A delivery receipt is a document signed by the recipient at the point of delivery confirming that a specific consignment has been physically received and that custody of the goods has transferred from the carrier to the recipient.
The signature on the delivery receipt is not a formality. The condition note field — a single line the recipient completes before signing — determines whether a freight claim for damaged or short-delivered goods proceeds directly under CMR or runs into a legal presumption of clean delivery that the recipient must rebut. No other field on the document carries that weight.
The Definition of a Delivery Receipt
A delivery receipt is a document signed by the recipient confirming that a specific consignment was physically received at a recorded date and time, transferring legal custody of the goods from the carrier to the recipient.
The delivery receipt belongs to the recipient's record of the delivery event — it is not the carrier's document and not the sender's.
A proof of delivery is a different document from a different party — it is issued by the carrier as its formal delivery confirmation, built on the signed delivery receipt as its evidential foundation. The distinction determines whose document carries which obligation in a freight dispute: the delivery receipt is the recipient's acknowledgement; the proof of delivery is the carrier's formal record incorporating that acknowledgement into its own documentation.
A delivery note is a different document again. The delivery note is issued by the sender before dispatch, listing the goods included in the shipment for the recipient to check on arrival. The recipient checks the delivery note against the physical consignment before signing the delivery receipt. One describes what was sent; the other confirms what was received. Both are present at the same delivery event but record it from entirely different perspectives and belong to different parties.
The Go Trans logistics glossary covers all shipping document terms used in European cross-border freight — from transport and customs documents through to the receipt documents generated at the point of delivery.
The shipping documents glossary in the Go Trans logistics glossary covers every document in the freight chain, including the external documents from the sender and carrier and the recipient's own acknowledgement records at the point of handover.
What a Delivery Receipt Contains
A delivery receipt contains the recipient's name, signature, delivery date, delivery time, and the consignment reference that links the receipt to the carrier's records and the CMR consignment note for that shipment.
The condition note is the field that separates a routine delivery receipt from a legally significant one. The recipient uses it to record any visible damage, shortage, or discrepancy in the goods before the signature is given. Every other field on the document is factual and fixed at the point of delivery; the condition note is the only field the recipient completes at the moment of handover and the only field that affects the CMR claim position.
Some delivery receipts include a summary of the goods described in the CMR consignment note — product descriptions, quantities, and units — confirming that what was received matches what the carrier was contracted to deliver. The consignment reference on the delivery receipt ties the document to the CMR note, the commercial invoice, and the delivery note for the same shipment in cross-border road freight.
The legal significance of those fields — and the condition note in particular — depends entirely on what happens at the moment of signing.
What Signing a Delivery Receipt Means Under the CMR Convention
Signing a delivery receipt without a condition note entry creates a legal presumption under the CMR Convention that the carrier delivered the goods in good condition. The carrier presents the clean delivery receipt as its primary defence in any subsequent claim for damaged or missing goods — the presumption stands until the claimant provides evidence that the damage predated the delivery event.
CMR Article 30 sets the framework. Damage or shortage visible at the point of delivery must be noted on the consignment note or the delivery receipt before the recipient signs. A recipient who signs without noting visible damage loses the direct claim route for that damage. Non-apparent damage discovered after the goods are unpacked requires written notification to the carrier within 7 days of delivery under CMR Article 30 — the 7-day window is strict and notifications submitted after that point fall outside the CMR reservation period entirely.
A delivery receipt signed with a condition note entry — recording visible damage or shortage before the signature is given — is an annotated delivery receipt. It preserves the recipient's direct claim right without the additional burden of rebutting the clean delivery presumption. The notation must be specific: "3 cartons damaged, contents visible" is a usable claim record; "goods appear damaged" is a vague entry that the carrier's claims team challenges on first review.
A clean delivery receipt — signed without any condition note — is taken as the recipient's confirmation that the goods arrived in the stated quantity and in acceptable condition. The CMR carrier liability framework treats it that way, and the carrier's legal team uses it as the starting point in any disputed claim.
The same legal framework applies to electronic delivery receipts as to paper — the format changes; the rules do not.
Electronic Delivery Receipts
An electronic delivery receipt is a digitally captured recipient signature collected via the carrier's handheld device or mobile app at the point of delivery, replacing the paper document and carrying the same legal weight as a handwritten signature in EU member state jurisdictions.
The recipient signs on the driver's device. The carrier's system records the signature alongside a delivery timestamp, geo-location, and consignment reference simultaneously. The completed electronic delivery receipt is transmitted to the carrier's tracking system in real time and is accessible to the shipper and recipient through the carrier portal within minutes of the delivery event closing.
Under EU Regulation 910/2014 (eIDAS), a verified digital signature carries equivalent evidentiary weight to a handwritten signature across EU member states. An electronic delivery receipt incorporating a verified digital signature is the original delivery confirmation document — not a secondary copy of a paper record.
The condition note function works on the electronic delivery receipt exactly as it does on paper. The recipient records damage or shortage on the driver's device before the digital signature is captured. An annotated electronic delivery receipt carries the same CMR Article 30 claim protection as a paper delivery receipt with the same notation.
All Go Trans carrier partners — DSV, DHL, DPD, UPS, and FedEx — capture electronic delivery receipts as part of their ePOD systems across 29 European countries. Shippers and recipients access their confirmed delivery records through the Go Trans shipment tracking system, where the carrier's ePOD — incorporating the electronic delivery receipt — is available for download after each delivery event completes.
How Long to Retain a Delivery Receipt
Delivery receipts are retained for a minimum of 7 years as part of commercial and accounts payable records under EU VAT Directive requirements across EU member states.
The delivery receipt establishes the date on which the goods transferred from carrier custody to recipient custody — that date is the starting point for the CMR Article 32 standard freight claim limitation period of 1 year from the date of delivery. For claims involving wilful misconduct or gross negligence by the carrier, the CMR limitation period extends to 3 years. A 7-year retention period covers both the VAT audit requirement and the full range of CMR claim scenarios that can arise from the same delivery event.
Get a Freight Quote
Every cross-border road freight consignment arranged through Go Trans across 29 European countries ends with a delivery receipt signed at the recipient's address. To arrange a shipment or confirm documentation requirements before booking, request a shipping quote through Go Trans.