Receipt or invoice for the guest: what your restaurant issues automatically

Every order automatically produces a Beleg (receipt) for the guest – with the line items, a deposit (Pfand) line where applicable and the MwSt. (VAT) presentation, plus the note that this is not an invoice within the meaning of § 14 UStG. A real Rechnung (invoice) with a sequential number comes about in two ways: automatically, if that function is activated for your restaurant and the order was paid online – or created by you at any time from the order number under Buchhaltung → Rechnungen and output as a PDF. The guest finds the receipt under „Meine Bestellungen"; for the invoice you only need the order number.

A receipt and an invoice are not the same thing

The Beleg documents the order for the guest. The Rechnung is a separate document with a sequential number without gaps (§ 14 UStG). That is why every receipt explicitly carries the note that it is not an invoice. The difference is described on the help page Receipt or invoice?.

What the receipt contains

all line items of the order,
a deposit (Pfand) line where a deposit is charged,
the MwSt. (VAT) presentation,
for small businesses, the note keine Umsatzsteuer ausgewiesen instead of the tax lines,
the note that the receipt is not an invoice under § 14 UStG.

Whether your business is run as Kleinunternehmer (§ 19 UStG) is set in the Geschäftsangaben; receipt and invoice follow that setting.

Where the guest finds the receipt

On your website the guest opens „Meine Bestellungen" and taps „Beleg anzeigen" – the receipt arrives as a PDF. That history is stored on the device of the guest and is not synced across devices; with „Verlauf löschen" the guest empties it there only. Depending on the restaurant, the guest can also receive an invoice on request – a receipt is not automatically an invoice. For guests this is described in Order history, receipt & shipment tracking.

When an invoice is created automatically

The automatic invoice is set up differently depending on the restaurant. It applies only if the function is activated for your restaurant, and only for orders that were paid online; the order then receives a sequential invoice number without any action from you. One restriction is worth knowing: if the order contains Pfand (a deposit), the Pfand-MwSt. must also be set in the Geschäftsangaben – as long as that is not the case, the order remains a receipt. How to switch on online payment at all is explained on Setting up online payment.

Creating an invoice yourself – three steps

Enter the Bestellnummer (order number) under Buchhaltung → Rechnungen.
Create the invoice – it receives a sequential number (§ 14 UStG) without gaps.
Output it as a PDF and send it to the guest or the company.

This works regardless of the payment method, so also for an order that was paid in cash. The step-by-step guide is Creating & numbering invoices.

Cancellation and correction instead of deletion

An incorrect invoice is not deleted but cancelled or corrected. The number sequence remains traceable – no gap arises that would have to be explained later.

The tax status of the order stays put

The MwSt. status is recorded per order and does not change retrospectively: if you adjust a rate later, that applies to new orders only. For very old orders for which this status was not yet recorded, the PDF openly carries the note (geschätzt), meaning estimated – a visible note instead of a silent assumption.

What you should set up beforehand

So that receipt and invoice calculate correctly, the MwSt. rates per category should be assigned (MwSt. rates); categories that are not assigned are clearly marked in the panel so nothing is overlooked. Which rate applies to your range, whether you are a small business and whether an invoice has to be issued in an individual case is decided by you or your tax adviser: the system carries your details along and issues the documents from them – it does not check your tax classification for you. The overview is given on VAT in the restaurant.

Who is this worth it for?

Above all for restaurants with lunchtime business: offices, trades businesses and companies need an invoice for their bookkeeping, not just a receipt. If group orders come in from the neighbourhood, you create the invoice afterwards from the order number. Businesses without declared VAT benefit from documents that carry the right note by themselves. And anyone who passes the figures on will find them again in the DATEV and CSV export.

Frequently asked questions

Is a receipt the same as an invoice?

No. The receipt documents the order and carries the note that it is not an invoice under § 14 UStG. An invoice is a separate document with a sequential number.

Does my guest automatically get an invoice?

An automatic invoice is created only if that function is activated for your restaurant and the order was paid online. Otherwise the guest receives a receipt, and you create the invoice yourself from the order number when it is needed.

How do I create an invoice for an order?

Under Buchhaltung → Rechnungen you enter the order number and create the invoice. It receives a sequential number under § 14 UStG without gaps and can be output as a PDF.

Can I delete an incorrect invoice?

An invoice is not deleted but cancelled or corrected. That way the number sequence stays traceable and no gap arises in the invoice numbering.

Where does the guest find the receipt again?

The guest opens „Meine Bestellungen" on your website and there „Beleg anzeigen"; the receipt arrives as a PDF. That history sits on the device of the guest and is not synced across devices.

What does the receipt say if I am a small business?

The MwSt. lines are then omitted from the receipt and the note „keine Umsatzsteuer ausgewiesen" appears instead. This is set in the Geschäftsangaben.

Why does an old invoice carry the note „(geschätzt)"?

The MwSt. status is recorded per order. For very old orders without that recorded status, the invoice PDF openly notes „(geschätzt)" rather than silently assuming a rate that applies today.

More on this: Accounting & Invoices · VAT in the restaurant · Setting up online payment