Goods-receipt note vs receipt voucher
Both involve “receiving,” so they get mixed up a lot — but the difference is simple and fundamental: a receipt voucher is about receiving money, and a goods-receipt note is about receiving goods or items. Let's clarify with a table, the journal entry for each, and how Zemam separates them into two different documents.
Goods-receipt note
You received something (usually goods). Affects inventory.
Receipt voucher
You received money (cash or a cheque). Affects the treasury.
| Goods-receipt note | Receipt voucher | |
|---|---|---|
| Acknowledges receipt of | Goods, items, or documents | Money (cash or a cheque) |
| Affects | Inventory (when it's goods) | The treasury / bank |
| The journal entry | DR Inventory / CR Goods Received Not Invoiced | DR Cash / CR the client's account |
| Purpose | Proof that you received something | Proof that you received money |
| In Zemam | Goods Receipt (GRN) | A cash receipt voucher (collection) |
The bottom line in one line
“قبض” = receiving money (a financial document affecting the treasury). “استلام” = receiving goods or items (affects inventory when it's goods, or is just an acknowledgment). Anything with money → a receipt voucher; anything with goods → a goods-receipt note.
Frequently asked questions
So the receipt voucher is for money and the goods-receipt note is for goods?
Exactly — that's the core of it. “قبض” means you received money (cash or a cheque), so the receipt voucher is a financial document affecting the treasury. “استلام” means you received something (usually goods), so the goods-receipt note affects inventory when it's goods, or is just an acknowledgment for documents or custody.
If I receive a cheque, is that a receipt voucher or a goods-receipt note?
A receipt voucher. A cheque is a deferred cash collection, so it's recorded as a receipt voucher — except instead of going straight to the treasury, it's booked as a “cheque under collection” until it clears. A goods-receipt note is for receiving goods or items, not money.
Does the goods-receipt note affect the accounting?
For goods: yes — it records the goods into inventory (DR Inventory / CR Goods Received Not Invoiced) until the supplier's invoice arrives. If it's just an acknowledgment for documents or custody, there's no journal entry — it's just proof.
How does Zemam separate the two?
With two different documents: a “cash receipt voucher” in the treasury records the money received and reduces the client's balance; and a “Goods Receipt” in purchases records the goods into inventory with a GR/IR entry until the supplier's invoice. Each has its own document and correct entries automatically.
Related reading
A receipt voucher for money, a goods receipt for stock — each with its entry
In Zemam you record a cash receipt voucher in the treasury and the goods receipt in purchases — with the correct entries posted automatically in both.