Free receipt maker and generator

How to make a receipt

Billpad works as a receipt maker on the page itself: type onto the receipt above, then download it. No account is needed.

1. Add your business name, contact details and logo at the top. The logo stays in this browser.
2. Under Received from, enter the person or company who paid.
3. Under What was paid for, list the items or services with quantities and prices, and a tax rate if you charged tax.
4. Fill in the Payment date, Paid by (card, cash, bank transfer…) and the Transaction ref.
5. For a part payment, enter the Amount paid. The receipt then shows the balance remaining; leave it empty when the whole total was paid.
6. Download the PDF and give it to your customer. The next receipt continues the RCT- number series; see invoice number formats for keeping separate series.

What to include on a receipt

A receipt is proof that a payment was made. Your customer may need it for expenses, warranty claims or their own tax records, so make it complete.

• A receipt number from its own series (RCT-), and the date the payment was received.
• Your business name and contact details, plus your tax number if you are registered and it is required.
• Who paid: a person or a company.
• What was paid for: items or services, with quantities and prices, and tax if it was charged.
• How it was paid (card, cash, bank transfer) and a transaction or check reference.
• The amount paid, and any balance still owed.

What your customer may need it to show. In the US, the IRS says documents that support a purchase or expense should show the payee, the amount, proof of payment, the date and a description (IRS: What kind of records should I keep). A Billpad receipt has a field for each: your name, the amount paid, the payment method and reference, the payment date and the lines. If your customer is registered for VAT or GST and asks for a tax invoice instead, check what it must show in invoice requirements by country.

Part payments and deposits

If the customer paid only part of the total, such as a deposit, enter that figure under Amount paid. The receipt then shows the total, the amount paid and the balance remaining. When the payment covers the total, the receipt is stamped PAID. A receipt confirms money you already have; to ask for a deposit, send a deposit invoice instead (see deposit invoices and receipts).

Open a deposit receipt with the balance remaining

Worked example: a deposit, then the balance

The sample on this page is a yoga studio’s receipt for a class pack and mat rental, paid by card. Suppose the customer pays a $50 deposit today and the rest next week.

The first receipt shows the total, the $50.00 paid and the $100.00 still owed, with no PAID stamp. When the customer pays the rest, choose New receipt, add one line such as “Balance for class pack, receipt RCT-0311” at $100.00, and leave Amount paid empty or equal to the total. That receipt is stamped PAID. Quote the first receipt’s number in the notes so the two records match.

Receipt vs invoice

An invoice asks for payment. A receipt confirms that payment arrived. If you sent an invoice, quote its number in the reference or notes so both records match. For a price before the work starts, use the estimate generator.

General information, not tax advice. Some places have specific rules for receipts and tax invoices. Check your local requirements.