upon shipment

USAGE SUMMARY

"upon shipment" is correct and usable in written English.
It is usually used to describe a situation in which something happens after something is shipped. For example: "We will process your refund upon shipment of the product."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Formal & Business

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Eager to get beyond the matter, Ms. Parker agreed to pay the factory 50 percent of its fee — and figure out the rest once she settled with the store that had ordered the dresses (this factory invoiced Bari Jay upon shipment with payment due immediately, an arrangement Ms. Parker said resulted from their previous friendship).

The New York Times

Among other things, he disapproved of Matrixx's habit of shipping products faster than they were selling noting that Matrixx books revenues upon shipment to a customer, notwithstanding that this accounting is legit.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

In the letter she says Our references are Dr. Purpus etc. and Mr. Frantz De Laet who won first prize at at the Du"sseldorf exposition ?upon our shipment of Arizona and Mexican Cacti.

University of California, Berkeley

Sales managers also issued purchase orders, shipped goods to cooperating distributors and booked revenue upon the shipments, when the distributors never intended to pay for the products and returned them for credit several months later, the S.E.C. said.

The New York Times

However, the balance of any unimported authorized quantity of controlled substances on an import permit is void upon entry of a shipment on the issued permit or upon expiration of the unused permit in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section, whichever is sooner.

Cornell University

However, the balance of any unexported authorized quantity of controlled substances on an export permit is void upon release of a shipment on the issued permit or upon expiration of the unused permit in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section, whichever is sooner.

Cornell University

In less serene regions, the scarcity of Coca-Cola was sometimes so acute that upon receiving a trickling shipment a military unit would have the chaplain dole it out, in the hope of avoiding mayhem.

The New Yorker

Samples reached the participating laboratory within 2 days after shipment and upon arrival were stored in liquid nitrogen as agreed by the panel guideline.

Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy

While overall HDD capacity shipments are increasing, the dependence upon the enterprise near line storage market will drive greater quarterly shipment variation, depending upon cloud and other enterprise spending.

Forbes

The assessment of acceptable tip cap movement demonstrated the importance of considering the RNS/tip cone seal design to ensure CCI of the PFS upon post assembly possesses and shipment.

Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Rod explained that every container shipment is screened upon arrival into Australia, and in this case the cigarettes were detected after officials noticed certain "anomalies" with the x-ray image.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "upon shipment" to clearly indicate that an action or event is contingent on the goods being shipped. It adds a formal tone and is suitable for business and legal contexts.

Common error

Avoid using "upon shipment" when you actually mean "on delivery". "Upon shipment" indicates when the item leaves, while "on delivery" signifies when it arrives. For example, say "payment is due "upon delivery"", not "upon shipment" if you mean when the customer receives the goods.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "upon shipment" functions as a prepositional phrase modifying a verb. It indicates the timing of an action or event, specifying that it occurs directly after the shipping process is initiated. Ludwig confirms this usage is grammatically sound.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Academia

28%

Science

24%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Encyclopedias

4%

Wiki

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "upon shipment" is a grammatically correct and frequently used prepositional phrase that signifies an action occurring immediately after goods are dispatched. As indicated by Ludwig, it serves to clarify the timing of events in business, legal, and logistical contexts. While versatile, it's important to distinguish its meaning from "on delivery" to ensure accuracy. The phrase appears most frequently in news, academic, and scientific publications, underscoring its professional and neutral register. Related phrases such as "after shipping" or "once shipped" can offer stylistic alternatives, though "upon shipment" lends a tone of formality and precision.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

when shipped

A simple, direct way to indicate something happens at the time of shipping.

once shipped

Highlights the condition being met once the item is shipped.

after shipping

Specifies an action occurs subsequent to the shipment event.

following shipment

Emphasizes the sequential nature of events after shipping.

on dispatch

Refers to the point when goods are sent out; slightly more concise.

post-shipment

A more concise, hyphenated adjective indicating something happens after shipment.

upon dispatching

Similar to "on dispatch" but uses a gerund, indicating the act of dispatching.

at the time of shipment

More explicitly indicates the precise moment of shipping.

concurrent with shipment

Indicates events happening simultaneously with the shipment.

with the shipment

Implies that something accompanies the shipment.

FAQs

What does "upon shipment" mean?

"Upon shipment" means something will occur immediately after goods have been sent out for delivery.

How can I use "upon shipment" in a sentence?

You might say, "The invoice is generated "upon shipment" of the order" to indicate the invoice is created as soon as the order is dispatched.

What's the difference between "upon shipment" and "upon delivery"?

"Upon shipment" refers to when the goods are sent out, while "upon delivery" indicates when the goods are received by the customer.

Are there more formal alternatives to "upon shipment"?

Yes, you could use phrases like "following dispatch" or "subsequent to shipping" for a more formal tone.