What Is a Vehicle Receipt?

A vehicle receipt is an official receipt used for any vehicle-related purchase or payment. So whether the payment is a service, sale, or rental, as long as it involves automobiles, then the proof of payment will be covered under a vehicle receipt. And the receipt tackles the essential details from the price, date, serial number, buyer’s details, and many more. Also, vehicle receipts are given only when a buyer has fully paid or paid partially.

It has been reported that a car purchase’s important paperwork consists of the V5C, automobile’s handbook, MOT certificate, buyer’s information, and two copies of vehicle receipts.

Meanwhile, Statista reported that global vehicle sales would only grow up to 70 million vehicles in 2021 due to the downward trend hit by COVID-19.

On another note, USA Today said that a new vehicle’s average price is around $33,560 in 2015.

Why Is a Vehicle Receipt Important?

Vehicle receipts are important as evidence of every car payment or purchase made. Otherwise, some buyers might have no proof that a vehicle is rightfully theirs without seeing their name, the amount paid, and other references in the receipt. Also, vehicle receipts are linked to car selling, meaning every auto seller should prepare such receipts when they transact with a customer. And those receipts are needed now more than ever considering the downward trend caused by COVID-19 to the global car sales expected to reach 70 million vehicles in 2021.

Moreover, vehicle receipts are crucial for the sake that they are legally required. Selling something with a huge amount like a car surely needs a payment receipt or the seller could be seen as an illegal seller. Hence, car sellers will prepare it either way since providing receipts is mandatory. Nonetheless, it will still be fair since not only buyers get to keep the receipts but also the sellers, meaning every party has proof of any transaction involving vehicles.

What Are the Elements of a Vehicle Receipts?

Now that you know about the vehicle receipt’s meaning and importance, proceed to identify its essential elements. It is known that a vehicle receipt consists of seven important elements to complete it. And they are composed of the following:

Title: Always begin the receipt with a proper title and the words ‘vehicle receipt’ should be found there. Also, you can insert a brief introductory statement about the car business or seller’s information to be recognized. That can also be a good marketing technique in case more people would see the receipt’s details or the company’s branding.Type of Vehicle Receipt: Indeed, you are meant to create a vehicle receipt. But you have to be more specific about its type whether it is a sale, rental, or service. Because if you are offering a car rental, then a car rental receipt is more appropriate. More so, you can prepare an auto service receipt if you are planning on offering car-related services. And the most common is the vehicle sale receipt when you are selling vehicles.Serial Number: Any kind of receipt naturally contains a unique identification number or serial number. And it is essential for tracking purposes to make it easier in searching from a range of receipts. And since many receipts are recorded online, the serial number is a useful reference number to search for the appropriate data from a specific receipt. Thus, unique identification numbers are a standard in vehicle receipts as well.Vehicle Information: You cannot forget about the vehicle’s information, particularly when the receipt is for a car purchase or rental. You should provide the complete description of the car from its model, color, year, odometer reading, etc. The same goes for when it was manufactured, when was it last inspected, and about some add-ons. Therefore, you should really know about the ride because even clients will ask for further info about it.Buyer’s Details: Expect to include details that identify the buyer. This section includes the buyer’s name, contact number, email address, physical address, and even the date of purchase. That way, it will be clear who made the transaction. Sellers should also be wary of bogus buyers so it works best to check their IDs for reference if customers have given the correct details regarding their identity or not.Payment Details: The meat of the vehicle receipt would have to be its payment details. Similar to a general payment form, this part covers everything about the payment from the car sale price, total tax, total amount, amount paid, and even the payment method. Precise numbers and data should be written here or there would be conflicts raised eventually. That means you expect to conduct reviews whether the data given here are precise or not.Signatures: To close the vehicle receipt, ensure that the seller and the customer affixed one’s signature in the document. This part serves as the official closing statement that both parties have read, understood, and corrected the details inside the receipt. And each party should really review and check the details in the receipt if there is still time to change some details before actually signing it.

