Zippendo

Free tool

Free commercial invoice generator

Create a commercial invoice for customs in minutes, then print it or save it as a PDF. Free, no sign-up, and nothing you type leaves your browser.

Invoice details

With DAP the recipient pays import duties and VAT. With DDP you pay them.

Shipper (exporter)
Consignee
Goods
Line 1
EUR 0.00

Say what the item is and what it is made of, such as “cotton T-shirt”. Customs reject vague words like “clothes” or “gift”.

The 6 to 10 digit customs number for the product. You find it in your country's customs tariff.

Discount and charges

Invoice total: EUR 0.00

Packing

How to use the generator

  1. Fill in the invoice number, the date and, if you have one, the order or PO number.
  2. Add the shipper (exporter) with your VAT or EORI number, and the consignee with their tax or VAT number. If someone other than the consignee imports the goods, add the importer too.
  3. Choose the reason for export, the delivery terms (Incoterms) and the currency. With DAP the receiver pays import duty and VAT. With DDP you pay them.
  4. Add one line per product: quantity, unit, a precise description, the HS code, the country of origin, the net weight and the unit value.
  5. Add any discount, freight, insurance or other charges, the number of packages and the total gross weight.
  6. Sign with your name, check the preview and click Print or save as PDF. To get a PDF, choose "Save as PDF" as the printer.

Send the invoice the way your carrier asks. Bring asks for two copies of its customs invoice with the shipment, while GLS Denmark wants the papers uploaded or emailed, not stuck on the parcel.

When do you need a commercial invoice?

A commercial invoice tells customs what was sold, to whom, for how much and on which delivery terms. You need one in these cases:

  • Express carriers. DHL Express asks for a commercial or proforma invoice on every dutiable shipment, typed rather than handwritten, and fully in English. Express carriers use it instead of a CN22 or CN23.
  • Parcel networks outside the postal system. GLS Denmark asks for an export invoice on parcels to Norway, with the importer's VAT number and the tariff number, origin, value and weight of each line.
  • Postal parcels with goods you sold. The instructions on the UPU's CN23 ask senders to attach an invoice for all commercial items, and Posti asks for as many invoices as the destination country requires.
  • Sales to businesses. When the buyer is a business, the invoice carries its VAT number. In Great Britain, for example, HMRC lets a VAT-registered business buyer account for the VAT itself, and the invoice can say "reverse charge: customer to account for VAT to HMRC".
  • High values. Postal parcels from the EU worth more than EUR 1,000 no longer count as declared for export just by leaving the EU. Ask your carrier how the export declaration is made, and have the invoice ready.

Sending by post with a postal operator? You also need a CN22 or CN23, which our free CN22 and CN23 generator creates. For when each document applies and what goes in every box, read our CN23 guide.

Commercial invoice or proforma invoice?

A proforma invoice is used when nobody pays for the goods, such as a gift, a sample, a repair or a replacement under warranty. It still needs a real value: GLS Denmark asks for the item's cost price and does not accept 0. Some destinations want a commercial invoice even for gifts, so check with your carrier.

The generator titles every document "Commercial invoice" and prints the reason for export you chose, such as Gift or Sample, no commercial value. If your carrier asks for a document titled "Proforma invoice", ask whether this one is accepted.

What you type stays in your browser

Everything you type stays in this browser and is kept there for your next visit. Clear form deletes it. Nothing you type is sent to Zippendo.

The generator fills in the invoice for you, but you are responsible for what you declare. If you are unsure about a rule, check with your carrier or the customs office.

FAQ

Questions about the commercial invoice generator

Yes. It is free, you do not need to sign up, and you can make as many invoices as you like.

The shipper and consignee with their VAT or tax numbers, an invoice number and date, a precise description, HS code, country of origin, quantity, weight and value for each line, the currency, the delivery terms, the reason for export and a signature. Some carriers and destinations ask for more.

A commercial invoice documents a sale. A proforma invoice is for goods nobody pays for, such as gifts, samples or warranty replacements, and it still needs a real value, not 0.

Not for customs. Goods moving between EU countries need no customs declaration. You need one when a shipment leaves the EU customs territory, for example to Norway, the United Kingdom, Switzerland or the United States.

With DAP the receiver pays import duty and VAT on delivery. With DDP you pay them, so the receiver has nothing to pay at the door. Check that your carrier offers the term you choose.

It is saved only in your browser, so the invoice is still there next time. Nothing you type is sent to Zippendo, and Clear form deletes it from your browser.

It depends on the carrier. Bring asks for two copies of its customs invoice with the shipment, and GLS Denmark wants the invoice uploaded or emailed instead of on the parcel. Ask your carrier before you print.