A goods received note is the record a shop makes when goods arrive from a supplier: what came, how many, whether it matches the purchase order and what state it is in, signed by the person who delivered and the person who checked. Use it before you pay the supplier and before you add the goods to stock. Download the template below for free, no sign-up.

Download the free goods received note template

Goods received note in Excel (.xlsx): fill in the blue cells; the difference and totals add up by themselves
Goods received note in Word (.docx): edit every field and add your logo
Goods received note PDF to print: print it and fill it in by hand while you check the goods
See a filled-in example: the example uses made-up data

What is a goods received note?

When a shop orders from a supplier, what arrives does not always match the order: something is short, something is extra, or something is damaged. A goods received note records what really arrived, at the moment it arrives. It helps you:

check the delivery against the purchase order before paying
tell the supplier about short, extra or damaged goods at once, with signed proof
add to stock what you really received, not what you ordered
keep it with the purchase order and the supplier's delivery note, so you can trace what came in and when

It is often shortened to GRN. Some businesses call it a goods receipt note or a receiving report.

Goods received note vs delivery note

The two go together, but each side makes its own.

Delivery note: made by the supplier and sent with the goods; it says what was sent. See the free delivery note template.
Goods received note: made by the shop that receives the goods; it says what really arrived, whether it matches the order and in what state.
Purchase order: made by the shop before that; it says what was ordered. See the free purchase order template.

The usual order: the shop sends a purchase order, the supplier sends the goods with a delivery note, the shop checks them and writes a goods received note, then the supplier sends an invoice. The shop matches all three before paying. See the free invoice template.

What a goods received note should include

The receiving shop: shop or company name, receiving address and the warehouse or storage place
The document: GRN number, date received, purchase order number and the supplier's delivery note or tax invoice number
The supplier: name and phone
The items: name, unit, quantity ordered, quantity received, short or over, and condition
The result: all received, part received, or some items returned
Signatures of the person who delivered and the person who checked, with dates

How to receive goods into stock with a GRN

Have the purchase order next to you before opening the boxes.
Count each item and write the quantity received on its line; do not copy the numbers from the delivery note.
Check the condition; if something is damaged, take a photo and write it in the condition column.
Look at the short/over column; if it is not 0, tell the supplier the same day.
Tick the result and have the person who delivered and the person who checked sign.
Add to stock only what was received in good condition, and keep the GRN with the purchase order and the delivery note.

VAT-registered shops need a goods receipt document

In Thailand, a VAT-registered business that sells goods must keep a goods and raw materials report with received, issued and balance columns. Each entry records the quantity really received or issued, is backed by a goods receipt or issue voucher, and is made within 3 working days. A shop that writes a goods received note every time goods arrive has the receiving side of that report covered.

The report and its supporting documents are kept at the place of business for at least 5 years from the filing date or the report date.

Companies and registered partnerships keep their accounts and supporting documents for at least 5 years from the closing date. A document the business makes for its own use counts as one kind of supporting document.

These rules set the form of the stock report, not of the goods received note, so the fields on this template are the ones used in practice to check goods in.

Using it for returned goods

When a customer sends goods back to your shop (damaged, wrong colour or wrong size), the same form works as a returns record: put the customer's name under Received from, the customer's order number instead of the purchase order number, and the reason in the condition column.

If your shop is VAT registered and a customer returns goods because they are defective or not as shown or described, you issue the customer a credit note in the tax month the goods come back. A returns record does not replace the credit note. See Credit Note in Thailand: Free Template.

Source: Revenue Code section 82/10 (Thai)
Source: Revenue Code section 86/10 (Thai)

Goods received note example

This example uses made-up data. A cotton shop receives fabric and supplies from a supplier on purchase order PO-0192.

670 ordered, 668 received: 2 spools of thread are short and the supplier will send them later.
3 tote bags are damaged and go back to the supplier.
The shop ticks part received and some items returned, and waits for an invoice that matches what was really received before paying.

Goods received notes and selling in chat

Take a photo of the signed note and send it to the supplier in the chat you already use, as proof of short or damaged goods.
When a customer returns goods, tell them in the chat how many items arrived and in what state.

FAQ

What is a goods received note called in Thai?

ใบรับสินค้า. The Thai template is on the Thai version of this article.

Do I need a goods received note every time?

A VAT-registered business in Thailand that sells goods needs a goods receipt voucher behind each entry in its stock report. For any other shop it is still the way to match goods against the purchase order before paying, and proof when something is short or damaged.

How long should I keep goods received notes?

If it backs the stock report of a VAT-registered business, at least 5 years. If it is a supporting document in the accounts of a company or registered partnership, at least 5 years from the closing date. The sources are in the section on receiving goods into stock above.

Should the supplier sign the goods received note?

Have the person who delivered sign it too. If goods are short or damaged, it shows that this is how they arrived.

Can I edit the template or add my logo?

Yes. Use, edit and print it for free in your shop.

Summary

A goods received note says what your shop really received against what it ordered, signed by the person who delivered and the person who checked. Use it with the purchase order and the delivery note before paying the supplier. Download the Excel, Word or PDF template above for free.

Goods Received Note (GRN): Free Template + Guide