What Is a Goods Received Note (GRN)?
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Create Free Delivery NoteA goods received note (GRN) is the record a buyer creates when a delivery arrives, confirming exactly what was received, in what condition, and whether it matches the purchase order and the vendor's delivery note. Unlike a delivery note, which the vendor prepares and sends with the shipment, a GRN is created by you, the buyer, after you've actually opened and checked the boxes. It turns "the delivery note says 20 units shipped" into "we counted 20 units and they arrived undamaged", or flags the difference if they didn't.
Key takeaways
- A GRN is created by the buyer on receiving goods. A delivery note is created by the vendor and travels with the shipment. Different documents, different authors.
- A GRN records what actually arrived and its condition, which can differ from what the delivery note or the original PO says.
- Use a GRN to flag a shortage or damage claim at the point of delivery, before you pay the eventual invoice, not after.
- Not every small business needs a formal GRN. It earns its keep on higher-value deliveries or anywhere goods condition genuinely needs a paper trail.
- A PO, delivery note, and GRN together let you catch a discrepancy at the moment it happened, rather than months later in a dispute over an invoice.
What a GRN Is For
When a delivery arrives, the vendor's delivery note tells you what they say they sent. A GRN is where you record what you actually got: the quantity you counted, the condition it arrived in, and whether it lines up with both the delivery note and the purchase order you originally issued. It's your side of the paper trail, created at the one moment you can still do something about a shortage or damage, before you've signed off and moved the goods into stock.
GRN vs Delivery Note
| Delivery note | Goods received note | |
|---|---|---|
| Created by | The vendor | The buyer |
| Created when | Before or at the point of shipment | On receiving the delivery |
| Confirms | What the vendor says was sent | What actually arrived, and its condition |
| Travels with | The shipment itself | Stays in the buyer's own records |
What Goes on a GRN
- The PO number: the order this delivery is fulfilling.
- The delivery note reference: the vendor's own document for this shipment.
- The date received: when the goods actually arrived, not when they were ordered.
- Items and quantities received: counted on arrival, not copied from the delivery note without checking.
- Condition notes: anything damaged, short, or otherwise not matching what was expected.
- Received-by signature: who on your team checked and accepted the delivery.
When a GRN Is Worth the Extra Step
A quick visual check is enough for a small, low-value order from a supplier you trust. A proper GRN earns its place on larger orders, fragile or high-value goods, or with any vendor where a recurring pattern of small shortages would otherwise go unnoticed. Once you've logged a GRN against the PO, matching it up later against the vendor's invoice takes a glance instead of a memory of what the delivery actually looked like.
Frequently asked questions
Is a goods received note the same as a delivery note?
No. The vendor creates the delivery note and sends it with the shipment. The buyer creates the GRN separately, after inspecting what actually arrived.
Who is responsible for creating a GRN?
The buyer, or whoever on the buyer's team receives and checks the delivery.
Do I need a GRN for every delivery?
Not necessarily. It matters most for larger, higher-value, or fragile deliveries where a discrepancy would be costly to miss.
What happens if the GRN doesn't match the PO or delivery note?
Flag the difference with the vendor before the invoice is paid. A GRN showing a shortage or damage is your evidence for requesting a corrected invoice or a credit note.
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