Delivery Challan Format — Free Excel, Word & PDF
Fill in the details below and download a GST-compliant delivery challan in Excel, Word or PDF. It prints in triplicate, carries every particular the CGST Rules require, and costs nothing — no signup, no email, no watermark.
In short: a delivery challan format is a document used to move goods when no tax invoice is raised — for job work, stock transfers, goods sent on approval or for repair. It must carry the challan number and date, both parties' details, HSN code, quantity and taxable value, and be prepared in three copies for the consignee, the transporter and the consigner.
Delivery challan generator
Everything runs inside your browser. Nothing is uploaded, nothing is stored, and no account is needed.
The PDF prints all three copies — Original, Duplicate and Triplicate — one per page.
What is a delivery challan?
A delivery challan is a document that accompanies goods in transit when a tax invoice is not issued at the time of removal. It records what is being moved, in what quantity and to whom. It is not proof of sale, it does not transfer ownership, and it does not entitle the recipient to input tax credit.
GST is charged on supply, but a great many goods movements are not supplies. Material sent to a job worker, stock shifted between your own godowns, machinery going out for repair, samples carried to an exhibition — in each case there is no invoice to raise, yet the goods still have to travel lawfully and be accounted for. The delivery challan fills that gap.
Delivery challan format in Excel
Excel is the most requested format, and for a practical reason: quantities and values need arithmetic, and a spreadsheet does it for you. Use the generator above, choose Download Excel, and you get a worksheet with all three copies already laid out — column widths set, borders drawn, totals computed.
If you would rather build one yourself, the sheet needs three blocks:
- A header block — your business name, address and GSTIN, then the challan number and date on the right.
- A parties block — consigner on the left, consignee on the right, each with name, full address and GSTIN where registered.
- A line-item table — serial number, description, HSN code, quantity, unit, taxable value, and tax columns if the movement is a supply. Put a formula in the total row rather than typing the figure, or it will drift the first time someone edits a quantity.
A trap worth knowing. Reusing one Excel file and overwriting the number each time breaks your challan series. The number must be unique and unbroken — if a challan is cancelled, retire that number rather than reissuing it, or your records will show two documents with the same reference.
Delivery challan format in Word
Word suits businesses whose challans are mostly text — a description of goods sent for repair, say, with no pricing to calculate. Choose Download Word above and you get an RTF file that Word, WordPad and LibreOffice all open directly, with the three copies separated by page breaks and ready to print.
Keep the table borders visible. A challan is checked at the roadside by someone reading it quickly, and a borderless table on a creased page is genuinely hard to follow.
Delivery challan format in PDF
PDF is the right choice for sending a challan to a customer or transporter, because the layout cannot shift between their machine and yours. Click Print / Save as PDF and choose "Save as PDF" as the destination — you get all three copies, one per page, at A4.
For a challan that will be signed and carried physically, print rather than save: the transporter's copy has to travel with the goods.
What must a delivery challan contain?
A delivery challan must carry the date and number of the challan; the consigner's name, address and GSTIN; the consignee's name, address and GSTIN or UIN; the HSN code and description of goods; quantity; taxable value; tax rate and amount where the movement is a supply; place of supply for inter-State movement; and a signature.
These particulars are set out in Rule 55 of the CGST Rules, 2017. The challan must also be serially numbered and must not exceed sixteen characters, in one or multiple series.
| # | Particular | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Date and number of the delivery challan | Number must not exceed 16 characters |
| 2 | Name, address and GSTIN of the consigner | Only if registered |
| 3 | Name, address and GSTIN or UIN of the consignee | Only if registered |
| 4 | HSN code and description of goods | Both, not one or the other |
| 5 | Quantity | May be provisional where the exact quantity is not known |
| 6 | Taxable value | Required even when no tax is charged |
| 7 | Tax rate and amount — central, State, integrated tax or cess | Only where the transport is for supply to the consignee |
| 8 | Place of supply | Only for inter-State movement |
| 9 | Signature | Of the consigner or an authorised signatory |
The point most templates get wrong: items 7 and 8 are conditional. Sending material for job work is not a supply to the consignee, so no tax rate or amount belongs on the challan — but the taxable value at item 6 is still mandatory. A challan showing tax on a job-work movement is as incorrect as one that omits the value.
The full rule text and the situations it covers are set out on our delivery challan under GST (Rule 55) page.
How many copies of a delivery challan are needed?
