What card details is it safe to put on a receipt for a card payment?
The last four digits, or the approval code printed on the terminal slip, and nothing more. Pick 'Card' as the method and type one of them in the details field; the receipt then shows a line such as 'Card - ****1234'. The full card number, the expiry date and the security code on the back never belong on a receipt.
Why so little is enough
The details field exists so that weeks later you can match the receipt to your terminal report or bank statement when a customer or your accountant asks about one payment. Four digits plus the amount and date usually pick the transaction out, and the approval code from the terminal slip pins it down exactly. None of that lets anyone use the card.
A full number is a different story. Once it is inside a PDF, copies live on in the customer's phone, your inbox, a WhatsApp chat and maybe a shared folder. Every copy is another place it can leak from, and nobody gains anything from having it there.
Doing it in the tool
- In the Receipt generator, enter the amount and currency and choose 'Card' as the payment method.
- In 'Payment method details', type ****1234 or 'Approval 604211', or both while it stays short; the field holds 80 characters.
- Fill in what the payment is for and both parties, create the file, and read the method line in the preview before you send it.
Never type these
- The full card number, even if the customer sent it to you themselves.
- The expiry date or the three-digit code on the back.
- A one-time passcode from a text message, which a customer should never be asked for in the first place.
- A description of the card image in the notes.
The tool does not inspect or mask this field; it prints whatever you type. The safeguard is you: if you find yourself typing more than four digits, stop and check.
Does the receipt mean the card payment went through?
No. The tool is not connected to your terminal or your bank, and the footer of every receipt says so. Wait until the terminal prints an approval or the payment shows in your terminal dashboard, then issue the receipt. If a first card was declined and the customer paid with another one, use the last four digits of the card that actually worked.
If the customer wants the items and prices spelled out, a receipt cannot do that because it carries one amount. Prepare an invoice with the Basic invoice generator instead, and keep the same rule there: four digits at most.
Common questions
Are the card details I type sent to a server?
No, the receipt is built in your browser and nothing is uploaded. The PDF itself travels once you send it, though, which is exactly why the four-digit rule matters.
Is the details field required for a card payment?
No, it is optional with 'Card'. Leave it empty and the method prints simply as 'Card'.