If you have Issue payment receipts turned on and you're a registered business (non-VAT in the EU), you can choose which type of document to issue for your clients — a receipt or an invoice. This article explains the differences and helps you decide. It's about documents you issue to your clients for their orders, not the invoices Zenamu issues to you for your plan (see Where Do I Find My Zenamu Invoice?).
Receipt
A receipt is a simple proof of payment. It includes your studio's details, a description of the order, and the amount paid.
Client billing information is not required — it doesn't appear on the receipt.
A good fit for studios that don't need full invoices.
Available on all plans that support document issuing (every plan except Free and Lite).
Invoice
An invoice is a full document with billing details for both sides — your studio and the client.
Client billing information is required on every order. The client fills it in during the purchase or booking.
Available only on the Expert, Ultimate, and Trial plans.
Tip: For more on how the system handles client billing information, see Client billing information — complete guide.
Who can choose?
The document type option appears only when all of these conditions are met:
You have Issue payment receipts turned on.
You are not VAT-registered (I'm a VAT payer isn't ticked in your Billing details).
You are registered as a business with a company ID (I'm a business is ticked and the company ID is filled in your Billing details).
If any of these conditions aren't met, the option won't appear and the system will use the default document type automatically.
Where do I set this up?
Go to Settings > Payments and scroll down to the Payment receipts section. Below the Issue payment receipts toggle, you'll find Type of document to issue with two options:
Receipt — a simple proof of payment; client billing information is not required.
Invoice — a full document with billing details; client billing information is required on every order.
VAT-registered businesses
If you're VAT-registered, you won't see the document type option. The system automatically issues invoices (on the Expert and Ultimate plans and during the trial) and client billing information is always required.
Your VAT-registered since date and a tooltip are shown in the Payment receipts section. On plans that don't support full invoices, you'll see a note that the issued document type depends on your current plan.
What happens if I downgrade my plan?
If you have invoices set up and switch to a plan that doesn't support them (below Expert):
New orders will get a receipt instead of an invoice.
Older orders keep their original document type — nothing changes retroactively.
Once you upgrade back to Expert or higher, the system starts issuing invoices again.
Hungary
Hungarian studios have a different document system. Hungary uses its own document types (adougyi bizonylat / szamla), and the receipt vs. invoice option doesn't appear. The system automatically issues the correct document based on Hungarian tax rules.
FAQ
Can I change the document type at any time?
Yes. The change applies to new orders. Older orders keep the document type they were issued with.
I'm an individual without a company ID — can I issue invoices?
No. The document type option is only available for registered businesses with a company ID. As an individual, you issue receipts.
What counts as a "business with a company ID"?
Any business entity that has ticked I'm a business and filled in its company registration number in Billing details — a sole trader, LLC, or any other legal form. You'll find Billing details in Settings > Payments, above the Payment receipts section. They're the same details as on the Plan page.
I'm outside the EU — does this apply to me?
No. The receipt vs. invoice option is only available for EU-based studios. Outside the EU, the system issues documents based on local rules automatically.
What if a client doesn't have a billing address and I have invoices set up?
The client will be prompted to fill in their address during the purchase. As an admin, you can click Got it, continue without address and add the details later. For the full rundown, see Client billing information — complete guide.
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