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Parcel, LTL, truckload, ocean, rail, air freight. ](https://www.lojistic.com/carrier-connectors) - [ Industries Served Retail, eCommerce, 3PL, manufacturing, and more. ](https://www.lojistic.com/industries-served) - [ Roles Most Impacted & How Supply chain & logistics, procurement, finance leaders. ](https://www.lojistic.com/roles-most-impacted) - [ Use Cases How Lojistic helps manage and reduce shipping costs. ](https://www.lojistic.com/use-cases) - Platform Features - [ Global Analytics & Reporting Predictive analytics and scenario modeling for all carriers globally. ](https://www.lojistic.com/shipping-analytics-software) - [ Rate Optimization & RFPs Tech-powered data prep, strategy, and rate impact analyses. ](https://www.lojistic.com/rate-optimization-rfps) - [ Parcel and Freight Audit & Payment *+PAY* Carrier refunds and payments automated and made simple. ](https://www.lojistic.com/freight-audit-and-payment) - [ GL Coding & ERP Sync Automatically code shipping costs down to the order level ](https://www.lojistic.com/gl-coding-erp-sync) - [ Lojistic API & App Integrations Easily integrate normalized shipping data to your business systems. ](https://www.lojistic.com/api-app-integrations) - [Pricing](https://www.lojistic.com/pricing) - [About](https://www.lojistic.com/about) - [Company](https://www.lojistic.com/company) - [Culture](https://www.lojistic.com/culture) - [Careers](https://www.lojistic.com/careers) - [Partner Programs](https://www.lojistic.com/partner-programs) - [Security](https://www.lojistic.com/security) - [Media](https://www.lojistic.com/media) - [Ratings & Review](https://www.lojistic.com/reviews) - [Videos](https://www.lojistic.com/videos) - [Blog](https://www.lojistic.com/blog) - [Contact](https://www.lojistic.com/contact) [Create Free Account](https://app.lojistic.com/demo/connect-carrier?activeStep=create-account&trackDemo=false) [View Demo](https://app.lojistic.com/demo) [ Log In](https://app.lojistic.com/demo/account/login?trackDemo=false) Making Sense of Shipping Reports: Ship Date vs. Invoice Date ============================================================ ![Icon denoting blog author information in Lojistic’s content layout](/images/pages/blog/icon-author.svg)Jared Fisher ![Calendar icon used to display blog post dates on Lojistic’s website](/images/pages/blog/icon-calendar.svg)April 23, 2025 Shipping data can get messy—fast. One shipment can generate multiple charges, which may appear on different invoices issued at different times. And because carriers invoice in different ways, building clean, accurate reports becomes a challenge. Understanding the difference between **Ship Date** and **Invoice Date** is essential for [accurate reporting](https://www.lojistic.com/shipping-analytics-software/shipping-reporting). This article explains the differences, how each date type is used, and when to use them in reporting. Key Difference -------------- - **Ship Date** refers to the date a shipment was physically sent out. - **Invoice Date** refers to the date charges were billed by the carrier, which may occur at the time of delivery, before, or after. Quick Guide ----------- - **Use Ship Date** to analyze shipment activity (e.g., number of packages, service levels, transit times, weights, etc.) - **Use Invoice Date** to analyze charges (e.g., billed amounts, audit results, surcharges, etc.) Why It Matters -------------- Carriers have different invoicing practices. Some invoice after delivery; others invoice earlier and add adjustments later. Because of that, charges for a single shipment might appear across multiple invoices, sometimes on different dates. This creates complexity when organizing reports using **Invoice Date**, especially for shipment-level data. For example, if you tried to filter shipment-level data by invoice date: - Should it include charges related to those shipments even if the charge was from an invoice outside the selected date range? - Should that data be left out completely? - If a shipment appears on more than one invoice, should it show up multiple times? These questions don’t have clear or consistent answers—and that can lead to confusion or inaccurate analysis. For the purpose of understanding shipment-level data, the **Ship Date** is much better. It’s consistent and clear, as every shipment has only one Ship Date. Choosing the Right Lojistic Report ---------------------------------- The [Lojistic platform](https://www.lojistic.com/) solves this problem for you. Our reports and [analytics](https://www.lojistic.com/shipping-analytics-software) are structured in a way that makes your data easy to understand and intuitive to navigate, so you can easily get the answers to your business questions. **Want to understand shipping activity and trends?** Use the [**Shipment Detail** or **Package Detail** report](https://app.lojistic.com/reports/create-report). These reports are based on **Ship Date**. You’ll get clean, complete shipment data with no ambiguity. **Want to understand charges, accruals, or billing timelines?** Use the [**Charge Detail** report](https://app.lojistic.com/reports/create-report). It’s based on the **Invoice Date** and shows exactly what you were charged for, when it was charged, and any adjustments. ### A Common Question We Hear > *“Why can’t the Package Detail report be run by invoice date?”* It’s a great question—and the answer comes down to **data integrity**. Shipment-level reports, like the Package Detail report, are built around shipment data, not billing events. Because shipment charges can span across multiple invoices, running that report by invoice date would create confusion, duplicate entries, or incomplete data. That’s why this report is locked to **Ship Date**—to ensure it stays accurate and meaningful. How This Applies to Lojistic Analytics -------------------------------------- We follow the same logic across the analytics in our platform: **Invoice Date Analytics** ➤ [Audit & Refund Recovery](https://app.lojistic.com/analytics/audit-recovery) ➤ [Cost Reduction Opportunities](https://app.lojistic.com/analytics/cost-reduction-opportunities) ➤ [Surcharge Summary](https://app.lojistic.com/analytics/surcharge-summary) *(All focused on what you were actually billed)* **Ship Date Analytics** ➤ [Shipment Activity](https://app.lojistic.com/analytics/shipment-activity) ➤ [Service Level Usage](https://app.lojistic.com/analytics/service-level-usage) ➤ [Air vs. Ground](https://app.lojistic.com/analytics/air-vs-ground) *(All focused on shipping behavior and trends)* Still Have Questions? --------------------- This can be a tricky concept to wrap your head around—especially when charges don’t always land where or when you expect them to. If you need help making sense of your reports or data, just [reach out](https://www.lojistic.com/contact). **Our data scientists are always here to help.** ![Jared Fisher Headshot](https://www.lojistic.com/assets/public/users/jared.png) Author Jared Fisher Jared Fisher Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer Jared Fisher is the Co-Founder and CRO at Lojistic. Since founding the company in 2005, Jared has helped build Lojistic into a leading shipping intelligence and spend management platform serving thousands of businesses globally across all industries. Prior to Lojistic, Jared worked at Airborne Express (later DHL), where he saw firsthand how carrier pricing structures often obscure true costs and lead to overspending for shippers. That experience shaped his mission to bring greater transparency, control, and efficiency to business shippers. With over two decades at the helm of Lojistic, Jared continues to lead the go-to-market strategy and client success, helping organizations leverage technology and data to reduce shipping costs and improve operational performance. [« Previous Post](/blog/breaking-down-the-new-ups-payment-processing-fee) [Next Post »](/blog/fedex-late-payment-fee-rises) **Lojistic Blog** [Recent Posts](https://www.lojistic.com/blog) | [Categories](https://www.lojistic.com/blog/categories) Why Lojistic ---------------- - [All-Inclusive. Zero Cost. ](https://www.lojistic.com/pricing) - [All Modes. All Carriers. 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