An invoice requests payment
An invoice generally says what goods or services were supplied, who should pay, how much is owed and by when. It may be issued before, during or after a project according to the agreement. An unpaid invoice is not proof that a customer settled it.
Example: you deliver a logo design and invoice $500, due in 14 days. Until payment arrives, the account remains outstanding.
A receipt confirms payment
A receipt documents money actually received. It commonly contains the payment date, amount, payer, recipient and method or transaction reference. If a $500 invoice is paid by bank transfer, the receipt can confirm that $500 was received on the transaction date.
If the client makes only a $200 partial payment, your records should show $200 received and $300 remaining rather than suggesting the entire invoice is settled.
Why it matters
Customers use invoices to approve and arrange payments, and receipts to reconcile what they paid. Both may matter for accounting and taxation, but their legal content varies by jurisdiction.
FreelanceKit lets you create both document types without a mandatory login. It never verifies bank transfers or emails a generated document on your behalf.