Is a delivery docket the same as a delivery note?

In everyday use, yes. Both accompany the goods and record what was sent. 'Docket' is the common Irish term and 'delivery note' the common British one.

What is an advice note then?

An advice note tells the customer that goods have been dispatched and can arrive separately from the load, whereas a delivery note travels with it. Many suppliers use the terms interchangeably.

What do they call it in the US and Canada?

Usually a packing slip or delivery ticket, with a bill of lading used for freight. The function is the same: evidence of what was shipped and received.

Does the name change how I should file it?

No. Whatever it's called, it is your evidence of what arrived and should be retained alongside the invoice it supports.

Does DocketFlow care which term the supplier uses?

No. Dockets, delivery notes, advice notes, packing slips and delivery tickets are all read the same way — there is no document type to pick beyond delivery paperwork.

Explainer

Delivery docket vs delivery note

Two names, one job. The confusion is almost entirely regional — but there are a few genuine distinctions worth knowing before you file them.

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The short answer

A delivery docket and a delivery note are the same document: a list of goods that travels with the load, signed on receipt, serving as evidence of what arrived. Which word you hear depends mostly on where you're standing.

Ireland: delivery docket, often just 'the docket'
UK: delivery note, sometimes advice note
US and Canada: packing slip or delivery ticket
Freight: bill of lading, which also covers carriage terms

Where a real difference creeps in

An advice note is strictly a notice of dispatch and can arrive ahead of the goods; a delivery note travels with them. A packing slip sometimes lists quantities only, with no prices at all. And a bill of lading is a carriage contract as well as a list, so it carries legal weight the others don't.

None of them are invoices

Whatever the name, this document records what was delivered rather than what is owed. The invoice comes later, is sequentially numbered, carries VAT and payment terms, and often consolidates several deliveries. Treating a docket as an invoice — or paying from one — is where the trouble starts.

Docket or note: what arrived, signed for on receipt
GRN: what you accepted after checking the load
Invoice: what is owed, with tax and terms
Statement: the running balance across invoices

Converting them is identical either way

Because the layout logic is the same, dockets, delivery notes, advice notes and packing slips all convert the same way: upload the PDF, scan or photo and get an Excel file with one row per line item, ready to match against the invoice when it turns up.

Frequently asked questions

Is a delivery docket the same as a delivery note?: In everyday use, yes. Both accompany the goods and record what was sent. 'Docket' is the common Irish term and 'delivery note' the common British one.
What is an advice note then?: An advice note tells the customer that goods have been dispatched and can arrive separately from the load, whereas a delivery note travels with it. Many suppliers use the terms interchangeably.
What do they call it in the US and Canada?: Usually a packing slip or delivery ticket, with a bill of lading used for freight. The function is the same: evidence of what was shipped and received.
Does the name change how I should file it?: No. Whatever it's called, it is your evidence of what arrived and should be retained alongside the invoice it supports.
Does DocketFlow care which term the supplier uses?: No. Dockets, delivery notes, advice notes, packing slips and delivery tickets are all read the same way — there is no document type to pick beyond delivery paperwork.

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