What Is a Till Receipt?
A till receipt is the printed receipt you get from a cash register at the point of sale. "Till" is the British and Commonwealth word for the cash register (originally the money drawer itself), so a "till receipt" is what Americans usually just call a "receipt" or "register receipt." It's the standard retail proof of purchase — the strip of paper printed the moment you pay, listing what you bought, the total and the payment method.
What a till receipt includes
The same core information as any standard sales receipt:
- Shop name and details — often address, phone, and in the UK/EU a VAT number.
- Date and time of purchase.
- Items with prices (abbreviated to fit the narrow paper).
- Subtotal, VAT/tax, and total.
- Payment method — cash, card (last four digits), with amount tendered and change for cash.
- A transaction or receipt number.
In VAT countries, a till receipt from a VAT-registered shop typically doubles as a simplified VAT receipt, showing the VAT number and rate — enough to reclaim VAT on smaller purchases.
Till receipt vs. invoice
The terms aren't interchangeable:
- Till receipt: issued at the point of sale, *after* payment, as proof you paid. Retail, immediate.
- Invoice: issued *before* payment as a request for it, common in B2B and services (the full distinction).
A till receipt is proof of a completed purchase; an invoice is a bill. Some shops will issue a fuller VAT invoice on request for business customers who need one beyond the standard till receipt.
Why "till"?
The word "till" for a cash register dates back centuries — originally the drawer or box where money was kept. The mechanical cash register (the "till") added the printed receipt, and the name stuck in British English. So "till receipt," "cash register receipt," and "sales receipt" all describe the same everyday document; the term you hear just depends on where you are.
The bottom line
A till receipt is the receipt printed by a cash register — "till" being the British term for the register. It's the ordinary retail proof of purchase, listing items, total and payment, and in VAT countries often serves as a simplified VAT receipt. It differs from an invoice, which requests payment rather than confirming it. Different word, familiar document.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a till receipt?
- The printed receipt from a cash register — 'till' is the British word for the register (originally the money drawer). It's the standard retail proof of purchase, the same document Americans call a register or sales receipt.
- Is a till receipt a VAT receipt?
- In VAT countries, a till receipt from a VAT-registered shop usually doubles as a simplified VAT receipt — showing the VAT number and rate — which is enough to reclaim VAT on smaller purchases.
- What's the difference between a till receipt and an invoice?
- A till receipt is issued after payment as proof you paid; an invoice is issued before payment as a request for it. The receipt confirms a completed sale; the invoice is a bill.
- Why is it called a 'till'?
- 'Till' is a centuries-old word for the drawer or box that held money, which became the name for the cash register in British English. So till receipt, register receipt and sales receipt all mean the same document.