two documents that look similar but serve different purposes. most vendors (Stripe, Cloudflare, PlanetScale) issue both for each payment.
an invoice is a request for payment. it says "here's what you owe." a receipt is confirmation of payment. it says "here's what you paid."
what each contains
invoice:
- invoice number
- date of issue and due date
- vendor name, address, contact
- your name and billing address
- line items with quantities and unit prices
- subtotal, tax breakdown, total amount due
- payment terms
receipt:
- receipt number (plus the original invoice number)
- date paid
- vendor name, address, contact
- your name and billing address
- line items with quantities and unit prices
- subtotal, tax breakdown, total amount paid
- payment method (e.g. "Mastercard ending 8686")
- payment history (when and how each payment was made)
overlap
both contain: vendor info, your billing info, line items, amounts, dates. the receipt is usually a superset of the invoice - it has everything the invoice has plus payment confirmation.
key difference
- invoice: "you owe $25.11" (before or at time of billing)
- receipt: "you paid $25.11 with Mastercard on Nov 30" (after payment)
related
- record keeping guide - what to keep and why
- counterparties - vendor tracking