Key takeaways
– A pick list tells you what to collect from the shelves. A packing slip tells the buyer what’s in their parcel. A job sheet guides your team through one order. An invoice is the financial record.
– Batch picking (one list for many orders) saves walking when many orders share products. Order-by-order picking is simpler when every order is different.
– Sort pick lists by shelf location if you have one, otherwise by SKU, so the picker walks the room once.
– Most picking errors are size and variant mix-ups. Clear SKUs, labelled shelves and a check at the packing bench stop most of them.
– Dispatch isn’t done until tracking reaches the marketplace. eBay judges late delivery partly on whether there’s a carrier scan within your dispatch time (eBay).
A pick list in ecommerce is a document listing the products, quantities and shelf locations needed to fulfil one or more orders, so a picker can collect everything in one trip. It is used alongside a packing slip, which goes in the parcel, and a shipping label, which goes on it.
When you sell on eBay, Amazon and your own website, orders arrive in three places and leave from one packing bench. If that bench works from screens, sticky notes and memory, it slows down as soon as volume rises, and mistakes rise with it.
This guide explains each piece of paperwork, when to batch-pick, how to lay out a fast dispatch routine, and how to avoid the errors that cause returns. The running example is a motorcycle gear shop: gloves in six sizes, helmets in five, jackets in three colours. It’s a range where “medium” and “large” look almost identical on the shelf.
What is a pick list?
A pick list is an internal document that tells a picker which products to collect, how many of each, and where they are stored. It can cover a single order or a batch of orders, and it is usually sorted by location or SKU so the picker can collect everything in one efficient route.
A good pick list shows, for each line:
– SKU — your unique product code, including size and colour (see What is an SKU?)
– Product name and variant — “Summer mesh glove, black, L”
– Quantity to pick
– Location — shelf, bay or bin, if you use them
– Order reference(s) — which orders the item is for
ShipBob describes the pick list simply as the document sent to warehouse pickers to fulfil a customer order, listing items with SKU, quantity and location (ShipBob UK). The same idea works whether you have a warehouse or a spare room.
Pick list vs packing slip vs job sheet vs invoice
A pick list is for the picker and is never sent to the buyer. A packing slip goes in the parcel and lists its contents. A job sheet is an internal per-order instruction sheet. An invoice is the financial record of the sale, with prices and any VAT. Each answers a different question for a different reader.
| Document | Who reads it | What it shows | When it’s used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pick list | Picker | SKUs, quantities, locations, order refs | Before packing, to collect stock |
| Packing slip (despatch note) | Buyer, and the packer as a checklist | Items and quantities in this parcel, delivery address, return info | Packed inside the parcel |
| Job sheet | Your team | One order’s items, notes, delivery service and status | Guides an order through the bench, useful for complex or multi-item orders |
| Invoice | Buyer and your accountant | Prices, VAT, totals, invoice number and date | Sent with the order or by email |
| Shipping label | Carrier | Address, service, barcode, tracking | Stuck on the outside of the parcel |
For invoices, GOV.UK lists what they must include: a unique number, your business name and address, the customer’s name and address, a description of what you’re charging for, the supply and invoice dates, the amount, any VAT, and the total (GOV.UK). Many sellers leave prices off the packing slip, which is useful when an order is a gift.
Should you batch pick or pick order by order?
Batch pick when many orders share the same products, because one walk collects stock for all of them. Pick order by order when orders are varied, urgent or high value. Many small sellers do both: a morning batch for common lines and single picks for the odd ones.
| Method | How it works | Best when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order by order (discrete) | One pick list per order | Few orders, every order different, high-value items | More walking per order |
| Batch picking | One consolidated list for many orders, then split at the bench | Many orders share SKUs (e.g. a best-selling glove) | Needs a careful split step so items reach the right parcel |
| Zone picking | Each picker covers one area of the stock room | Several pickers, larger premises | Orders must be combined before packing |
Batch picking reduces back-and-forth movement and suits “a large number of the same orders at once” (ShipBob UK). Brightpearl’s recommended routine prints a batch of packing notes plus one consolidated picking list, and the picker works from the list rather than the individual notes (Brightpearl).
