Glossary
What is a payment receipt?
What a payment receipt is, what it should show, and how one payment settles several invoices.
Updated
In short
A payment receipt acknowledges money received from a customer, with amount, date, method and the invoices it settles. In SimpleERP every recorded customer payment prints as a numbered receipt showing its allocation.
A payment receipt is the document a seller gives a customer to acknowledge money received: who paid, how much, on what date, by what method and against which invoices. For the customer it is proof of payment; for the seller it is the record behind the cash or bank entry. A receipt does not replace the tax invoice; it settles it.
Payment receipt: a worked example
On 28 Sep 2026 Riverside Stores pays Harbour Steel Furniture, a fictional furniture maker, $10,000 by bank transfer. Two invoices are open, the older one first.
| Invoice | Due before | Applied | Still due |
|---|---|---|---|
| INV-2026-0012 | $5,988 | $5,988 | $0 |
| INV-2026-0015 | $6,966 | $4,012 | $2,954 |
| Total | $12,954 | $10,000 | $2,954 |
FAQ
Questions, answered
Is a payment receipt the same as an invoice?
No. The invoice asks for payment and records the sale and the tax. The receipt confirms payment arrived and reduces what the customer owes. One receipt can settle several invoices, and one invoice can be settled by several receipts.
What should a payment receipt show?
Your business name and tax number, a receipt number and date, the customer's name, the amount in figures and words, the payment method and reference such as the transfer or cheque number, and the invoices the money was applied to.
What if a customer pays more than the invoice?
The extra stays as an advance on the customer's account. In SimpleERP it shows as unallocated and you apply it to the next invoice when it is raised, so it is never lost or double counted.
Do I need to issue a receipt for bank transfers?
The bank statement shows the customer that money left their account, not which invoices it paid. A receipt closes that gap and gives both sides the same record when balances are compared at year end.
Related
Keep reading
Payments & receivables
Receipts and payments allocated oldest first, receivables and payables ageing, and statements.
Read morePayment receipt format
A free payment receipt format in Excel, Word and PDF for cash, card, cheque or bank transfer, and how SimpleERP prints one from a recorded payment.
Read moreStatement of account
A dated list of every transaction with one customer or supplier over a period, with a running and closing balance.
Read more
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