What every receipt must include
There is no single worldwide standard for receipts, but there is a common core that auditors, customers and accountants all expect to find. If a receipt is missing one of these, it usually still counts as a record — it just becomes harder to defend when someone questions it a year later.
The six fields that are never optional
Seller name, date, a description of what was sold, the amount, the payment method, and a unique reference. Those six answer every question anyone will ask of the document. Drop the reference number and you cannot find the transaction again; drop the payment method and you cannot prove the money moved rather than being owed. The description is the one people cut corners on, and it is the one an auditor will pick at — 'materials' explains nothing, 'oak veneer, 3 sheets' explains everything.
Tax fields, and why the rate belongs on the page
If tax was charged, the receipt should show the rate, the tax amount and the net figure separately rather than one blended total. A customer claiming the tax back cannot do it from a single number, and neither can you when reconciling. Where the seller is tax-registered, the registration number normally appears in the header — in many countries a receipt without it cannot be used to reclaim tax, no matter how detailed the rest is.
The fields nobody requires but everyone wants
A running item count, so the customer can check nothing was missed. The cashier, till or staff initial, so a query can be traced to a person. A returns or warranty line, because half the reason people keep receipts is to bring something back. And the currency symbol written explicitly — obvious in a shop, essential the moment you sell across a border and '45.00' could be three different amounts.
Frequently asked questions
Does a receipt need a signature?
Almost never for retail. Signatures matter for cash handovers between businesses, deposits, and anything where a specific person is acknowledging receipt of funds. For an over-the-counter sale, the printed record plus the payment trail is stronger evidence than a signature, which is why terminals stopped asking for them.
Do I need a sequential number?
For invoices, usually yes and strictly. For receipts, it varies: many jurisdictions only require uniqueness, not an unbroken sequence. Sequential numbering is still the better habit — a gap in a sequence is a question you can answer, while duplicate numbers are a mess you cannot untangle.
What if the receipt is for a refund?
Show it as a negative amount or clearly label it a credit note, and reference the original receipt number. A refund recorded as a fresh positive transaction is the single most common way a set of books stops balancing.
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