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Receipt Template

A receipt is proof that you were paid. It is not an invoice: an invoice asks for money and says when it is due, while a receipt confirms that money arrived, how much, how and for what. The seller (or landlord, or charity) issues it, and the payer keeps it for their records, an expense claim or a tax return. Use this template when a client pays in cash, when a customer asks for proof of a bank transfer, when a payment only covers part of an invoice and both sides need the remaining balance in writing, or for a rent or deposit payment. The download is an editable HTML receipt with your business details, the payer, and fields for the receipt number, date received, amount and currency, payment method, transaction reference, what the payment was for, the invoice total, earlier payments and balance remaining, any tax included and who received the money. Fill it in your browser, then print it, sign it if you need to, or save it as PDF.

Preview this editable document

Download the HTML file to edit its fields, then print or save as PDF. Totals are entered manually.

What This Template Includes

  • Receipt number
  • Date the payment was received
  • Received from (name of the payer)
  • Amount received and currency
  • Payment method (cash, check number, card, bank transfer)
  • Transaction or reference number
  • What the payment is for (invoice number, order, rent period or donation)
  • Invoice total, earlier payments and balance remaining
  • Tax included in the amount, if you need to show it
  • Received by: name, title and signature

How to fill in this Receipt

  1. Download the template. It opens as an editable HTML file in your browser.
  2. Replace each bracketed field with your details. Totals are not calculated for you, so check the arithmetic.
  3. Print it or save it as a PDF from your browser. InvoiceQuickly does not create or store this document type.

Payment terms and the receipt

A receipt has no payment terms because the payment has already happened. What it needs instead is a clear link to what was paid: the invoice number, order number or rent period, and whether the payment settles it. If the payment is partial, state the balance still owed and, if useful, when the rest is due under the original invoice. Issue the receipt only after the money has actually arrived. For a check or bank transfer, that means after it has cleared into your account, not when the customer says it was sent, because a receipt for money you have not received is evidence against you if the payment fails.

Tax and the receipt

A receipt confirms a payment; in most places it is not a substitute for a tax invoice where one is required. In the UK, for example, a VAT-registered business supplying standard- or reduced-rated goods or services to another VAT-registered business must issue a VAT invoice, although a simplified VAT invoice is allowed for supplies of £250 or less. If the amount you received includes sales tax or VAT, show how much so the payer can account for it. In the US, the IRS generally expects records supporting income and deductions to be kept for 3 years (longer in some cases, for example 6 years if income was under-reported by more than 25%), and receipts are part of those records. Charities have a specific rule: for a single donation of $250 or more, the donor needs a written acknowledgment from the charity that states the amount of cash (or describes non-cash property without valuing it) and whether any goods or services were given in return, with a good-faith estimate of their value.

Industry context (2026)

Receipts matter most to the person who paid, and the rules about them are scattered across tax and consumer law rather than in one place. In the US, the IRS treats receipts as supporting documents for the income and deductions on a tax return, and its general retention period is 3 years (page reviewed 30 June 2026). Two US rules set specific receipt content. For charitable gifts, the IRS says a donor needs a written acknowledgment for any single contribution of $250 or more, listing the organisation, the cash amount or a description of property, and any goods or services given in return (page reviewed 28 June 2026). For rent in New York, Real Property Law section 235-e requires a receipt with the date, amount, premises and period, and the signature and title of the person receiving it, for payments not made by the tenant's personal check, and for personal checks on written request. Many other states and countries have their own rules for rent, deposits or retail sales, so treat these as examples, not a complete list.

