Receipt number. Number every receipt in sequence (for example 001, 002, 003, or 2026-001 if you restart each year) and never reuse a number. If you spoil a form, write "VOID" across it and keep it rather than throwing it away, so the sequence has no unexplained gaps when you match receipts to your takings.
Date. Enter the date you received the payment. If it differs from the date of the sale or the work, mention the sale or work date in the description. Writing the month as a word ("4 March 2026") avoids any doubt between day-first and month-first dates.
Received from. The name of the person or business that paid you, as they would recognise it. If a company pays for an individual's purchase, use the company's name.
What the payment was for. Be specific enough that both sides can match the receipt to the transaction later: "Deposit on order 112, oak dining table" is useful; "goods" is not. On the itemized receipt, give each item its own line.
Amount in words and figures (simple receipt). Write the amount in words on The sum of (in words) line ("One hundred twenty-five and 00/100") and the figure (125.00) on the Amount received line. The two should agree. The written amount is harder to alter than a figure, and it settles any doubt if a handwritten number is hard to read. Draw a line through unused space after the words.
Subtotal, tax and total (itemized receipt). Add up the line amounts for the subtotal. Fill in the tax line only if you charged tax, and enter it as an amount worked out at your own local rate; rules on what is taxable vary by country, state and city. The total is the subtotal plus tax. The amount paid line shows what the customer actually handed over.
Payment method. Cash, check (with the check number), card or bank transfer (with its reference). For cards, write only the last four digits, never the full card number.
Signature (simple receipt). The person who took the money writes their name or business in the Received by box at the top and signs the Received by (signature) line. This matters most for cash, where the receipt may be the payer's only proof that they paid. The itemized receipt has no signature line; if you want one for a cash sale, write it in under the payment method or use the simple receipt.
If only part was paid. Both forms say PAID at the top, which a reader may take to mean paid in full. For a part payment, the partial payment receipt on the Excel receipt template page is the better fit: it shows the agreed total, payments to date and the balance remaining. If you do use one of these forms, enter only the amount actually received and write "part payment" in the description or For line.
