How to prepare a packing list for luggage shipping

Start a document or spreadsheet with your name, the shipment reference when available and a date. Number the physical pieces, then use those same identifiers in the list. Keep the courier's shipping labels separate from these working names; Box 1 is a useful inventory reference, but it does not replace a shipping label.

Create a separate section for each piece. If you move a jumper from one suitcase to another while balancing their weights, move its entry too. This small habit prevents a final list that has the right overall contents but assigns them to the wrong bags.

Use recognisable item names and quantities. For example, write three used cotton shirts or one pair of used leather walking boots, if those descriptions are accurate. Broad labels such as miscellaneous belongings give someone reviewing the list very little to work with. Keep books, footwear and clothing in separate entries.

Describe what an item is, what it is made from and what it is used for. Add those details where relevant. Do not invent a material or a country of manufacture: inspect the item label or available records, and ask for guidance when information is missing.

Record whether the items are used or new and keep different conditions in separate entries. Note the currency beside monetary amounts. Make it clear whether a value applies to one item or to the whole line, and check the arithmetic before transferring totals into the booking.

A possession can still have a value when you are not selling it. Use the valuation information requested for your shipment, keep supporting records and ask before entering a token or zero value simply because the item is used. The reason for sending the goods and their declared value are separate pieces of information.

• Package identifier and a clear contents description.
• Quantity, condition and relevant material or manufacturing information.
• Value basis, currency and line total, with supporting records where available.
• Finished package weight and dimensions recorded separately from the contents count.

A personal packing list is a working record, not a replacement for the declarations or documents required for your route. A packing list and a customs invoice have different purposes, but their descriptions and figures should agree. Use your list to check the contents, totals, names and package count before submitting anything.

Describe the actual reason for sending the belongings. If a form asks for country of manufacture, that is not automatically the country where you bought the item or the country you are sending it from. Resolve unclear fields with support rather than copying the same answer into different questions.

Read the finished list with the packages still accessible. Check for anything added at the last minute, compare it with BagBird's prohibited-items policy, and correct the list before sealing. Photograph the contents and retain a dated copy that matches the final shipment.

Keep that copy outside the luggage and share it with the recipient if useful. Follow the shipment instructions for documents that must accompany the package. At delivery, work through the same list to confirm that each piece and its contents have arrived.