How do I send a customer proof that an invoice is paid?

The invoice itself is the simplest proof. Once payment is recorded in full, QuickBooks Online marks the form with a PAID stamp, and you can email or print that copy. When the customer wants their full history instead, send a statement, which lists each invoice with the payments applied to it.

Send the paid invoice

A fully paid invoice carries the stamp on both its printed and its emailed form, so no separate document is needed. The emailed copy goes out as a PDF with the mark already in place.

1. Go to Sales, then Invoices, and open the paid invoice.
2. Select Print or preview to see the stamped form.
3. Choose the email option on the same screen to send the copy.

To find paid invoices faster, select the Filter icon on the invoice list and set Status to Paid. A partially paid invoice still shows a balance due, and the stamp appears only once that reaches zero.

Record the payment first

If the customer has paid but the invoice still shows an amount due, enter the payment before sending anything. The stamp will not appear until the balance is zero.

1. Select + New, then Receive payment, or open the invoice and choose Receive payment there.
2. Choose the customer, then place a check next to the invoice being paid.
3. Enter the payment method, the date, and any reference number.
4. Save the payment.

This step applies the money to the open invoice. It records a payment rather than a second sale, so the income is counted once.

Send a statement instead

A statement covers a date range you choose and shows each invoice with the payments applied to it. It suits a customer asking for overall account activity rather than a single form.

1. Go to Sales, then the Customers tab.
2. Place a check next to the customer’s name.
3. Open Batch actions and select Create statement.
4. Under Statement type, choose Balance Forward.
5. Set the statement date and the start and end dates.
6. Select Save and send to email it, or print it from the preview.

Balance Forward opens with any balance carried in from before the start date, then lists new invoices and payments through the end date. Avoid the Open Item type here, because it lists only invoices that still carry a balance.

Why not a sales receipt?

A sales receipt records a sale and its payment on one form. It belongs to sales where money changes hands on the spot and no invoice is ever created.

Creating one after an invoice has been paid counts the income twice, once on the invoice and again on the receipt. The doubling surfaces anywhere income is reported, because both forms post to your income accounts.

For a genuine point of sale, the receipt is the right form and needs no invoice behind it. The problem is only the combination of the two for a single sale.

Choosing the right form

Send the paid invoice when the question concerns one transaction. Send a statement when the customer wants several invoices and payments laid out over a period. Either form shows the payment clearly, and neither one changes your records.