Behind the Booth
What to Put on an Art Show Sales Receipt
Give buyers a clear receipt that identifies the artwork, payment, artist and agreed pickup or delivery terms.
A receipt should help both sides answer a simple question later: what was sold, for how much and under what agreed terms? At an art show, that record is especially useful when a buyer must collect a large piece after closing or you will ship it later. Make the receipt clear enough to understand without relying on memory.
Identify the object
Include your name or business name, contact method, date, artwork title or inventory number, medium and size where useful. “Blue painting” is hard to match months later; an inventory code tied to a photograph is much stronger. If the sale includes a frame, stand or other component, say so. Keep a copy in your inventory system so the item is not sold twice.
Record the financial facts
Show the price, any applicable tax or fee, amount paid, remaining balance and payment method. Requirements for invoices and tax details vary by location, so confirm the rules that apply to your business before the show. If you accept a deposit, write when the rest is due and what happens if it is not paid. Avoid making the buyer infer terms from a line item labeled only “hold.”
Put delivery promises in writing
If the buyer will return for pickup, record the time, place and who may collect the work. For shipping, write who pays, the destination, expected dispatch window and how shipping risk will be handled. Do not promise a delivery date that depends on an unconfirmed carrier or packing plan. Our checkout-station guide can help keep the paperwork close to the payment step.
Make the record easy to retrieve
Email a copy or hand over a legible paper receipt according to the buyer's preference. Store your copy securely and label any reserved piece with the same inventory code. A good receipt is quiet professionalism: it lets the artwork remain the focus while giving everyone a reliable account of the purchase.
