A request for an invoice or payment record can arrive while you are waiting for delivery. Before sending documents, connect the notice to the right shipment and establish who is handling the request. Keep one follow-up record when the supplier, courier and clearing agent hold different parts of the information.
Confirm what the notice concerns
Find the shipment reference, the requesting organisation and the reason given. Compare those details with the carrier or agent contact already attached to your shipment. If the notice came through a new contact, use the established contact to confirm where the response belongs.
Ask which document is missing, what question it needs to answer and when the response is due. Record the deadline with its time zone. A vague message such as “send customs documents” needs clarification before you can prepare a useful reply.
SARS publishes notices about goods taken into state warehouses and possible disposal when they remain unentered. Check the position of your shipment with the responsible agent; the weekly unentered-goods notice does not give every document request the same deadline.
Match the evidence to the question
If the request concerns the purchase value, ask whether the agent needs the supplier invoice, proof of payment or an explanation connecting several payments to one order. A bank entry may need an order reference to make its purpose clear.
For a consolidated shipment, keep the supplier order references attached to the relevant invoice and packing details. Ask the agent how to identify a document that covers only part of the cargo. Keep your original records and explain any correction separately, with the supplier's revised document where appropriate.
Confirm the importer arrangement too. SARS distinguishes qualifying personal purchases from goods bought for resale in its personal-import FAQ. If the request raises registration questions, ask the clearing agent which arrangement applies and consult the SARS importer-registration guidance.
Keep a record that another person can follow
The following is a fictional working example. It shows how to record an open request; the references do not identify a real order.
| Field | Illustrative entry |
|---|---|
| Shipment | EXAMPLE-CONS-04 |
| Request | Explain which supplier order matches payment record P-02 |
| Responsible contact | Clearing contact named in the shipment file |
| Evidence prepared | Invoice INV-EXAMPLE-04 and payment-to-order note |
| Deadline | Awaiting written confirmation, including time zone |
| Last action | Documents sent through the confirmed channel |
| Current status | Receipt acknowledged; assessment outcome pending |
| Next action | Ask whether anything further is required |
Assign one person to maintain the record. If a colleague follows up, they should be able to see the latest request and the exact version already submitted. Include the submission time and any response reference so the same documents are not repeatedly sent with different explanations.
Follow the request through to an outcome
After submission, ask for acknowledgement and the next status to expect. Keep a separate entry for a further request, an assessment response and permission to release or deliver the shipment. Sending a document gives you a record of submission; obtain confirmation of the resulting shipment status before arranging collection.
If a charge is mentioned, ask for the charge description, the basis and who will invoice it. Check it against the agreed shipment scope before approving an additional service. For a broader explanation of the records used along the route, see our shipping-documents guide.
For a planned import, prepare a shipment enquiry with the goods, quantity and South African destination. Mention any importer or document requirements you already know. For an existing document request, follow the confirmed contact attached to that shipment.