1. What a digital receipt is
A digital receipt is the same document that would have come out on paper, created in software and sent as a file, usually a PDF, or as a link. The obligations do not change when the medium does.
2. The same details as on paper
What a printed receipt needs, a digital one needs too:
- The business name and dealer or company number.
- Date and a gapless serial number.
- The client's name, as needed.
- What was paid, the amount and the payment method.
- For a licensed dealer: the VAT breakdown.
3. Original and copy
The first document handed to the client is the original. Every further send or print is marked a true copy. When the system does this automatically, you cannot send two "originals" by mistake.
4. Registered software
A computerised document is produced in software registered with the Tax Authority, not in a Word file or a spreadsheet. Ask the vendor for its registration number, and ask your accountant whether they accept documents from it.
5. How to send it
Three common ways, each suited to a different situation:
- Email with the file attached: suits business clients who pass the receipt to their accountant.
- WhatsApp, as a file or a link: the convenient way for private clients, who want the receipt in hand after the visit.
- A download link: suits when you prefer not to send files and the client can download the receipt whenever they need it.
6. How to check a receipt is genuine
A digital document is easy to copy, so it helps when it includes a way to check it. A digital seal and a QR code that lead to a page showing the document was issued by the system and has not changed since make this easy for clients and accountants.
Understand the difference: this is a check that the document is unchanged, not a certified electronic signature in the legal sense.
7. After you press send
Keep a copy of everything issued, and issue a new document rather than editing one already issued. If a receipt was issued by mistake, cancel it with a credit note.
Questions people ask
Can a client insist on a printed receipt?
Yes, so any document should be printable. If an original was already handed over, the printout is marked a copy.
Is it allowed to send the receipt on WhatsApp?
Yes. The receipt is the document and WhatsApp is only the channel; issuing it in registered software is the condition, not the channel.
What about the client's consent to receive messages?
A receipt for a payment made is a service message. Marketing offers are different and need separate consent.