A practical split for a motorcycle gear shop: batch-pick the single-item orders first (one pair of gloves, one neck tube), because they pack fastest. Then pick multi-item and high-value orders individually, with a job sheet each.
How should you sort a pick list?
Sort a pick list by storage location, in the order a picker walks the room, so they never double back. If you don’t use locations, sort by SKU, so all sizes of the same product appear together. Grouping by SKU also makes the size check easier.
- Label your shelves. Even a simple scheme works: aisle letter, bay number, shelf level (A-03-2).
- Store variants side by side, smallest to largest. Gloves S, M, L, XL in that order, every time.
- Put fast sellers near the bench. The products you pick every day shouldn’t be at the back.
- Use SKUs that read like the product.
GLV-MESH-BLK-Lis easier to check than100482. Our SKU guide covers naming. - Keep stock counts honest. A pick list is only as good as the stock behind it. A product that shows in stock but isn’t on the shelf causes a short pick and an oversold order. See how to avoid overselling and our warehouse best practices.
Why do most sellers print 4×6 labels?
4×6 inch (about 102 × 152 mm) labels fit a standard thermal printer, need no ink or toner, and peel straight onto a parcel. Most UK carriers support the size. Printing one label per order in the same sequence as the pick list keeps the bench in step.
A few details that help:
– Royal Mail Click & Drop offers A4, 6×4 and 4×3 formats, and can print the order’s SKUs on a 6×4 label “to aid pick and pack from the label alone”. It can also print a batch in order of SKU, order number or date (Royal Mail help).
– Thermal printers use printer languages such as ZPL, which some carriers supply directly (Zebra).
– Keep the packing slip separate from the label on 4×6 stock, or print it on A4 if it carries returns information the buyer needs.
Which carrier and service goes on each label is a separate decision. Our guide to shipping rules automation covers picking the courier automatically.
Packing bench slowing you down? Stock Konnect brings eBay, Shopify and WooCommerce orders into one list, then prints pick lists (six layouts), packing lists, job sheets, invoices and 4×6 labels from the same screen. Try it free for 30 days.
What does a fast dispatch workflow look like?
A fast dispatch workflow imports every channel’s orders into one list, assigns couriers automatically, prints one batch of pick lists and labels, picks, checks and packs each order, then marks it dispatched so tracking returns to the marketplace. Do it at the same times every day.
- Import orders from every channel into one list, so nothing is missed in a separate tab.
- Assign the courier and service, ideally with shipping rules, and hold back anything unusual for review.
- Print the pick list(s) for the batch, sorted by location or SKU.
- Pick. Batch the common lines; pick high-value and multi-item orders individually.
- Check and pack. Match each item against the packing slip, especially the size and colour. Add the packing slip and any invoice.
- Print and apply the label. Labels printed in the same order as the packing slips make matching quick.
- Mark dispatched and send tracking to the channel. Then manifest for your carrier collection.
Set a cut-off time and stick to it. Orders in by the cut-off go out today; orders after it go in tomorrow’s first batch. On eBay, the dispatch time you state in the listing matters: with tracking, an item is counted late only if it’s delivered after the estimated date and there’s no carrier scan within your dispatch time (eBay seller performance policy). For Top Rated status, the same policy allows a late delivery rate of no more than 5 transactions (or 3% of transactions).
What are the most common picking and packing errors?
