How To
How to Create a Commercial Invoice for International Shipping
This guide is for the point where the shipment is real and the invoice has to match it. If you already have the order details and need a clean commercial invoice draft without working from an old template, follow this build order.
Short answer
Build the commercial invoice from the shipment record: confirm the parties, invoice reference, currency, line items, and final preview against the actual order before you download.
Best for
- Users drafting a commercial invoice for a live international shipment
- Teams doing a fast step-by-step build instead of starting from a blank template
- People checking the invoice before download and shipment handoff
1. Verify sender and recipient details match your order records
Confirm the names and addresses of the sender and the buyer, consignee, or recipient against the actual order. Wrong addresses and misspelled company names are the most common reason a commercial invoice gets sent back.
2. Check the invoice reference, date, and currency
The invoice number, date, and currency must match your internal order reference. Mismatched numbers or the wrong currency are easy to miss in preview and catch problems only after the document has been shared.
3. Confirm each line item — description, quantity, and declared value
Each line item must have an accurate description, the correct quantity, and the declared value that matches your sale. If the shipment needs country-of-origin or tariff codes, verify those against your shipment instructions before you generate the draft.
4. Preview and spot-check before you download
The generator’s preview shows exactly what will be in the PDF. Check that the document total is correct, the parties are in the right positions (sender on the left, recipient on the right), and the dates are formatted as expected by your carrier. Download only when the preview matches your records. If you want a quick field-by-field pass first, use the required fields checklist.
5. Check whether a packing list is also needed
Many international shipments need both a commercial invoice and a packing list. If your carrier, broker, or warehouse is asking for a contents breakdown alongside the declared value, generate a packing list from the same shipment details. See commercial invoice vs packing list to decide, then use the consistency checklist before download.
What this guide helps with and what it does not
This guide helps you prepare a clean commercial invoice draft from the shipment details you already have. It does not decide country-specific customs rules, tariff treatment, or lane-specific compliance checks for you.