Is a paid invoice the same as a receipt?

Not quite. An invoice asks for payment and a receipt confirms it. Many clients accept the original invoice marked paid. If someone needs a separate receipt, for an expense claim for example, send one that names the invoice number it settles.

Should a paid invoice keep the same invoice number?

Yes. It's the same invoice with the payment recorded. Don't use Duplicate as new here, because that gives it a new number.

How do I show a deposit and the final payment?

On the first copy, put the deposit in Amount already paid so the PDF shows the balance due. When the rest arrives, click Mark as paid and list both payments with their dates in the notes.

Will the PDF say PAID?

Yes. Once nothing is owed, the preview and the PDF show a PAID stamp as a small label under the totals. It’s plain outlined text, not a seal. It never appears while any balance is still owed. You can turn it off with Show PAID label. You can also start your notes with a line like “Paid in full on Sep 20. Thank you.”

When should I mark an invoice as paid?

After the money is in your account. A promise to pay or an uncleared check isn't enough.

Can I make a paid copy of an invoice I made somewhere else?

Yes. Enter the same invoice number, date and line items, then click Mark as paid. Check that the total matches the original to the cent.

Invoice template

Paid Invoice Template

Show a client that an invoice is settled. Record the payment, keep the same invoice number, and download a PDF with Balance due $0.00.

Start with the paid invoice example

Dana Ruiz Copywriting

INVOICE

INV-1042

Bill to

Harbor Lane Dental

Issue date: Sep 2, 2026
Due date: Sep 2, 2026
Invoice #: INV-1042
Currency: USD

Description	Qty	Rate	Amount
Website copy, 5 service pages	5 each	$180.00	$900.00
Revisions after client review	2 hr	$90.00	$180.00

Subtotal$1,080.00

Tax (6%)$64.80

Total$1,144.80

Amount paid−$1,144.80

Balance due$0.00

PAID

Notes

Paid in full. $300.00 deposit received Aug 28 by ACH. $844.80 balance received Sep 20 by card. Thank you.

What a paid invoice is

It’s the same invoice you sent, updated to show the payment and a zero balance. Same number, same line items, same date. The only changes are the amount paid and a note saying when and how the money came in. Keeping the number is what lets you and the client match it later. See invoice numbering for why that matters.

Worked example: deposit first, then paid in full

First copy (Sep 2): total $1,144.80. Enter $300.00 in Amount already paid. The PDF shows Amount paid $300.00 and Balance due $844.80.
The client pays $844.80 on Sep 20.
Paid copy: click Mark as paid. Amount paid becomes $1,144.80 and Balance due becomes $0.00, and a paid stamp appears under the totals: a small outlined PAID label. Change the notes to list both payments with dates. Download again.

The math: 5 pages at $180.00 is $900.00, and 2 hours of revisions at $90.00 is $180.00, so the subtotal is $1,080.00. Tax at 6% adds $64.80, for a total of $1,144.80. For more on deposits and open balances, read how to invoice a deposit and partial payments and balances.

How to finish it

Open the invoice that is still your draft in this browser, or re-enter it with the same number and date.
Click Mark as paid.
Pick the Thank you notes preset, then add a first line like: “Paid in full on Sep 20. Thank you.”
Download the PDF and send it with a short email that names the invoice number.
Don’t use Duplicate as new for this. It gives the invoice a new number.

“Start with the paid invoice example” opens the invoice generator with this invoice filled in and today’s date, so set the date back to your original issue date and swap in your own details. If the invoice was wrong rather than paid, see revising or voiding an invoice.

Still billing the job? The photographer invoice template starts with a deposit already applied, the contractor invoice template splits labor and materials, the tutoring invoice template applies a prepaid amount to a month of lessons, the cleaning invoice template bills a month of weekly visits, the honorarium invoice template bills a guest lecture with travel on its own lines, and the free invoice template starts blank.

Paid invoice or receipt?

An invoice asks for payment. A receipt confirms it. Plenty of small businesses send the invoice marked paid and clients accept it. If a client asks for a separate receipt, send one that names the invoice number it settles. What a client needs for their records can depend on where they are and on their own rules, so ask if you are not sure. For a sitter, a paid babysitting invoice is often the statement a family sends with a dependent care FSA claim. Estimate, quote, invoice, and receipt explains the difference.

When to mark it paid

Only once the money is in your account. Not when the client says it’s on the way, and not when a check arrives but hasn’t cleared. To make that first payment easier, see payment methods to list on invoices.

Free, private, no account

Tiny Utility Lab built FreeInvoicePDF so an invoice never has to leave your device. No signup. The PDF is assembled here with pdf-lib, and nothing is uploaded.

Frequently asked questions

Practical notes on paid invoices in this in-browser tool (not legal or tax advice).

Is a paid invoice the same as a receipt?: Not quite. An invoice asks for payment and a receipt confirms it. Many clients accept the original invoice marked paid. If someone needs a separate receipt, for an expense claim for example, send one that names the invoice number it settles.
Should a paid invoice keep the same invoice number?: Yes. It's the same invoice with the payment recorded. Don't use Duplicate as new here, because that gives it a new number.
How do I show a deposit and the final payment?: On the first copy, put the deposit in Amount already paid so the PDF shows the balance due. When the rest arrives, click Mark as paid and list both payments with their dates in the notes.
Will the PDF say PAID?: Yes. Once nothing is owed, the preview and the PDF show a PAID stamp as a small label under the totals. It’s plain outlined text, not a seal. It never appears while any balance is still owed. You can turn it off with Show PAID label. You can also start your notes with a line like “Paid in full on Sep 20. Thank you.”
When should I mark an invoice as paid?: After the money is in your account. A promise to pay or an uncleared check isn't enough.
Can I make a paid copy of an invoice I made somewhere else?: Yes. Enter the same invoice number, date and line items, then click Mark as paid. Check that the total matches the original to the cent.