The most common errors are picking the wrong size or colour, short picks when stock isn’t where the system says, items swapped between orders in a batch, missing packing slips, and labels stuck on the wrong parcel. Most are prevented by clear SKUs, organised shelves and one check at the packing bench.
| Error | Typical cause | How to prevent it |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong size or colour | Similar-looking variants stored together without labels | Variant in the SKU, labelled shelf edges, size check at packing |
| Short pick | Stock count doesn’t match the shelf | Regular cycle counts; fix stock immediately when found short |
| Items swapped between orders | Batch split done from memory | Split at the bench against packing slips, one tote or tray per order |
| Label on the wrong parcel | Labels printed in a different order from the slips | Print labels and slips in the same sequence; apply each label as you seal |
| Missing paperwork | Slips printed separately and lost | Print slips with the batch; check one slip per parcel before sealing |
| Tracking never uploaded | Dispatch done in the courier’s site, not the channel | Mark dispatched from one system that sends tracking back |
Barcodes help once you’re picking dozens of lines a day. GS1 barcodes on products let you scan instead of reading labels by eye (GS1 UK). Warehouse tools such as Veeqo offer scanner-led digital picking on their paid plans (Veeqo pricing). For a small team, well-sorted printed pick lists plus a careful bench check are often enough.
Pick lists and packing slips in Stock Konnect
Stock Konnect imports eBay, Shopify and WooCommerce orders automatically into one order list, then prints pick lists in six layouts, packing lists, job sheets, invoices and 4×6 labels. Its shipping rules suggest the courier, and dispatch sends tracking back to eBay and Amazon.
Here’s how the order management side fits the workflow above:
- One order list. Orders from eBay, Shopify and WooCommerce import automatically into a single list with New, Pending, In Progress and All tabs.
- Six pick list layouts, so you can choose the one that suits your batch, plus a packages list for the day’s parcels.
- Job sheets for orders that need working through step by step.
- Invoices and 4×6 labels printed from the same screen.
- Suggested courier on every order from the shipping rules engine, across 12 carriers.
- Dispatch wizard and bulk dispatch: choose the courier, book (with customs and dimensions where needed), print the label, and push tracking back to eBay and Amazon.
If you’re weighing up tools more broadly, our order fulfilment software guide explains what to look for.
Start your 30-day free trial — no credit card required.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a pick list and a packing slip?
A pick list is an internal document telling the picker which products, quantities and locations to collect, often for many orders at once. A packing slip goes inside one parcel and tells the buyer what it contains. Pickers use the first; buyers see the second.
Should a packing slip show prices?
It doesn’t have to. Many sellers leave prices off packing slips so gift orders don’t reveal the cost, and send the invoice separately by email. If the buyer needs a VAT invoice, provide one with all the details GOV.UK requires.
What is batch picking?
Batch picking means collecting the products for many orders in one trip using a single consolidated pick list, then splitting them into individual orders at the packing bench. It saves walking when many orders share the same products.
What is a job sheet in ecommerce?
A job sheet is an internal sheet for one order, showing its items, notes, delivery service and status, so anyone on the team can work it through picking, packing and dispatch. It’s most useful for multi-item or high-value orders.
What size are shipping labels for thermal printers?
The most common is 4×6 inches (about 102 × 152 mm), often called 6×4 in the UK. Royal Mail Click & Drop, for example, offers 6×4 and 4×3 formats for thermal or label printers, as well as A4.
How do I reduce picking errors?
Put the size and colour in every SKU, label shelves, store variants in a fixed order, keep stock counts accurate, and check each item against the packing slip before sealing. Print labels in the same order as packing slips to stop labels going on the wrong parcel.
How often should I print pick lists?
Most small sellers print at fixed times, for example once in the morning and once before the courier collection cut-off. Fixed batches are faster than printing per order, and a clear cut-off keeps dispatch promises realistic.
Sources
- ShipBob UK: What is a picking list?
- Brightpearl: Retail best practice: pick, pack, ship
- GOV.UK: Invoices: what they must include
- eBay UK: Seller performance policy
- Royal Mail Click & Drop Help Centre: Choosing your label format
- Zebra: ZPL command information
- GS1 UK: Barcodes
- Veeqo: Pricing