Invoice vs receipt: one asks for the money, one says you got it

The difference between an invoice and a receipt

An invoice is a request for payment. It goes out when the work is done, or at a point in the job you agreed on, and it says what you did, what it costs and when it's due. Until it's paid, it's an open bill: money the customer owes you.

A receipt is proof of payment. It goes out after the money arrives and says how much was paid, when, and how: cash, check, card or bank. An invoice looks ahead to a payment; a receipt looks back at one. For the customer, the receipt is the paper they keep, for their own records, a landlord, an insurance claim or their taxes.

• Invoice: sent before payment · says what's owed · carries a due date and a way to pay
• Receipt: sent after payment · says what was paid · shows the payment date and method
• An invoice stays open until it's paid; a receipt closes the sale

Invoice vs bill: is there a difference?

Mostly it's the same document seen from two sides. You send an invoice; your customer receives a bill. In everyday talk the words swap all the time, and a customer who says "send me the bill" means your invoice.

Where people do draw a line, "bill" tends to mean a charge due on the spot, like a restaurant check or a utility statement, while "invoice" suggests a business document with a number, terms and a due date. For a one-person trade, call yours an invoice, give it a number, and you've covered both.

What goes on each one

The two share most of their details, which is why a receipt is easiest to make from the invoice it closes. Both carry your business name and contact details, the customer's name, a description of the work and the amounts. What changes is the purpose at the top and the dates. Free starting points for both: the free invoice template and the free receipt template.

• Invoice: an invoice number, the date sent, a due date, the line items, the total due and how to pay
• Receipt: the invoice number it pays, the payment date, the amount received, the method, and any balance left, or PAID IN FULL
• Both: your business name and contact details, the customer's name and address, and what the work was

When to send an invoice and when to send a receipt

Send the invoice the day the job is finished, or at each stage you agreed on for a long job. Invoices sent late get paid late. If the customer pays on the spot in cash, you can go straight to the receipt, but having the invoice behind it means your records show what the money was for.

Send the receipt as soon as the payment lands. Cash and checks need one most, because no bank or card statement shows the customer paid you. A receipt also ends the conversation: nobody gets a reminder about a bill that's already settled. Keep a copy of both; your accountant will want to see what you billed and what you were paid.

Do you need both?

Not every job needs a separate receipt. A customer who pays an invoice online may be happy with the payment confirmation. But anyone can ask for a receipt, and some always will: a landlord passing the cost on to a tenant, a homeowner filing an insurance claim, a small business keeping its own books. Sending one unasked takes a minute and looks professional.

How Workeey handles invoices and receipts

In Workeey the receipt comes from the invoice, so nothing gets typed twice. You email the invoice from the app with a pay link, and once Stripe is connected the client can pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or US bank, with a small processing fee on online payments. When they pay through that link, or your connected bank matches the deposit, the invoice marks itself paid and the receipt is emailed on its own.

For cash or a check, you mark the invoice paid yourself and tap Send receipt in its menu, and Workeey emails the client the receipt. The PAID IN FULL receipt PDF can also be shared straight from your phone, and it leaves your bank and Zelle details off. Invoicing is unlimited on the free plan; see payments and pricing.