Worked example

Worked example (hypothetical business and figures). Mendez Garden Design invoices a homeowner for a garden installation on INV-0318, dated 1 October 2026, total $2,400.00. The homeowner pays $1,000.00 by check no. 2214 on 3 October, and Mendez issues receipt RCT-0084: received from Alex Morgan, $1,000.00 USD, check no. 2214, First Valley Bank, for INV-0318, invoice total $2,400.00, balance remaining $1,400.00, received by Rosa Mendez, owner. The check clears on 6 October. On 24 October the homeowner sends the rest by bank transfer, reference MORGAN-0318, and Mendez issues RCT-0091 once the money shows in its account: date received 24 October 2026; received from Alex Morgan; amount $1,400.00 USD; method bank transfer, reference MORGAN-0318; for INV-0318 (garden installation, 14 to 18 September); invoice total $2,400.00; earlier payment $1,000.00 on RCT-0084; balance remaining $0.00, paid in full; no sales tax shown because none was charged on the invoice; received by Rosa Mendez, owner. Each receipt ties one payment to one invoice, the two receipts add up to the invoice total, and the homeowner has written proof of exactly what was paid and when, which is what they will need if the work is ever disputed or claimed against insurance.

Common mistakes to avoid

Issuing a receipt before the money clears

A receipt for a check that later bounces, or a transfer that never arrives, is written proof that you were paid. Wait until the funds are in your account.

No link to the invoice

A receipt that says only '$1,400 received' cannot be matched to the work. Quote the invoice, order or rent period it pays.

Leaving out the balance on a part payment

If the receipt does not state what is still owed, the payer may treat it as settlement in full. Show the invoice total, payments so far and the balance.

Using the invoice number as the receipt number

Two documents with the same number confuse both sets of records. Give receipts their own sequence and reference the invoice.

Writing full card or account numbers

Receipts are kept and shared for years. Record the last four digits and a transaction reference, never complete card or bank account numbers.

Invoicing Tips

  • 1Number receipts in their own sequence (RCT-0091) and quote the invoice number they relate to, so a receipt is never mistaken for a second bill.
  • 2Write the amount in figures and, for cash, in words as well ('$1,850.00, one thousand eight hundred fifty dollars'). It makes alteration harder.
  • 3For checks, record the check number and bank; for transfers, the bank reference; for cards, the last four digits only, never the full card number.
  • 4On a partial payment, show the invoice total, every payment so far and the balance left, so the payer and you agree on what is still owed.
  • 5For rent, include the property and the period the payment covers. In New York, a landlord must give a receipt with these details for rent paid in cash or by anything other than the tenant's personal check.
  • 6Keep a copy of every receipt you issue alongside the invoice and the bank record it matches.

Related Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a payment receipt include?

Your business name and contact details, a receipt number, the date the payment was received, who paid, the amount and currency, the payment method and reference, what the payment was for (such as the invoice number), the balance remaining if any, any tax included, and the name or signature of the person who received it.

What is the difference between a receipt and an invoice?

An invoice is issued before payment and asks for it, with a due date. A receipt is issued after payment and confirms it. For a sale paid on the spot, the receipt may be the only document; for work billed on terms, the customer gets an invoice first and a receipt, or a paid invoice, after paying.

Am I legally required to give a receipt?

It depends on where you are and what you sell. There is no single general rule, but specific laws do require receipts in some cases: New York's Real Property Law section 235-e, for example, requires landlords to give a dated, signed receipt for rent paid in cash or by any instrument other than the tenant's personal check. Check the rules for your location and industry.

How long should receipts be kept?

In the US, the IRS's general rule is to keep records for 3 years, with longer periods in some situations, such as 6 years if you under-reported income by more than 25% and 7 years for a bad debt or worthless securities claim. Other countries set their own periods, often longer, so check your tax authority.

What goes on a donation receipt?

For a single US donation of $250 or more, the IRS says the charity's written acknowledgment must include the organisation's name, the amount of any cash, a description (but not the value) of any non-cash gift, and a statement that no goods or services were provided, or a description and good-faith estimate of the value of those that were.

Does InvoiceQuickly create receipts?

Not as a separate document. On every plan you can record full or partial payments against an invoice (bank transfer, card, cash, check or other, with a date and reference) and see the remaining balance. On Pro ($9 a month), once an invoice is paid in full, the client portal shows a 'View receipt' page for it with the invoice total, each payment's date, method and amount, any refunds and the net paid. That page has no receipt number, is not a separate PDF and is not emailed automatically, so for a numbered receipt, or a receipt for money received without an invoice, use this template.