Filling in the receipt template
- Pick the title that fits, the currency the customer paid in, your tax name, your paper and a color. For handwritten receipts, choose Two per page to get two from every sheet.
- In Word or Excel, put your business details over the brackets at the top and the customer under Received from.
- Enter the receipt number, the date the money arrived and how it was paid.
- List what the payment covers, one line each. Excel multiplies quantity by price and adds the tax at the rate you type; leave the rate empty if you charge no tax. A tip belongs on its own line, and the tip calculator works out the amount from a percentage.
- Write your name on the Received by line and sign it, then hand over or send the receipt, best as a PDF exported from your file.
On the printed PDF you tick a box for Cash, Card, Bank transfer, Check or Other. Need the tax part of a price that already includes it? The sales tax calculator and the VAT calculator split a gross amount into net and tax.
Receipt or invoice?
An invoice asks for money that is still owed and names a date to pay by. A receipt comes afterwards and confirms that the money arrived: how much, when, how and for what. That is why this template has Date paid and Total paid where the invoice has a due date and payment details.
If you bill first and get paid later, send the invoice template or a PDF from the invoice generator, and issue a receipt once the payment is in. Write the invoice number in the first item line, for example "Payment for invoice 2027-014", so the two documents point to each other. When the customer pays on the spot, the receipt is often the only document needed.
What the customer needs from it
For a business customer, your receipt becomes part of their bookkeeping. The IRS page on what kind of records to keep says documents for purchases should identify the payee, the amount paid, proof of payment and the date incurred, and should describe the item. The template has a place for each:
| Detail | Where in the template |
|---|---|
| Who was paid | Your business details at the top, and Received by |
| Who paid | Received from |
| Amount paid | Total paid, with subtotal and tax above it |
| How it was paid | Payment method |
| When | Date paid |
| What it was for | The item lines |
If you are registered for VAT or a similar tax, ask your tax office or accountant what your documents must show, and add your registration number under your address if it belongs there.
Deposits and part payments
Turn on Balance due when a customer pays in stages. Describe the payment in the item line, for example "Deposit for kitchen fitting, 30%", so Total paid shows only what you received today. Under Balance due, write what is still open. Give each later payment a new receipt with its own number and the updated balance; the last one shows a balance of zero.
Numbering receipts
Give every receipt a number you never reuse, so you and the customer can refer to one payment without doubt. A letter in front keeps receipt numbers apart from invoice numbers.
| Scheme | Example | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Letter and running number | R-0001, R-0002 | A few receipts a week |
| Letter, year and number | R-2027-031 | Finding a year's receipts quickly |
| Pre-numbered sheets | 101 and 102 on one page | Two per page, numbered by hand before a busy day |
If you write a receipt by mistake, keep it, mark it void and move on to the next number. A gap with no explanation makes your records harder to follow.
Keeping copies
Keep a copy of every receipt you issue. With the Word or Excel file, save each receipt under its number. With the PDF, fill in both halves of a two-per-page sheet with the same details, give one to the customer and file the other.
The same IRS page lists receipt books among the documents that support your gross receipts, and its guide on how long to keep records gives 3 years as the general rule, with longer periods in some cases. In the UK, GOV.UK's page on what records the self-employed keep names sales invoices, till rolls and bank slips among the proof to keep, and the self-employed must keep their records for at least 5 years after the 31 January submission deadline of the relevant tax year.
Frequently asked questions
Is the receipt template free?
Yes, for personal use and for your business, as often as you need it. You do not sign up and there is no watermark. A small line at the bottom names our website; in the Word and Excel files you can remove it.
Which file should I download?
Excel does the arithmetic: enter quantity and price, and the amounts, subtotal, tax and total paid fill in. Word suits a receipt you type in full. The PDF is the one for a pen, with boxes to tick for the payment method, handy at a market stall or when a customer pays in person.
What does Two per page do?
It changes only the PDF: two smaller receipts on one sheet with a dashed line between them, so one printed page gives you two receipts. Word and Excel always hold one receipt per page, because a typed receipt is usually sent or printed on its own.
When do I add the Balance due line?
When the customer paid part of the price, like a deposit or an installment. List what the payment was for, let Total paid show the amount received and write what is still open under Balance due. In the Excel file you type that figure yourself, since the file only knows this payment.
Can I change the payment methods?
In Word and Excel the payment method is a text field, so write whatever applies, for example "Card, last four digits 1234" or "Mobile payment". On the PDF, tick Other and write the method on the line next to it.
Does it match the invoice template?
Yes. Fonts, colors, the header and the items table are the same. Pick the same color, currency and paper on the invoice template and an invoice and the receipt for its payment look like one set.