Proof of delivery (POD)
Documentation, usually a signed delivery receipt or carrier record, showing that goods were delivered, when and to whom.
Proof of delivery is the key evidence for contesting shortage and non-delivery claims. Without it, a deduction for missing goods is hard to dispute.
PODs usually sit with carriers, warehouses or logistics systems rather than with finance, so retrieving them is often the slowest part of resolving a dispute.
Related terms
- Invoice disputeA customer's objection to an invoice, for example to its price, quantity, terms or delivery, that holds up payment until it's resolved.
- Invalid deductionA deduction the customer isn't entitled to under the agreement, such as a duplicate claim, an expired discount or a penalty for something that didn't happen.
- Deductions managementValidating, resolving and recovering the amounts customers withhold from payments, from promotional allowances to shortage and damage claims.