What appears to be an easy to answer question, is not so straightforward as invoices and receipts are often confused. You can remove this confusion by ensuring that your organization uses a receipt book, custom-made for your operation.
What Is an Invoice?
Clarity remains unclear when you consider the different ways that an item can be purchased and paid for. With an online purchase, you usually pay automatically, before the item is sent to you and you will receive confirmation, probably by email, thanking you for the payment.
When you complete a sale in front of a customer, you will issue an invoice when they cannot pay for the item immediately. The invoice provides them with the information about how much to pay, who to make the payment payable to and when it should be paid by.
When your organization presents a receipt book custom-made for your specific purposes, you will issue a receipt for the item, product or service that has just been transacted.
It is easy to remember that an invoice is provided to individuals who owe money, while a receipt is presented to those who have already paid.
The use of a receipt book custom-made and presented to a customer, will provide them with proof that they have paid and a contact point should they have a question or query later. By upgrading your custom-designed receipts, you can include your branding and logo as well as your contact information, helping customers recognize you and your business wherever you operate.
Customers may ask you for an invoice when you have already received their payment and issued a receipt. This is not necessary, but people are easily confused especially when the payment, or lack of it, is out of the ordinary.
You should speak to an experienced company when you require custom receipt books, and they can offer their skills to help you acquire the best receipt books for your needs.
