Quick steps
- Before payment: send an invoice with a due date and payment details.
- Track it until it is paid.
- After payment: issue a receipt with the payment date, amount and method.
- For on-the-spot sales, you can skip the invoice and give a receipt right away.
Side by side
| Invoice | Receipt | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Requests payment | Confirms payment was received |
| When | Before payment (after or before delivery) | At or after payment |
| Key dates | Issue date and due date | Payment date |
| Shows | Total, amount paid so far, balance due, how to pay | Amount paid, payment method, any balance remaining |
| Used by the client | To approve and schedule payment | As proof of purchase or payment, for expenses and returns |
| Numbering in Invoiceferry | INV-0001… | RCT-0001… |
Do you need both?
For work you bill after delivery — most freelance and B2B work — you send an invoice first, and the bank transfer is often enough proof of payment. Many clients still appreciate a receipt, and some need one for their own expense claims. For immediate sales (shops, market stalls, cash jobs), a receipt alone is normal. Tax-registered businesses may have specific rules about which documents they must issue, so check what applies where you trade.
Turning a paid invoice into a receipt
Open the paid invoice from Your documents and switch the document type to Receipt. The wording changes to “Received from” and “Amount paid”, it gets a receipt number, and a PAID stamp appears. Save it so you keep both documents.
Frequently asked questions
Is an invoice proof of payment?
No. An invoice shows what is owed. A receipt — or a bank record — shows that it was paid.
Can a receipt replace an invoice?
For immediate payments, often yes. For credit sales or business clients who pay later, they will usually need an invoice first.
What is a “paid invoice”?
Some businesses mark an invoice as paid and send it back instead of a separate receipt. It works as a confirmation in many situations, but a receipt with the payment date and method is clearer.
Do receipts need a number?
It is good practice: a unique number makes receipts easy to find and match to payments. Invoiceferry numbers receipts RCT-0001, RCT-0002 and so on.