# Proof of Delivery Photos: What a Good One Shows (Guide for Couriers and Drivers)

> How to take a proof of delivery photo that settles a 'never arrived' complaint: framing, the details that must be visible, privacy rules, and how to keep a dated record.

*Published: 2026-09-13* · *6 min read*

Canonical URL: https://timestampcamera.net/photo-guides/proof-of-delivery-photos


**Quick answer:** A good proof of delivery photo shows two things in one frame: the package, and something that identifies the address, like the front door with the house number. Place the package first, then step back far enough to get both in. Make sure the photo records the date, time, and location, and keep people and the inside of homes out of it. A close-up of just the box on the ground proves almost nothing.

Every driver has had one: the customer says the package never came. The photo you took at the door is what decides whether that turns into a refund, a redelivery, or a mark against you.

Most proof of delivery photos are taken in a hurry, and most bad ones fail in the same few ways. This guide is about avoiding those.

## What the photo has to prove

A delivery photo answers three questions for whoever looks at it later, whether that is the customer, your dispatcher, or the store:

1. **Was the package delivered?** The package has to be clearly visible.
2. **Was it delivered here?** Something in the frame has to identify the address.
3. **When?** The date and time have to be attached to the photo.

If any one of those is missing, the photo won't settle a complaint.

## Framing: the one-step-back rule

The most common mistake is standing too close. A photo of a box on a doormat could be any doormat. Take one step back, or two, until the frame includes:

- **The package**, clearly visible and not in shadow.
- **The door**, or the gate, the mailbox, or the parcel locker.
- **The house or unit number**, if there's one near the door.

The most common opposite mistake is standing too far away, from the sidewalk, where the package is a small brown shape in the corner. Aim for the package to take up roughly a quarter of the frame, with the door around it.

| Problem | Why it fails | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Only the box | No proof of which address | Step back to include the door and number |
| Taken from the street | Package too small to see | Move closer, package about a quarter of the frame |
| Dark or blurry | Nothing is readable | Turn on the flash or phone light, hold still |
| Wrong door in an apartment building | Proves delivery to the wrong unit | Include the unit number on or next to the door |
| Package in plain view from the street | Invites theft, then a complaint | Place it out of sight first, then photograph |

## Where to put the package

Follow the customer's delivery instructions first. If there are none, choose a spot that is sheltered from rain and not visible from the street, like behind a planter or to the side of the door, and make sure that spot is still in the photo. A package that is photographed on the step and then moved isn't covered by the photo.

## Apartments and buildings

Buildings are where most disputes come from, because every door looks the same. Always get the unit number in the frame. If you leave the package in a mailroom, at a front desk, or in a locker, photograph it there with a sign or locker number visible. If a concierge or neighbor takes it, follow your company's rules for recording that.

## Time and location

Most delivery platforms take the photo inside their own app, which records the time and location automatically. If you work for a platform, use its camera and follow its rules. Many platforms have policies about photos taken outside the app, so check yours before keeping your own copies.

If you're an independent courier, run your own delivery business, or deliver for a local shop, you need to create that record yourself. Your phone stores the date, time, and GPS location in each photo's metadata, but that data is invisible to a customer looking at the photo, and it's often stripped when a photo is sent by text or chat.

A timestamp camera prints the date, time, and street address on the photo itself. The [TimeStamp Camera app](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/timestamp-camera-gps-photo/id6760574630) does this as you shoot, and it can add a line of your own text, like an order number or a route, so the photo explains itself when you send it to a customer. It also works without a signal, and fills in the address once you're back online.

## Privacy: what not to photograph

A delivery photo is about the package and the address, nothing else:

- **No people.** Don't photograph customers, neighbors, or children. If someone opens the door, you don't need them in the shot.
- **No insides of homes.** Don't photograph through an open door or window.
- **No unnecessary personal details.** If your company doesn't require the label to be readable, don't zoom in on the customer's name.

If you share delivery photos outside your company's system, for example to send one to a customer by text, send only the photo of that customer's delivery.

## Keep an organized record

For independent drivers and small delivery businesses, a day's photos are also a record you may need weeks later, when a customer disputes a charge.

- **One folder per day**, named with the date.
- **Keep originals.** Screenshots and forwarded copies lose their metadata.
- **Keep them for a while.** How long depends on your customers and your business, but a dispute can come in weeks after a delivery.

If you drive for work, the same photos can support your mileage records. The [mileage log with photos](/mileage-log-photos) turns dated, GPS-tagged photos into a log of your trips, and the [photo report generator](/photo-report-generator) turns a day of delivery photos into one dated PDF, both in your browser.

## When a customer says it never arrived

1. **Find the photo** for that delivery and check that the date, time, and address match the order.
2. **Send it** to the customer or your dispatcher, with the address and time written in the message.
3. **If the package isn't in the photo spot anymore**, the photo shows it was delivered and where. That turns a "you never came" complaint into a missing package question, which is a different conversation.
4. **If the photo doesn't show the address**, be honest about it. Then fix your framing for next time.

## One habit that fixes most bad photos

Place the package, then take one step back before you shoot. That single step is what turns a photo of a box into a photo of a delivery: the door, the number, and the package, together in one frame. The rest of this guide is detail.