Cash receipt template

An invoice asks to be paid; a receipt proves you were. When a customer pays in cash, the receipt is often the only record either of you has.

Make a cash receipt free →

What a receipt should include

Section	What to put
Title	The word Receipt, clearly
Receipt number	A sequence of its own, e.g. RCPT-0001
Date	The date the money was received
Received from	The name of the person or company who paid
Received by	Your name or business name
What it was for	The goods or service, and the invoice number it pays, if there was one
Amount paid	In figures; for cash, many people also write it in words
Payment method	Cash, bank transfer, card or cheque, with a reference where there is one
Balance	For part-payments, what is still owed

Cash payments

Give the receipt at the moment of payment, not later.
Write the amount in words as well, for example "Two hundred and fifty dollars only". It is much harder to change than figures.
Print it and sign it. A signature is the simplest proof that you received the cash.
Keep your own copy of every receipt, in number order.

Only issue receipts for payments you actually received. A receipt is a financial record, and both you and your customer may rely on it later.

Receipt or invoice?

Send an invoice before payment, to ask for it. Send a receipt after payment, to confirm it. If you are not sure which one you need, read invoice vs receipt.

Example cash receipt

RCPT-0087 — 31 October 2026 — paid in cash

Description	Qty	Rate	Amount
Payment for invoice INV-0412: tutoring, October 2026	1	250.00	250.00
Total received			250.00
Balance remaining			0.00

Notes: "Received with thanks in cash: two hundred and fifty dollars only."

Make a receipt with the generator

Open the generator with Receipt selected. The title changes to RECEIPT and "Bill to" becomes Received from.
Set the date to the day you were paid, and use your own receipt numbers.
Put the payment method, any reference, and the amount in words in the notes.
Click Download PDF, then print and sign it if it is for cash.

Make a receipt free →

Common questions

Do I have to give a receipt?

The rules differ by country and by type of business. Some places require a receipt for every sale, others only when the customer asks. For cash payments, giving a receipt is always good practice.

Can I make a receipt for a part-payment?

Yes. Show the amount you received and the balance still owed. The customer then has proof of what they paid, and you both know what is left.

Does a receipt need a signature?

Printed business receipts usually do not. For cash, a signature is simple, strong proof that the money was received.

Should receipts have their own numbers?

Yes. Use a separate sequence such as RCPT-0001, and mention the invoice number the receipt pays so the two documents link together.