What is the difference between a Sale, an Invoice and a Receipt?

Three documents in Trabalance record money coming in, and choosing the wrong one is the most common mistake new users make.

A Sale is a cash sale. The customer pays at the point of sale. Nothing is owed afterwards.

An Invoice is a credit sale. You have delivered, the customer pays later, and the invoice records what they owe.

A Receipt is the payment against an invoice. Use it when a customer settles an invoice you raised earlier. A receipt always belongs to an invoice.

The quick test: if they paid on the spot, record a Sale. If they will pay later, raise an Invoice, and record a Receipt when the money arrives.

To create any of them, click + New at the top of the sidebar and choose from the *Get paid* group.

Try it in the live demo: Raise an invoice

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