Side by side
- Timing: invoice before payment, receipt after
- Purpose: invoice requests payment, receipt proves it
- Content: invoice has due date and terms, receipt has payment method and date
- Accounting: invoice creates receivables, receipt clears them
When you need both
Any payment that arrives after delivery produces both documents: the invoice at delivery, the receipt when money lands. Landlords, consultants and trades all work this way.
When a receipt alone is enough
Point-of-sale and same-day cash transactions skip the invoice entirely — the receipt is the full record. Register sales, market stalls and walk-in work are the classic cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a receipt be used as an invoice?
No — a receipt issued before payment is misleading. If you need one document for same-day payment, mark it 'PAID' with the payment method; that is what the receipt maker does.
Which one does the tax authority want?
Both matter: sales invoices support your revenue, receipts support expenses. For VAT/sales tax specifically, tax-compliant invoices are usually mandatory for B2B input credit.
Is a bank statement enough as a receipt?
It proves money moved but not what for. Attach or number receipts that map payments to specific invoices.