# What to do when you lose a receipt

Source: https://www.barespend.com/guides/what-to-do-when-you-lose-a-receipt/
Author: Dino Crnalic, CPA, CFO focused on finance transformation (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dino-crnalic-cpa)
Last updated: 2026-10-26

## The short answer

Ask the merchant for a copy first, then check your email, card and merchant accounts. If you can’t get one, write down the date, amount, merchant, location and business purpose, and have the person who made the purchase and their approver sign it. Check with your accountant what your records need to support.

## First, try to recover it

Most lost receipts can be replaced if you move quickly.

1. **Ask the merchant.** Many businesses can resend a receipt or invoice by email, or reprint one from the order. Have the date, amount and last four digits of the card ready.
2. **Check your inboxes.** Search for the merchant name, including spam and any shared or old addresses.
3. **Check the merchant’s app or account.** Order history in a retailer, airline, hotel or rideshare account usually includes downloadable receipts.
4. **Check your card or bank portal.** Some issuers show itemised data for certain transactions, or let you request a copy.
5. **Ask whoever was there.** For a team meal or a group trip, someone else may have kept the receipt.

## If you can’t recover it

Write a record at the time, with these details:

- **Date** of the purchase
- **Amount**
- **Merchant** and **location**
- **What was bought** and the **business purpose**
- **Who else was involved**, for meals or client events
- The **name and signature** of the person who made the purchase, and a date
- The **approver’s name**

For a card purchase, attach the card statement line so the amount and date are backed by a third-party record.

## What the IRS looks for

IRS Publication 463 says documentary evidence, such as receipts, canceled checks or bills, is generally adequate if it shows the **amount, date, place and essential character** of the expense. Your own record should show the **amount, time, place and business purpose**. Documentary evidence isn’t required for an expense under $75, other than lodging, and there are other exceptions, such as a transportation expense where a receipt isn’t readily available.

That is a general summary, not tax advice. Because a substitute record may carry less weight than a receipt, ask your accountant what you need for your situation. The full rules are in [Publication 463](https://www.irs.gov/publications/p463).

## Set a policy so it’s consistent

A missing-receipt process is easier to run if it’s written down. Include:

- How many days people have to submit receipts after a purchase
- The form or note to use when a receipt is lost
- Who approves substitutes, and a limit on how often one person can use them
- What happens when the same gap keeps recurring

The [expense policy template](/guides/expense-policy-template-small-business/) has wording for this, and the [month-end checklist](/guides/month-end-close-checklist-missing-receipts/) shows where missing receipts fit in your close.

## Catching it before it’s lost

The best fix is to notice early. With Barespend, your team emails, texts or uploads receipts as they spend, each is matched to the card or bank transaction it belongs to, and transactions with no receipt stand out the day they happen rather than at the end of the month. That is when the merchant can still resend it and the purchaser still remembers what it was for.

## Common questions

### Is a card statement enough instead of a receipt?

A statement proves a charge happened, but it usually doesn’t show what was bought. For anything where the detail matters, such as meals or items you code to specific accounts, a receipt or an itemised record is better. Ask your accountant what they will accept.

### Do I need a receipt for small purchases?

For tax purposes, IRS Publication 463 says documentary evidence generally isn’t required for an expense under $75, other than lodging, though you still need a record of the amount, time, place and business purpose. Your own policy may set a stricter rule.

### How do I stop receipts getting lost in the first place?

Capture them the moment you buy. A single address or number for everyone, a weekly matching pass and a visible missing-receipts list prevent most losses.

### Who should sign off on a missing receipt?

The person who made the purchase should state what it was for, and a manager or the person running the close should approve it. Having two people involved discourages casual claims.