Receipt maker
Free receipt maker for paid invoices, deposits and cash.
Proof they paid, while they are still standing there. Fill in what was paid and for what, and the payment receipt builds itself as you type: items, tax, the method, your logo and a signature. Part payments are handled honestly, with the balance still owed printed on the receipt and a QR code that lets them clear it on the spot.
Print it, save a PDF, download the receipt as an image or paste it into an email or a chat. Free, no signup, and nothing you type leaves your browser.
- Free receipt generator
- Printable receipt or PDF
- Nothing leaves your browser
Changes the starting lines. Everything stays editable.
Printed on the receipt as the method.
A logo and one colour is all a receipt needs to look like it came from a business.
Ties the payment to the invoice it settles.
Sets the symbol, the format and the tax wording.
Leave it at zero if they have paid nothing yet. The balance and a QR to settle it appear on the right.
The code and the link both carry the amount still owed, so there is nothing for them to type.
Use a finger on a phone, or the mouse here.
A photo on a white page works. It is never uploaded anywhere.
What a receipt has to show
A receipt is proof that money arrived. That makes it a different document from an invoice, which is a request for money, and it needs four things an invoice does not.
- The date the payment was received, not the date the work was done or the invoice raised. This is the date that matters for both sides' accounts.
- How it was paid. Card, bank transfer, cash or cheque. It is what lets either party match the receipt to a bank line months later.
- The amount actually received, which is not always the amount invoiced.
- Anything still outstanding. A receipt for a part payment that does not say so reads as settlement in full, and that is an expensive misunderstanding.
Add a receipt number, your business details and what the payment covered, and the document is complete. Everything above is on the receipt this page builds.
Receipt, invoice or proof of payment?
Invoice
Sent before payment. States what is owed, when it is due and how to pay. Creates the debt.
Receipt
Sent after payment. Confirms what arrived, when and by what method. Closes the debt.
Proof of payment
The payer's own evidence: a bank statement or card record. Useful, but it is not a document you issue.
If you need the first of those, the invoice generator writes it, and the quote generator covers the stage before that.
Part payments and deposits
A deposit is the most common reason to issue a receipt, and the most common one to get wrong. Two rules keep it clean.
- State the balance on the receipt itself. Enter the amount received above and the balance appears automatically, with the document marked PART PAID rather than PAID.
- Keep the same reference across all of it. A deposit receipt, a balance receipt and the invoice they relate to should carry numbers anyone can line up in a minute.
How long to keep receipts
In the US the IRS generally expects records to be kept for three years from the filing date, longer in specific circumstances such as unreported income or worthless securities. In the UK it is five years after the January filing deadline for the self-employed, six years for limited companies. Check your own position, and when in doubt keep them longer: storage is cheap and reconstructing a year of receipts is not.
Nothing you type here is stored or uploaded, so save or print the receipt before you close the tab.
Receipt questions, answered
What is the difference between a receipt and an invoice?
An invoice asks for money and creates the debt; a receipt confirms money arrived and closes it. The receipt is the one that needs the date paid and the payment method.
What has to be on a receipt?
Your business name and contact details, a receipt number, the date payment was received, who paid, what it was for, the amount received, the method, and any balance still outstanding.
Do I have to give a receipt?
Rules vary by country and by trade, and a customer paying cash can generally ask for one. Issuing them by default is simpler than deciding case by case, and it settles arguments about whether payment was made.
How do I write a receipt for a deposit?
Show the amount received, mark the document as a part payment, and state the balance still due with the same reference as the invoice. Enter the amount received above and this page does all three.
Can I use a receipt as proof of payment?
It is the seller's confirmation, which is usually what a customer needs. For a payer's own evidence, a bank or card statement carries more weight because it is issued by a third party.
Does a receipt need to show tax?
If you charge tax, show it as its own line with the rate, because your customer may need to reclaim it. Enter a rate above and it appears separately from the subtotal.
How long should I keep copies of receipts?
Three years is the general US expectation and longer in some circumstances; five to six years is typical in the UK. Keeping them longer costs almost nothing and reconstructing them costs a great deal.
Is a handwritten receipt valid?
Generally yes, if it contains the required information. A printed one is easier to read, harder to dispute and quicker to reproduce if it is lost.
Can I number receipts however I like?
Yes, as long as the sequence is consistent and you can find any given one later. Matching the receipt number to the invoice it settles is the easiest scheme to work with.
Is the receipt maker free and private?
Yes. No signup, nothing uploaded, and the receipt is built in your browser and gone when you close the tab, so print or save it before you leave.
Can I make a receipt without a company?
Yes. A receipt records that money changed hands, not that a company exists. Put your own name where the business name goes, add an address people can reach you at, and it does the same job for a private sale, a tutor or a sole trader.
What is a rent receipt and does it need anything extra?
It needs the period the rent covers, the property address and the method of payment, on top of the usual amount, date and names. Landlords in many places have to supply one on request, and for cash rent it is often the only proof the tenant has.
How do I write a receipt for a cash payment?
Exactly as for any other payment, with the method recorded as cash. Cash leaves no bank trail, so the receipt is the only record either side has. Number it, keep your own copy, and both of you sign if the sum is large.
Should a receipt show the payment method?
Yes, and it takes one word. It tells you which card, transfer or cash sale the entry matches when you reconcile later, and it settles arguments about whether a cheque ever cleared.
What is the difference between a receipt and a proof of payment?
The seller issues a receipt confirming they received the money. Proof of payment can come from the payer's side too, such as a bank statement line or a transfer confirmation. For a refund or a warranty claim, the seller's receipt is what is usually asked for.
Can I send a receipt by WhatsApp or text?
Yes. Nothing requires paper. Sending it while you are still standing there is the surest way to get it to the customer, and a copy in their messages is easier to find later than one in a carrier bag.
Do I need to give a receipt for a deposit?
Yes, and it matters more than most. A deposit receipt should say what the deposit is for, what the full price is and what is still owed, so nobody is guessing later about how much of the job is already covered.
What receipt number should I start at?
Anything, as long as it only ever goes up. Starting at 0001 tells everyone this is your first sale, so many people start higher. What matters is that numbers are sequential and never reused.
One job, from quote to cash receipt
Price the job with the quote generator, send it as a link the client can accept, raise the invoice from the same lines, then write the receipt here when the money lands, whether that is a card payment, a bank transfer or cash. If you would rather start from a printable receipt template, there are 102 receipt templates to edit.
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