How to Create a Vehicle Receipt

Now for the main meat of the program, are you ready to make your own vehicle receipt? It is actually quite easy, considering that receipts do not need numerous pages. It can just be a single tiny piece of paper but you should be able to provide the important details from such a document. And you can achieve that by following these steps on how to craft your very own vehicle receipt:

Step 1: Download a Sample Vehicle Receipt

Did you assume that you have to create vehicle receipts from scratch? No way. You can simply download from premade samples of vehicle receipts listed on top of this article. Check out each sample and explore which template suits your liking and purpose. The best part is you can freely edit, download, and print each sample anytime. Clearly, you can produce lots of receipts within seconds considering you only need to be concerned about giving the relevant information asked and the finishing touches.

Step 2: Change the Format and Design

Make use of the sample vehicle receipt’s leeway for customization. There is room to alter the format and design of such samples. This part is where you decide the receipt’s size or whether you want the document printed or be given as an email only. And besides the vehicle receipt in PDF version, you may go for the MS Word too. Do not forget to design the receipt by incorporating your business’s branding from its official color scheme, business logo, and more. Creativity is surely welcome.

Step 3: Write the Client’s Identity

Begin recording the client’s identity. Remember that receipts may have similar branding, titles, categories, and multiple choices. However, answers will be different from the buyer’s info, payment details, and signature. That means some parts of the receipt will not be the same for every transaction. So begin asking about the client since their details are needed for the buyer’s data section in the receipt. Don’t forget the receipt’s serial number and date since those will vary from each receipt too.

Step 4: Record Precise Transaction Details

Expect to be very meticulous in writing transaction details. The payment details are the most important section in the receipt anyway. So don’t ever go wrong here. Also, you have to insert all the relevant vehicle receipt parts, as discussed earlier, into your receipt. Those components basically complete the vehicle receipt in the first place. This goes from the vehicle information, amount of payment, payment method, etc. Or perhaps, you indicate if the transaction is for a gift, paid in cash, or still a deposit. And you can add other categories and sections depending on what is relevant for your vehicle receipt.

Step 5: Organize the Vehicle Receipt

Hard-to-read vehicle receipts are as good as invalid receipts. The key for an effective delivery is to ensure you have presented all receipt details in an organized manner. For example, you add a corresponding blank to each item that needs to be filled out. Also, you can provide multiple choices for categories that contain a series of options for answers. Another tip is to be direct because straightforward details not only save space but also lessen confusion on the message you are trying to convey.

Step 6: Keep Receipts for Safekeeping

Once you are confident with the receipt’s content, produce it. Most importantly, always keep extra copies of receipts for safekeeping purposes. You never know a buyer or a seller might lose his or her receipt. At least there is still proof given from the additional copies. And be sure to organize these receipts in a datasheet or software that makes it easier for you to keep huge data safely. Thus, your only goal is to provide correct vehicle receipts per transaction and ensure you have extras for emergencies, particularly when litigation is a concern.

FAQs

What is a vehicle bill of sale?

A vehicle bill of sale is the official purchase agreement or contract between buyers and sellers. And that agreement tackles vehicles alone rather than any form of a bill of sale.

What are some tips to advertise cars?

There are many ideas you can do to advertise cars if you run a vehicle business. And some of which are the following:

  • Put a ‘for sale’ sign to your local shop or establishment that is visible outdoors.
  • Add another ‘for sale’ sign to the vehicle’s windows.
  • Get into auto auction and vehicle-selling websites or social media for online advertising.
  • Consider a local newspaper advertisement, particularly in the classified ads section.

What is the difference between a vehicle receipt and a vehicle invoice?

The difference between a vehicle receipt and a vehicle invoice is the timing of when to give such a document. A vehicle invoice is typically given before any payment for a car is made. Meanwhile, vehicle receipts are given after payment has been made in a car transaction. Nonetheless, they both observe an acknowledgment about a particular car purchase.

What is an odometer disclosure statement?

The odometer disclosure statement is the official statement attached to a car bill of sale during a purchase of vehicles within 16,000 pounds below and under 10 years old. And it is also a concern on some vehicle receipts, particularly on states that require it.

You can easily say that a receipt is unnecessary when you buy a product that costs a dollar or less. But, do you think you can just pay without proof to a new car whose average price is about $33,560? Clearly, you can’t just belittle purchases that cost a lot. And that leads to the importance of a vehicle receipt. Even if it is so small and easy to be torn, it still contains the crucial payment details that buyers and sellers would want to know. Thankfully, you can make as many copies as you want of vehicle receipts from the samples given above. Download now!