Shipment Advice Format: What to Send the Buyer After Loading (With Template)
A shipment advice tells your buyer the goods are on their way — and many LCs ask for proof you sent one. Here's what it must contain, a copy-ready format, and how it differs from a pre-shipment advice.
A shipment advice is a short notice the exporter sends the buyer once goods are loaded, giving the vessel or flight, bill of lading or air waybill number and date, ports, ETA, container numbers and the invoice and LC references. It lets the buyer arrange insurance, finance and clearance. Many LCs require a copy of it in the document set.
Why the shipment advice matters
- Insurance — under FOB, FCA or CFR the buyer insures the cargo, and often can't finalise cover without your shipment details.
- LC compliance — field 47A or 46A frequently asks for a copy of the shipment advice, or a beneficiary's certificate that one was sent within a set number of days.
- Clearance planning — the buyer or their broker can prepare the import filing before the cargo arrives.
- Payment — under open account or D/P terms, the advice is often the buyer's cue to arrange funds.
Shipment advice format
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| To / attention | Buyer name and contact (and insurer, if the LC says so) |
| Date of advice | Within the days the LC allows after shipment |
| Order / contract number | PO-2026-0412 |
| LC number and issuing bank | If shipping under a credit |
| Commercial invoice number and date | CI-1087, 03 Oct 2026 |
| Goods description | As on the invoice (and LC field 45A) |
| Quantity and packages | 2,400 pcs in 120 cartons |
| Gross / net weight, volume | 3,180 kg / 2,940 kg, 18.6 CBM |
| Vessel and voyage / flight | Vessel name, voyage no. |
| B/L or AWB number and date | On-board date |
| Port of loading / discharge | As on the transport document |
| Container and seal numbers | One line per container |
| ETD / ETA | Estimated dates |
| Shipping marks | As on the packing list |
| Incoterm | FOB Nhava Sheva (Incoterms 2020) |
| Documents sent | Via bank / courier, tracking number |
Keep it on your letterhead, signed, and send it by email (keep the sent copy — it's your evidence if the LC asks for proof).
Pre-shipment advice vs shipment advice
A pre-shipment advice goes out before loading — usually once the booking is confirmed — with the expected vessel, cut-off and estimated quantities, so the buyer can line up insurance or an inspection. The shipment advice follows after loading with the confirmed figures. If the LC names one specifically, send that one, in the form it describes.
Mistakes to avoid
- Figures that differ from the invoice, packing list or B/L — a bank will compare them.
- Sending later than the LC allows ("within 3 days after shipment").
- Missing the LC number when the credit says every document must show it.
- Sending it only to the buyer when the LC says it must also go to a named insurer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who sends the shipment advice?
The exporter (seller) sends it to the buyer, and sometimes to the buyer's insurer or bank if the LC says so. A forwarder may prepare it on the exporter's behalf.
Is a shipment advice the same as a bill of lading?
No. The bill of lading is the carrier's document. The shipment advice is the seller's notice to the buyer that summarises the B/L, invoice and container details.
When should a shipment advice be sent?
As soon as the transport document is issued — and within the deadline if the LC sets one. Under FOB or CFR, send it immediately so the buyer's insurance attaches from loading.
Every field on a shipment advice already sits on your invoice and packing list. Bilexor keeps those details on one shipment record, so the numbers you send the buyer match the documents the bank will check.
Informational only — not legal, banking, tax, or customs advice. Always verify document and LC requirements with your bank, CHA / customs broker, and buyer before presentation.