Your business
Receipt
REC-0001
Paid Nov 5, 2026
Bill to
Client name
| Description | Qty | Amount |
|---|
- Subtotal
- $0.00
- Total
- $0.00
- Balance
- $0.00
Free tool
Free receipt generator
Use this free receipt generator to create a PDF receipt in your browser, with tax, discounts, your logo and payment notes. Nothing you type is uploaded.
Updated · By PayToMe Editorial
Everything stays in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and your draft is saved only on this device.
Read the full guide: how to use it, what to include, worked example
A receipt generator turns a payment you have received into a clear PDF the payer can keep. This one is free, runs in your browser and needs no account. Enter who paid, what for and how much, check the live preview and download a Letter or A4 PDF. Nothing is uploaded, and the totals are exact to the smallest unit of the currency you pick.
How to use the receipt generator
- Add your details and the payer’s. Enter your business name and contact details, the payer’s name, and your logo if you want it on the page.
- Number it and date it. Give the receipt its own number and set the date the payment arrived, not the date you are typing it. Choose one of 53 currencies.
- List what was paid for. Add one line per item or service, with a quantity and a unit price. If part of the amount was discounted, use a line discount.
- Set the tax. Enter a rate and mark it inclusive if the amount paid already contained tax, or exclusive if it was added on top.
- Record the payment. In the notes, say how the money was received and add a reference, such as a transfer ID or a check number.
- Download the PDF. Choose Letter or A4. Your draft remains in this browser for the next receipt.
What to include on a receipt
A receipt is proof of payment, so its job is to be unambiguous about what happened. Include:
- Your business name and contact details.
- The payer’s name. A person or company, whichever paid.
- A receipt number, unique and ideally sequential.
- The payment date, and the date of the sale if it differs.
- What was bought, itemized, with quantities and prices.
- Tax shown separately, if any applied.
- The total paid and the currency.
- The payment method and a reference, so it can be matched to a bank or card statement.
- The related invoice number, if the receipt closes one. This is the simplest way to show the invoice is settled.
- A balance line in the notes when a payment was partial, for example “Deposit received, balance due on completion.”
Whether a receipt must carry particular information, such as a tax number, depends on your country and your tax agency’s rules. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Worked example
A photographer receives payment for an event shoot. Six hours of coverage at 150.00, a gallery fee of 75.00 and 6% sales tax on top. The client paid by bank transfer.
REC-0031 · Lumen Photo
| Item | Qty | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Event coverage | 6 | $900.00 |
| Online gallery | 1 | $75.00 |
| Tax (6%) | $58.50 | |
| Total | $1,033.50 | |
Coverage is 6 x 150.00 = 900.00, plus the gallery at 75.00, makes a subtotal of 975.00. Tax at 6% is 58.50, so the total paid is 1,033.50. The notes read: “Paid in full by bank transfer on 2026-10-20, reference 88213. Closes invoice INV-0118.” A client reading this has what they need for their own records, and so do you.
Receipts, currencies and decimals
The generator follows each currency’s own precision. The Japanese yen has no decimals, so 12,500 JPY appears as a whole number. The Kuwaiti dinar has three, so 12.500 KWD keeps all three places. This matters on a receipt because the amount should match what left the payer’s account, to the last digit. If the payment crossed currencies, record the amount in the currency that was actually paid and use the notes for any conversion detail.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Issuing a receipt before the money arrives. A receipt says paid. If the payment later fails, you have a confusing paper trail.
- Using the invoice date instead of the payment date. They are often weeks apart, and accountants care which is which.
- Leaving out the payment method. “Paid” with no method or reference is hard to match to a statement.
- Forgetting the invoice number. Without it, the receipt and the invoice look like unrelated documents.
- Reusing a receipt number. Keep numbers unique, so a missing one is visible.
- Hiding partial payments. State the amount received and the balance outstanding.
Where to go next
If you have not yet billed the client, begin with the invoice generator. For a clear explanation of when each document applies, read invoice vs receipt. To see typical lines for a trade, look at the photography invoice template, and the glossary entry for a sales receipt covers the retail meaning of the term.