What is an ASN (advance shipping notice)?
In logistics, ASN stands for advance shipping notice, also called an advanced shipment notification. It is a message a supplier sends before a delivery, listing what is being shipped, in what quantities and cartons, by which carrier and when it should arrive. The receiving warehouse uses it to plan unloading and to check the delivery against the purchase order.
In networking, ASN means autonomous system number, an identifier for a network on the internet. This page is about the logistics meaning.
How an ASN works in an Indian D2C or omnichannel warehouse
What an ASN contains
- ASN number and the date it was sent
- Supplier, ship-from address and the receiving warehouse
- The purchase order (PO) number it fulfils
- Items: SKU or supplier item code, description and quantity per line
- Packing: number of cartons or pallets, and what is in each
- Batch or lot number and expiry date, where the goods have them
- Carrier, vehicle number, and the expected arrival date and time
Example: an ASN for one delivery. The data is illustrative.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| ASN number | ASN-24-0918 |
| PO number | PO-24-0412 |
| Ship date / expected arrival | 14 Nov, 18:00 / 16 Nov, 10:00 |
| Vehicle | Truck, 32 ft |
| Line 1 | FW-100 Face wash 100 ml, 1,200 units, 20 cartons of 60, batch B2409, exp 08/2027 |
| Line 2 | SR-30 Serum 30 ml, 600 units, 10 cartons of 60, batch S2410, exp 09/2027 |
| Total | 1,800 units, 30 cartons |
How receiving uses it
- Purchase order: the brand orders the goods.
- ASN: the supplier confirms what is actually being sent, which may differ from the PO.
- Gate entry: the truck is matched to the ASN on arrival.
- Count and GRN: cartons and units are counted against the ASN and the PO, and differences are recorded.
- Quality check, then putaway into bin locations, with batch and expiry recorded.
ASN, PO, invoice, e-way bill and GRN compared
| Document | Who issues it | What it says | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase order | The buyer (the brand) | What the brand wants to buy, at what price | Before the supplier ships |
| ASN | The supplier | What is actually on the way, packed how, arriving when | At or before dispatch |
| Tax invoice | The supplier | The sale, with GST details | With the goods |
| E-way bill | The supplier, the recipient or the transporter, on the e-way bill portal | That the goods are moving, where required | Before the movement starts |
| GRN | The receiving warehouse | What actually arrived and was accepted | On receipt |
When the delivery doesn’t match the ASN. Short items, excess items, wrong items and damaged cartons are recorded line by line on the GRN. The brand then decides with the supplier whether to accept, return or claim against each difference.
ASN in EDI. Large retailers and their suppliers often exchange ASNs electronically. In the ANSI X12 EDI standard, the ASN is transaction set 856, “Ship Notice/Manifest”, which X12 says can list the contents of a shipment along with order information, product descriptions, packaging, markings and carrier information.
Common mistakes
- Receiving against the invoice instead of the ASN and PO. The invoice says what was billed, not what is in the truck.
- ASNs without carton detail. Without carton contents, every carton has to be opened and counted.
- No batch or expiry on the ASN for dated goods, so they have to be read off each carton at the dock.
- Accepting an ASN that changes the PO without the buyer’s approval.
- Not recording differences. A short delivery signed off as complete becomes inventory shrinkage later.
Related metrics
- ASN compliance = deliveries that arrived with an ASN ÷ all deliveries. Example: 46 of 50 = 92%.
- ASN match rate = ASN lines received in full and correct ÷ ASN lines. Example: 57 of 60 = 95%.
- Dock-to-stock time = time from unloading to stock in a bin. Example: 4 hours for the 30-carton delivery above.
ASNs in the Indian context
- E-way bills. CBIC’s e-way bill guide says an e-way bill is generated for movement of goods of consignment value more than ₹50,000, whether the movement is a supply or not. A supplier delivery above that value needs one when it moves between states; for movement within a state, some states set a higher limit, so check your state’s rule. The ASN doesn’t replace it.
- Dated goods. Food labels carry a batch or lot number and expiry or use-by dates under the FSS (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 (regulations 5(9) and 5(10)). Asking suppliers to put batch and expiry on the ASN lets receiving check them before putaway.
