How to Create a Sales Receipt in QuickBooks Desktop

In QuickBooks Desktop, go to Customers > Enter Sales Receipts, pick your customer, add the items sold, choose the payment method, and save. Use a sales receipt whenever the customer pays you on the spot — no invoice needed.

Here's a question that trips up a lot of QuickBooks beginners: a customer walks in (or orders online), pays you right then and there — do you send them an invoice?

Nope. That's exactly what a sales receipt is for.

Invoices are for "pay me later." Sales receipts are for "paid, done, thank you." Cash sales, card payments at the counter, online orders that are charged immediately — all of these belong on a sales receipt, not an invoice. Get this distinction right and your books stay clean without any extra work. Get it wrong and you'll end up chasing payments that were already made.

Let's walk through creating one, plus the few settings that make sales receipts work the way you want.

Sales receipt vs. invoice — what’s the difference?

Quick version:

• Invoice: You delivered the goods or service, and the customer will pay later. It creates an accounts receivable balance you have to track and collect.
• Sales receipt: Payment happens at the same time as the sale. No receivable, nothing to chase. The money is already yours.

Rule of thumb: if money changed hands during the sale, use a sales receipt. If you're waiting on payment, use an invoice.

Before you start: two settings worth checking

1. Where should the money go?

When you save a sales receipt, QuickBooks needs to know where to put the payment. You have two choices:

• Undeposited Funds (recommended for most businesses): The payment sits here until you bundle it into a bank deposit. This matches how banks actually work — you rarely deposit each sale individually.
• Directly to your bank account: The payment goes straight into your checking account register.

You pick this on each sales receipt in the Deposit To field. If you're not sure, choose Undeposited Funds — you can always make the bank deposit later under Banking > Make Deposits.

2. Do you have your items set up?

Sales receipts pull from your Item List (products, services, etc.). If you haven't set up your items yet, the receipt won't have much to sell. Get your items in order first — it'll save you from stopping mid-receipt.

How to create a sales receipt, step by step

Step 1: Open the sales receipt window

• Go to the Customers menu at the top.
• Click Enter Sales Receipts.
• A blank sales receipt opens — this is your starting point.

Step 2: Pick your customer

• In the Customer:Job dropdown, select who bought from you.
• New customer? Click Add New right there in the dropdown and fill in their details. Takes ten seconds.
• For walk-in cash customers you don't want to track individually, many businesses create a generic "Cash Sale" customer. Totally fine.

Step 3: Fill in the basics

• Date: Defaults to today. Change it if the sale happened on a different day.
• Sale No.: QuickBooks numbers these automatically. Leave it unless you have your own numbering system.
• Payment method: Cash, Check, Visa, Mastercard — pick what the customer actually used. This matters for your records (and for reconciling later).

Step 4: Add what they bought

• In the line-item area, select the Item from the dropdown for each thing sold.
• Enter the quantity. QuickBooks fills in the description and rate from your Item List.
• Adjust the rate if you gave a discount on this particular sale.
• Add as many lines as you need — products, services, whatever was part of the sale.

Step 5: Choose where the money goes

• In the Deposit To field, select Undeposited Funds or your bank account (see the note above if you're unsure).
• Double-check the total at the bottom. Does it match what the customer actually paid?

Step 6: Save it

• Click Save & Close if you're done, or Save & New if you've got another sale to enter.
• That's it. The sale is recorded, the payment is logged, and your income is up to date.

What to do after saving

A sales receipt isn't always the end of the story:

• If you used Undeposited Funds: Don't forget to actually deposit the money. Go to Banking > Make Deposits, select the payments, and record the deposit. Otherwise your bank register won't match reality.
• Printing or emailing: Click Print or the email option at the top of the saved receipt if the customer wants a copy.
• Refunds happen: If the customer returns the item later, you'll handle it with a credit memo or refund receipt — don't just delete the sales receipt, or your records won't add up.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using an invoice for a cash sale. Then QuickBooks thinks the customer still owes you money, and your receivables are overstated. If they already paid, it's a sales receipt. Every time.
• Forgetting the bank deposit. Undeposited Funds is a waiting room, not a final destination. Money sitting there forever means your bank balance in QuickBooks never matches the real one.
• Deleting a sales receipt to fix a mistake. Instead, void it or create a correcting entry. Deletions leave no audit trail; voids do.

Conclusion!

That brings us to the end of this guide on creating a sales receipt in QuickBooks Desktop. We hope the steps explained above helped you record cash sales the right way and keep your books tidy. If you run into any difficulty while following the steps, consider consulting a qualified and experienced QuickBooks professional for further assistance.

Conclusion!

That brings us to the end of this guide on creating a sales receipt in QuickBooks Desktop. We hope the steps explained above helped you record cash sales the right way and keep your books tidy. If you run into any difficulty while following the steps, consider consulting a qualified and experienced QuickBooks professional for further assistance.

FAQs

You may also like:

credit memo in QuickBooks Desktop

customize invoices in QuickBooks Desktop

create an invoice in QuickBooks desktop

give your customer a credit or refund