Updated:
Get Form Now
A deposit receipt is written proof of a partial payment. It lists the date, both names, the amount paid and the balance still due. Buyers, tenants and customers need it whenever a deposit holds a car, boat or home.
Fill out the free deposit receipt template on this page online, then print it or save it as a PDF and give a signed copy to each side.
A deposit receipt is a document the seller or service provider signs to confirm that the buyer paid the first part of a price, with the balance to be paid later.
It names the payer and the payee, describes the item or service, and shows the total price, the deposit received and the amount left to pay. The buyer keeps it as proof of payment. The seller keeps it to track what came in and what is still owed.
A deposit receipt differs from an invoice: an invoice asks for money, while a deposit receipt confirms money already received.
Deposit receipts are useful whenever a larger payment is split into two or more parts. The receipt also says whether the deposit comes back if the deal falls through, so both sides know the terms before a problem comes up.
A cash deposit receipt for a boat, a car or a home confirms that the buyer paid part of the price in cash and that the seller agreed to hold the item until the balance arrives.
Cash leaves no bank trail, so the signed receipt is the buyer's main proof that the money changed hands. Ask for it at the moment you pay, not afterward.
A boat deposit receipt names the boat by make, model and hull identification number, and lists any motor, trailer or gear included in the sale.
List the motor and the trailer separately, so neither side argues later about what the deposit covered. Note any condition the buyer set before paying the balance, such as a sea trial or a marine survey.
A car deposit receipt identifies the vehicle by make, model and vehicle identification number (VIN) and confirms that the seller will hold the car for the buyer.
Write how long the hold lasts and what happens to the deposit if the buyer's loan is not approved. The same receipt works as an automobile deposit form at a dealership or in a private sale. It covers only the deposit; the finished sale usually calls for a separate bill of sale.
For a home purchase, the receipt shows the down payment or earnest money the buyer paid and the address of the property. The purchase agreement sets the earnest money terms and names who holds the money; this receipt only shows that the buyer paid it.
For a rental, it confirms the security deposit and the conditions for getting it back at the end of the lease agreement.
Security deposit rules vary by state, and they can set a written notice and a deadline after the tenant moves out: in Florida, a landlord who intends to keep part of the deposit and fails to give written notice within 30 days loses the claim against it (Fla. Stat. § 83.49(3)(a)). Read the landlord and tenant statute where the property sits before you write the refund terms; this receipt does not replace a notice such as the one Fla. Stat. § 83.49(3)(a) sets.
For a custom order, such as a wedding dress or a made-to-order piece of furniture, the receipt confirms the first payment and describes the work, the finish date and the final price.
A deposit receipt should include the date, a receipt number, both parties' names and contact details, the item or service, the total price, the deposit amount, the balance due and the refund terms.
If a detail matters to either side, write it on the receipt instead of leaving it to memory.
A deposit receipt sample shows how a finished receipt reads, with each field filled in for an imaginary boat sale paid partly in cash.
The usual format runs from top to bottom: the heading and receipt number, the parties, the payment details, the terms and the signatures.
Example only: the names, the boat and the amounts below are made up.
| Field | Example entry | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Date and receipt number | June 2, 2026, receipt DR-0142 | When the money changed hands |
| Parties | Payer Sam Ortiz, 18 Lake Rd, Tampa, FL; payee Jordan Lee, 410 Bay St, Tampa, FL | Who paid and who received the deposit |
| Item | Fishing boat with outboard motor and trailer, HIN ABC12345D606 | What the deposit holds |
| Total price | $12,000 | The full amount agreed |
| Deposit received | $1,500 in cash | The payment and its method |
| Balance due | $10,500 by June 30, 2026 | What is left to pay and when |
| Refund terms | Refunded in full if the marine survey finds hull damage; kept by the seller if the balance is not paid by June 30, 2026 | What happens if the sale stops |
Replace every entry with the details of your own sale before anyone signs.
To fill out the deposit receipt template, open it in our PDF editor, complete each field from top to bottom, then print it or save it as a PDF for both parties to sign.
You can type directly in the fields or print the page and write by hand.
A deposit receipt says whether the deposit is refundable and under what conditions, so the payer knows in advance when the money comes back and when the payee keeps it.
A refundable deposit goes back to the payer if a named condition happens, such as a failed inspection or a loan that is not approved. A non-refundable deposit stays with the payee if the buyer walks away, and the receipt should say so in plain words.
Write each condition as a short, specific line rather than a general phrase such as “subject to approval.” Whether a non-refundable term holds up in a dispute depends on local rules and the full agreement, which this page does not cover.
A rental security deposit is a different case: under Fla. Stat. § 83.49(3)(a), a Florida landlord who intends to keep part of it must give written notice within 30 days after move-out. Check the landlord and tenant statute where the property sits before you call a security deposit non-refundable.
A deposit receipt template gives every receipt the same layout and the same fields, so you fill in blanks instead of writing each receipt from scratch.
The fixed fields make it harder to leave out a detail such as the balance or the refund terms. Customers get the same clear receipt every time. You can still change the wording, add your business name and adjust the fields for each deal.
For other kinds of payments, see our receipt templates.
No, because a deposit slip is a bank form you complete when you pay money into an account, while a deposit receipt is a record given to someone who pays a deposit for a purchase, a rental or a service. The bank deposit receipt your bank hands you after a deposit is also a different document from this template, so ask your bank for that slip or receipt.
A down payment receipt works the same way: it confirms the first part of a purchase price. Use this template and write “down payment” in the description of the payment.
Both sides should keep a copy, because the payer needs proof of payment and the payee needs proof of what came in. Store it with the sales agreement, invoice or lease it relates to.
Yes, a security deposit receipt is simply a deposit receipt for a rental. Put the property address in the description, enter the deposit amount and note the conditions for returning it, so the landlord and the tenant hold the same proof of payment. The receipt does not replace the security deposit notices a state may set, such as the written notice within 30 days after move-out that Fla. Stat. § 83.49(3)(a) calls for when the landlord intends to keep part of the deposit.
Write the remaining amount and the due date on the receipt. When the balance is paid, issue the payer a receipt for that payment as well, so every payment has its own receipt.
Yes, the deposit receipt template is customizable, so you can change the wording, add your business name and adjust the details to match the sale. Review the finished receipt before you print it or save it as a PDF, then give a signed copy to the other person.
Yes, the template on this page is free to fill out online, print or save as a PDF.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