- Shipping into a marketplace warehouse. Brands also send advance notice as the shipper. Amazon.in’s FBA FAQ asks sellers to list their products and unit quantities in advance, then prepare, label and ship them to Amazon’s fulfilment centre.
How Fretron CommerceOS handles supplier ASNs
In Fretron CommerceOS, a supplier’s ASN is recorded against the purchase order and received into the warehouse.
Questions and answers
- What is the full form of ASN in logistics, and is it the same as EDI 856?
- In logistics, ASN stands for advance shipping notice, sometimes written advanced shipment notification. EDI 856 is one electronic format for it: in the ANSI X12 standard, transaction set 856, "Ship Notice/Manifest", carries an ASN's data. An ASN can also be an email, a spreadsheet or an entry on a buyer's portal. In networking, ASN means autonomous system number, which is unrelated.
- What is an advance shipping notice (ASN)?
- An advance shipping notice is a message from a supplier to the buyer, sent at or before dispatch, saying exactly what is being shipped: items, quantities, cartons, batches, the carrier and the expected arrival time. It lets the receiving warehouse plan labour and dock space and check the delivery quickly against what was ordered.
- What information does an ASN contain?
- An ASN usually contains its own number and date, the supplier and receiving warehouse, the purchase order number, each item with its quantity, the number of cartons or pallets and what is in each, batch or lot and expiry dates where they apply, and the carrier, vehicle and expected arrival. Electronic ASNs carry the same data in a standard format.
- What is the difference between an ASN, a purchase order and an invoice?
- The purchase order comes from the buyer and says what it wants to buy. The ASN comes from the supplier and says what is actually on its way and how it is packed. The tax invoice is the supplier's bill for the sale, with GST details. Receiving checks the goods against the ASN and the PO, not the invoice.
- How is an ASN used at receiving, and how does it relate to the GRN?
- Before the truck arrives, the ASN tells receiving what to expect, so it can plan staff and dock space. On arrival, the team counts cartons and units against the ASN and the purchase order. The goods received note then records what actually arrived and was accepted, including any shortages, extras or damage, and stock is put away from it.
- What happens when the delivery doesn't match the ASN?
- Each difference is recorded on the GRN: short, excess, wrong item or damaged. Short and damaged quantities are usually raised with the supplier as a claim or debit note; excess or wrong items are held for the supplier's decision instead of being put away. Recording differences at the dock keeps them from turning into stock errors later.
- Who sends the ASN, and when?
- The shipper sends it: usually the supplier or the brand's own factory, and the brand itself when it ships stock into a marketplace's or retail buyer's warehouse. It is sent at or just before dispatch, once the goods are packed and the cartons, batches and vehicle are known, so the receiving warehouse has it before the truck arrives.
- Do marketplaces or quick-commerce buyers in India ask brands for an ASN?
- Large buyers usually want advance notice of what is coming. Amazon.in's FBA FAQ, for example, asks sellers to list products and unit quantities in advance before shipping them to its fulfilment centre. Quick-commerce platforms that buy on purchase orders may ask for an ASN or a delivery appointment. Requirements differ by platform and change, so confirm them with each platform's partner team.
Last reviewed: by Fretron.
Sources
- X12 Transaction Sets: 856 Ship Notice/Manifest. X12 (Accredited Standards Committee X12). https://x12.org/products/transaction-sets (undated page; accessed 5 Nov 2026).
- Electronic Way Bill in GST (brochure). CBIC, Directorate General of Taxpayer Services, August 2019, hosted by the GST Council. https://gstcouncil.gov.in/sites/default/files/2024-02/electronic-way-bill-050819.pdf (accessed 5 Nov 2026).
- Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, compendium Version VI (22 Feb 2023), regulations 5(9) and 5(10). FSSAI. https://fssai.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/Comp_Labelling.pdf (accessed 5 Nov 2026).
- Fulfillment by Amazon: Frequently Asked Questions ("How does FBA work?"). Amazon.in. https://sell.amazon.in/shipping-and-fulfillment/fulfillment-by-amazon/fba-faq (undated page; accessed 5 Nov 2026).