Compliance Guide
How to fill in a packing list so it is not rejected: the fields and the alignment rules
How to fill in a packing list so it is not rejected: the alignment rules for cartons, packages, gross weight, net weight, volume and shipping marks, how each field answers to the commercial invoice, and the packing list problems Indonesia customs returns with the fix for each.
- The required fields, one by one
- Common problems and the fix
- Working rules, reviewed 2026-09-22
Key figures (free to quote)
These are reference values for standard situations (complete documents, no inspection, not in a red-channel period); the carrier's and customs' current announcements prevail. Data reviewed 2026-09-27.
In short
A packing list answers three questions: where the goods are, how many there are, and how heavy they are.
It is what customs relies on to check the physical goods, work out the capacity used, and judge whether the shipment corresponds to the invoice.
The most common mistake is treating cartons and packagesas the same thing. The carton count is the number of outer packages; the package count is the number of inner units.
Both fields are required, and both must reconcile with the quantity basis used on the invoice.
And one working rule: every figure on the packing list should be traceable to a counterpart on the invoice or the bill of lading.
A figure with no counterpart is a figure that will be questioned.
1. The nine fields a packing list must carry
| Field | What to write | What it must match |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice number and date | The same number set as on the commercial invoice | Commercial invoice |
| Consignee | Identical to the consignee on the bill of lading | Bill of lading and invoice |
| Shipping marks | The main mark plus the carton number range | Photographs of the outer cartons and the B/L documents |
| Product description | Same wording and same level of detail as the invoice | Commercial invoice |
| Packages | The total number of outer packages | Package count on the bill of lading |
| Quantity | The quantity in inner units, with the unit | Quantity on the commercial invoice |
| Gross weight (G.W.) | Total weight including packaging, in KGS | Gross weight on the bill of lading |
| Net weight (N.W.) | Net weight excluding packaging | Has to reconcile logically with the gross weight |
| Volume (CBM) | Total volume, to three decimal places | Volume on the bill of lading |
2. Gross weight, net weight and volume: the figures have to reconcile
Net weight must be lower than gross weight, and the gap must be reasonable. A packing list where net weight equals gross weight is visibly a mistake, and a gap that is too large, packaging taking thirty percent of the total for example, has to be explainable as well.
Where one shipment holds several specifications, give weight and volume line by line and add a subtotal at the end.
Giving one grand total with no breakdown means that if the shipment is inspected, everything has to be recalculated on the spot.
State volume in cubic metres (CBM) to three decimal places and keep it consistent throughout. Do not write CBM in one column and cubic metres in another.
For LCL this matters more than anything else: volume is the billing basis for LCL. Under-declare it and you pay the difference later; over-declare it and you have paid for space you never used.
The ratio between weight and volume is a common-sense checkpoint. A density that is plainly implausible raises questions on its own.
3. Matching carton numbers and shipping marks
Write carton numbers as a range, for example 1–40 CTNS, and keep it consistent with photographs of the outer cartons. Which carton it ends at and how many there are in total must not contradict each other.
The product abbreviation, destination and carton range inside the marks must use the same wording as the bill of lading and the invoice. Three-document consistency starts with the marks.
For mixed loading, where one container holds several shipments or one shipment holds several specifications, you must mark by carton number which cartons carry which goods, otherwise there is no way to match them when the container is opened for inspection.
For the full rules on writing marks consistently across the bill of lading and the packing list, see
4. Common packing list problems and how to fix them
| Symptom | Why it gets returned | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Package count differs from the bill of lading | The two documents are one set, so the figures must come from the same source | Take the actual loading result as the truth and amend the bill of lading and the packing list together |
| Only a total carton count, with no carton number range | There is no way to tie it to the physical goods or to locate anything at inspection | Add the carton number range and check it against photographs of the outer cartons |
| Net weight equal to or greater than gross weight | It is a logical error | Weigh again, or check whether the packaging weight was left out |
| Volume units mixed together | The calculation basis is not uniform | Standardise on CBM with three decimal places |
| Quantity unit differs from the invoice, such as carton, piece or set | Pricing and taxation become ambiguous | Standardise on the smallest countable unit and state the packaging relationship |
| Product description at a different level of detail from the invoice | The basis for classification is not the same | Keep whichever version can actually be classified and align both documents on it |
5. When to re-check on site
Before the container is sealed is the last cheap chance to put something right. The packages, carton numbers and gross weight are all still in your hands, so a correction is only a change on paper.
Once the container is opened for inspection, the packing list becomes the reference sheet for counting on the spot. If the figures do not match, the mild outcome is a supplementary explanation and the severe one is a processing cycle stretched out for the whole shipment.
For mixed loading, fragile goods, overweight goods and out-of-gauge cargo, keep photographs or video of the packing process while loading, as supporting evidence for the quantity and the condition.
For the full picture on clearance timings and channel routing, see
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a packing list and a commercial invoice?
The invoice states what the goods are worth; the packing list states where the goods are, how many there are and how heavy they are. The two documents answer different questions, but the figures have to corroborate each other: the quantity and amount on the invoice must reconcile with the packages and weight on the packing list. If either side changes on its own, the other has to be updated with it.
What is the difference between the number of cartons and the number of packages?
The carton count is the number of outer packages, for example 40 CTNS, while the package count is the number of inner units, for example 480 PCS. Both fields are needed and the two must be convertible: how many units go into a carton has to be derivable. With only one of the two numbers written down, an inspection cannot locate any specific carton.
Must the weights on a packing list be exact?
They must match the actual packing result and keep a sensible precision. Net weight has to be lower than gross weight and the difference must be reasonable, and within one shipment the line subtotals should add up to the total. A density that is plainly distorted raises questions on its own. There is no need to chase the last gram, but the figures cannot contradict each other.
How is volume calculated for LCL cargo?
Use the actual space the outer packages occupy, in cubic metres with three decimal places. Volume is the billing basis for LCL, so under-declaring means paying the difference later and over-declaring means paying for space you never used. Measure after packing or calculate from the outer dimensions of the packaging rather than estimating from experience.
Can the shipping marks field on a packing list be left blank?
It is not advisable. The marks are the link between the packing list, the physical goods and the bill of lading, and a blank field cuts that link. At minimum write the main mark, the carton number range and the destination identifier, and keep them consistent with photographs of the outer cartons.
How do I prepare a packing list when one shipment has several specifications?
Give packages, quantity, gross weight, net weight and volume line by line per specification, then add the subtotals and the total. Where cartons are mixed, also mark by carton number which cartons hold which specification, so each carton can be matched when the container is opened for inspection.
Does a packing list need a company stamp?
That depends on what the clearing agent accepts under its current practice, and it can differ from one scenario to the next. Follow the clearing agent's explicit instruction: stamp it where a stamp is required, sign it where a signature is required, and do not assume that because the last shipment did not need one, this one does not either.
If the packing list is corrected, do the other documents have to be corrected too?
Yes, whenever the change touches packages, weight, volume or product description, because those fields are shared with the bill of lading or the invoice. The three documents are one set. Changing one and leaving the other creates an inconsistency on purpose, and you will spend more time explaining it after the cargo arrives.
Data source
This page is a compilation of general working rules for reference only. It is not a customs, legal or price commitment.
Field requirements and declaration practices change with the regulations and with practice. Before actual declaration, the customs broker or PPJK must re-verify each shipment against the current rules in INSW and CEISA 4.0, and the official acceptance result prevails.
Official verification channels: Indonesia Customs (beacukai.go.id), the National Single Window (insw.go.id), and the China International Trade Single Window (singlewindow.cn).
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