The invoice date and dealer shipment date are different. Businesses record an invoice date and a shipment date as evidence of purchase or payment. The invoice date shows proof of purchase while the dealer shipment date is the day the item is shipped to the customer. The item could be received the same day or in a number of days or weeks, depending on the agreement between the dealer and customer.

Invoice Date

An invoice date is the date on a bill or record of purchased goods and/or services; it is kept on file as a proof of purchase. When the customer purchases an item or pays a monthly bill for any service, the invoice date will be recorded. The three types of invoices are pro-forma, standard and credit note.

Pro-forma

A pro-forma invoice is used to request a payment in advance.

Standard

A standard invoice is used as a sales receipt by the business owner who sold the items, and by the buyer.

Credit Note

A credit note invoice is used when there is a pricing error or a returned item. The credit will be refunded to the customer or used to pay the next transaction. For example, if an Internet service customer overpays his monthly service fee due to a system error, a correction will be made and the customer will receive a credit note. The customer's credit balance will be used to cover the next month's service charge or the money will be refunded to the customer.

Dealer Shipment Date

The dealer shipment date is the date on which the dealer paid for the shipping and gave the package to the delivery service or post office. The dealer may ship the item to the customer on the date of purchase or on a later day.