first upon opening, never under the product.
Fold the same size, always. An A4 folded in half fits into a C5 envelope of 162 x 229 mm (25 pieces, € 4.95); folded three times, it fits into a C6 envelope of 114 x 162 mm (50 pieces, € 4.00). Choose one of the two and stick to it, then folding will be effortless.
If there's a handwritten line – a thank you, an instruction – then a pen that always works is not a luxury. A set of 10 ballpoint pens (€ 4.00) on the packing table is enough; for markings on the box itself, use permanent markers (5 pieces, 3 colors, € 4.95).
What can be digital, and what stays in the box?
More and more webshops are emailing invoices and omitting paper in the box. This saves paper, printing, and time. What you do want to arrange then:
A reference in the box. One card with your order number, your email address, and the sentence that the invoice and return information have been sent by email. Without that card, a customer who receives the package as a gift won't know who to contact.
No prices in the box for gift shipments. If the package goes directly to the recipient, an invoice with amounts should definitely not be included.
Visible that the package is unopened. For items where the seal determines whether a return is still possible, a VOID security seal (60 pieces, € 9.95) significantly shortens discussions afterward.
One fixed leaflet, five lines
Create one document that goes with every order and put no more than this on it: your company name and contact details, the order number, what's in the package, how to register a return, and within what period that can be done. Print a stack in advance, place them on the packing table, and only fill in the order number. If you ship in standard boxes – for example, the cardboard shipping box of 15 x 15 x 15 cm (€ 1.99) or the recycled letterbox box A5+ (bundle of 100 pieces, € 24.00) – you also know exactly which folding size fits.
You can get packaging and documents in one order: look in Envelopes for the size that fits your leaflet, in Packing & Shipping and Letterbox Packaging for the boxes around them, and in Office Supplies for pens, markers, and the rest of your packing table. Would you like to brainstorm about a fixed combination of box size and envelope format for your assortment? Email your measurements to info@verpakkingdeals.nl.
Choosing a USB hub for working from home: 2.0 or 3.0, how many ports, and with switches
· 3 min reading time
Choosing a USB hub for working from home: 2.0 or 3.0, how many ports and with switchesYour desk needs three USB devices, but your laptop only has two ports. Or...
Power outages in autumn: emergency supplies you'll actually use
· 2 min reading time
Autumn Power Outages: Emergency Supplies You'll Actually Use October to December. Heating isn't in full swing yet, but the nights are getting long and cold. If a power outage strikes...
Choosing a power bank: capacity, charging speed, and weight compared
· 2 min reading time
Choosing a Power Bank: Capacity, Charging Speed, and Weight Compared Your phone dies when you're out and about. The classic emergency solution is a power bank. But what capacity do...
