Free Receipt Generator — Create Professional Payment Receipts Instantly

Receipt vs invoice — what is the difference?

An invoice is a request for payment — it is sent before or alongside a service, shows what is owed, and includes a due date. A receipt is proof of payment — it is issued after payment is received and confirms the transaction is complete. Use an invoice to request payment; use a receipt to confirm it was received.

What information should a receipt include?

A complete receipt includes: merchant name and contact details, receipt number (for your records), date of transaction, itemised list of goods or services, subtotal, tax amount if applicable, total paid, and payment method. For cash transactions in regulated industries, the receipt may need to include additional fields — check your local requirements.

Payment methods on receipts

The payment method field (Cash, Credit Card, Bank Transfer, etc.) is important for accounting purposes — it determines which account the revenue is recorded in. For card payments, you may also want to note the last 4 digits of the card in the notes field.

Receipt numbering for accounting

Use sequential receipt numbers (RCT-001, RCT-002) and keep a corresponding record. Consistent numbering makes it straightforward to reconcile receipts against bank statements and answer customer queries about specific transactions.

Tax on receipts

Enter the applicable tax rate as a percentage. The generator calculates the tax amount from the subtotal and displays it separately — the standard format for VAT, GST, and sales tax receipts. If you charge different tax rates on different items, note the tax-inclusive amounts per item in the description field.

Thermal receipt style

This generator uses a narrow thermal-printer style (380px wide) that mirrors physical point-of-sale receipt paper. This format is ideal for retail, market, and event transactions. For B2B service receipts where a full-page format is expected, use the Invoice Generator instead.