Three, where goods are supplied. The original is marked Original for Consignee, the duplicate Duplicate for Transporter, and the triplicate Triplicate for Consigner.
| Copy | Marking | Who keeps it |
|---|---|---|
| Original | ORIGINAL FOR CONSIGNEE | Travels with the goods, kept by the recipient |
| Duplicate | DUPLICATE FOR TRANSPORTER | Held by the carrier during transit |
| Triplicate | TRIPLICATE FOR CONSIGNER | Retained by the sender for records |
Every format above produces all three, each correctly marked.
Delivery challan format for job work
Job work is the most common reason for issuing a challan, and it has two legs people forget. Goods going out to the job worker travel on your challan. Goods coming back travel on the job worker's challan, referencing yours. If processed goods move on to a third party directly from the job worker's premises, that movement needs its own document too.
Set Reason for transportation to Job work and Tax type to No tax shown in the generator — job work is not a supply to the job worker, so no tax belongs on the document.
Delivery challan and the e-way bill
A delivery challan does not replace an e-way bill. Where goods move on a challan instead of an invoice, the movement still has to be declared under Rule 138 if the consignment value crosses the threshold. The challan is the document the e-way bill refers to.
The order matters: generate the challan first, then raise the e-way bill against it, entering the challan number as the document number and selecting "Delivery Challan" as the document type. Doing it the other way round leaves you amending an e-way bill that already went out.
Delivery challan in Tally and Tally Prime
In Tally Prime a delivery challan is recorded as a Delivery Note voucher (shortcut F8 from the voucher screen, or Alt+F8 in older builds). It records the movement without creating a sales entry, and you convert it to a sales invoice later when the supply actually happens.
Two things catch people out. First, the Delivery Note voucher type has to be enabled under Features → Inventory before it appears. Second, a Delivery Note updates stock but not your books — the accounting entry only arrives when you raise the invoice against it, which is correct behaviour but surprises people reconciling stock to ledger.
If you would rather not run a desktop install, the generator on this page produces the same document in your browser, and Arthlekha keeps the numbering series, the stock movement and the e-way bill together.
Delivery challan vs tax invoice
| Delivery challan | Tax invoice | |
|---|---|---|
| Issued when | Goods move without a supply, or the quantity is not yet known | A taxable supply is made |
| Tax charged | Only where the transport is for supply to the consignee | Always, unless exempt |
| Copies | Triplicate | Triplicate for goods, duplicate for services |
| Input tax credit | Does not support a credit claim | Supports the recipient's credit claim |
| Reported in GSTR-1 | No | Yes |
Where the goods moved for supply but the invoice could not be raised at the time of removal, the supplier must issue the tax invoice after delivery. The challan is a bridge, not a substitute.
Issuing more than a few of these a month?
One challan is easy. Keeping the series unbroken, carrying the value into your stock ledger and raising the matching e-way bill is where it turns into work. Arthlekha issues the challan, posts the stock movement and generates the e-way bill from the same screen.
Frequently asked questions
What is the delivery challan format?
A delivery challan format carries the challan number and date, the consigner's and consignee's name, address and GSTIN, the HSN code and description of goods, quantity, taxable value, tax where applicable, place of supply for inter-State movement, and a signature — printed in triplicate.
Can I download a delivery challan format in Excel?
Yes. Fill in the generator above and click Download Excel. The file opens in Excel or any spreadsheet application, with all three copies laid out and totals already calculated.
What is the format of a delivery challan for job work?
The same particulars, with the reason recorded as job work and no tax shown — job work is not a supply to the job worker. The taxable value of the goods is still stated.
What is the format of a delivery challan in Word?
The same document laid out for printing rather than calculation. Click Download Word above for an RTF file that opens directly in Word, WordPad or LibreOffice.
Is a delivery challan valid without a GSTIN?
Yes. The GSTIN of the consigner and consignee is required only where they are registered. An unregistered party's name and address are enough.
Is tax charged on a delivery challan?
Only where the transportation is for supply to the consignee. For job work, stock transfers and other non-supply movements no tax rate or amount is shown, though the taxable value still is.
Do I need an e-way bill along with the delivery challan?
Where the consignment value crosses the Rule 138 threshold, yes. The delivery challan does not exempt the movement from the e-way bill requirement.
What is the maximum length of a delivery challan number?
Sixteen characters. The challan must be serially numbered, in one or multiple series.
About this page. The requirements summarised here follow Rule 55 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Rules, 2017 as published in the CBIC tax-information repository. It is general guidance, not advice on your specific facts — check the current rule text or ask your chartered accountant before relying on it for a particular consignment.