Prepare a commercial invoice using a two-product worked example, accurate descriptions, quantity and value checks, and a printable preparation worksheet.
Choose the invoice structure from the actual transaction
Build the invoice from verified order and product details. Use separate lines for different products, distinguish buyer from consignee where needed, and state the true export purpose. Have destination requirements reviewed before submission, and flag unresolved classification or valuation questions rather than guessing.
Compare your options ↓Choose the option that fits
Prepare the information for your commercial invoice
A commercial invoice records the goods and transaction information used for an international shipment. The selected carrier or customs professional may require a particular form, submission method and additional destination-specific fields. This guide and its printable worksheet help you assemble the facts; they do not replace that review or determine customs value or tariff classification.
Start with the order, product specification and final packing record. Do not copy an old invoice without checking the parties, shipping address, product version, currency and delivery terms. For a return, repair or free sample, state the real reason for export and confirm the appropriate document and evidence needed to support its value. No charge to the recipient does not justify inventing a nominal value.
Open the printable commercial-invoice preparation worksheet ↗Gather the header information before entering product lines
The carrier’s form controls which fields you must complete. The table below separates the parties involved from the delivery address. If the buyer, consignee or importer are different parties, record them separately. Confirm which party must supply the import identifiers required for the destination.
| Field group | Prepare this information | Check it against |
|---|---|---|
| Reference and purpose | Invoice number, date, order reference and true reason for export | Order and shipment record |
| Exporter / seller | Legal name, complete address, contact and required identifiers | Verified company record |
| Buyer / consignee | Legal name, complete address and working contact; distinguish parties where different | Customer’s written shipping instructions |
| Importer | Party responsible for import formalities and required registration details, where applicable | Recipient and customs professional |
| Commercial terms | Currency; agreed trade term, named place and rules version where used; freight and insurance treatment | Sales agreement and freight scope |
| Shipment connection | Package count, shipment reference and gross/net figures where required | Final packing list and transport booking |
Worked example: two products on separate lines
All data below is invented for illustration. Assume an ordinary commercial sale of two furniture-hardware products, priced in USD. The origin shown is an example and must be established from real production information. The blank classification field is intentional: a product name and this article are not a verified HS or destination tariff classification.
Line 1 is 100 pieces × USD 2.40 = USD 240. Line 2 is 200 pieces × USD 0.35 = USD 70. The example merchandise total is USD 310. This does not by itself establish the customs valuation basis or the full invoice total where freight, insurance or other adjustments must be stated.
| Line / SKU | Description | Qty / unit | Unit value / USD | Line value / USD | Origin / classification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 / BR-40 | Steel right-angle brackets for indoor furniture assembly, model BR-40; no electrical components | 100 pieces | 2.40 | 240.00 | China, example only / verify code |
| 2 / FC-20 | Polypropylene protective end caps for furniture legs, model FC-20 | 200 pieces | 0.35 | 70.00 | China, example only / verify code |
| Merchandise total | Two product lines | 300 pieces | — | 310.00 | Not a duty or tax calculation |
Turn vague descriptions into verifiable product descriptions
Use the product’s identity, material, function and model to make each line clear to someone who has never seen the goods. “Accessories” could describe unrelated products; “polypropylene protective end caps for furniture legs, model FC-20” tells the reader what the item is and what it does. Add the specifications needed to distinguish your actual goods, rather than copying this wording for a different item.
Separate goods with different materials, functions, origins or other classification-relevant features. Use a unit that matches the quantity and price: 20 sets containing five components is not interchangeable with 100 individual pieces unless the records explain that relationship. Keep the component or set description consistent across the invoice, order and packing list.
Reconcile the invoice with the physical packing
For the two-line example, suppose cartons C001 and C002 each contain 40 brackets, and C003 contains 20 brackets plus all 200 end caps. The packing list totals must reconcile to 100 brackets and 200 end caps. The invoice quantity is 300 product pieces; the package count is three cartons. Those numbers describe different things and should not be swapped.
Net weight describes the goods; gross weight includes the packaging at the stated shipping-unit level. If cartons are put on a pallet, make the pallet relationship explicit and use the final handover measurements. Do not add the loaded pallet’s gross weight to the carton gross weights again: that would count the contents twice.
Complete the final review and submit one controlled version
Have the product owner verify descriptions and origin evidence, the order owner verify prices and parties, and the shipping coordinator verify package references and the required submission format. The carrier or customs professional should confirm the classification and destination-specific details that remain open. Keep the invoice in draft until those fields are resolved.
Confirm whether electronic submission, printed copies, signatures or additional certificates are required for the actual service and destination. Carrier instructions can differ, so do not assume one worldwide copy count. Save the submitted version and acknowledgement. If a correction is necessary, identify the superseded version and notify everyone using the document.
- Line quantity × unit value equals line value; line values reconcile to the merchandise total.
- Currency, units and reason for export are explicit and consistent.
- Every product line has an accurate origin and any required verified classification.
- The consignee, delivery address and import-contact arrangements match the shipment instructions.
- The package count and quantities reconcile with the final packing list.
- Freight, insurance and any required valuation adjustments are reviewed rather than assumed.
Complete the invoice header and reconcile its final amount
Continue the BR-40 and FC-20 example with a fictional sale. The goods total is USD 310. Suppose the sales agreement also bills freight of USD 65 and insurance of USD 5 separately: the commercial amount payable is then 310 + 65 + 5 = USD 380. If those charges are already included in the goods price, adding them again would be wrong. This arithmetic is not a customs-value or tax calculation.
The FedEx commercial-invoice form provides separate areas for the exporter, consignee, importer where different, product lines and charges. Use the parties’ verified details. A warehouse that receives cartons is not automatically the buyer or importing party.
- The seller’s document preparer checks each quantity × unit value and confirms that the currency applies to every line.
- The packing team reconciles SKU quantities and carton IDs against the physical shipment; a mismatch stops document release until corrected.
- The shipping coordinator sends one approved revision to the provider and buyer, with superseded copies clearly withdrawn. Retain any destination-specific additions requested for the actual transaction.
| Field | Completed example or required entry | Cross-check |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice and order | EX-INV-001; 9 November 2026; order EX-001 | Same references on the packing list and shipment file |
| Reason and currency | Sale; USD | Matches the actual transaction and all monetary columns |
| Seller / buyer | Verified legal names and complete addresses from the sales order | Do not replace the buyer with the delivery warehouse merely because it receives the goods |
| Consignee / importer | Actual receiving party and delivery address; importer identified separately if different | Match the written shipping instructions and reviewed importing arrangements |
| Goods subtotal | BR-40: USD 240; FC-20: USD 70; total USD 310 | 100 × 2.40 plus 200 × 0.35 |
| Separately billed charges | Freight USD 65; insurance USD 5; payable USD 380 | Confirm whether each charge is included in, or additional to, the goods price |
| Physical shipment | 300 pieces in 3 cartons | Matches the final carton-level list, not 300 packages |
Sources
This is a planning guide. Requirements vary by service and destination. Confirm cargo acceptance, charges, customs requirements and delivery arrangements with your provider before shipping.
Create your shipment brief