Practice Management Tips
May 25, 2023
Running a massage business involves a lot of accounting. Keeping track of sales is essential, and many of your clients need a receipt for their payment. Even if they don’t need one, they expect to get one. Making your own massage therapy receipt template isn’t hard. Using software to do it for you is even easier. Let’s take a look at paid options, as well as learn how to DIY your own invoices and receipts.
Who needs a receipt for a service you can’t return?
You do. Many of your clients do too.
It’s common for clients to pay for their massage at the time of service. When they leave happy and relaxed, they are not going to ask for their money back. Even if they didn’t get exactly what they were hoping for, they’re still going to pay you for your time right then. So why do you need to create massage invoices and receipts? There are many reasons.
Why do massage therapists need invoices and receipts?
You’re not just a massage therapist. You’re a business owner, which means you’re also an accountant - or at the very least, responsible for the accounts.
You need a record for each sale for tax purposes.
You need a record of each sale for insurance purposes.
You need a record of each sale for your own purposes.
You need a record of each sale in case someone actually does ask for their money back.
Why do your clients need a receipt for their massage?
They need it for their own accounting.
They may need it for tax purposes - if they’re able to write it off as a medical expense.
They may need it for insurance purposes - if they’re able to get reimbursed for massage therapy.
They may need it to submit it to their HSA - if that’s what they are using to pay.
They may want it for their own piece of mind.
Should you use software to do your accounting?
It depends on your budget, and how much time you want to invest into accounting.
If you don’t want to make your own massage therapy receipt templates and issue them manually, use software to automate the process. It can be a real time saver - both at the time of purchase and at tax time.
Massage therapists have a variety of accounting software options. You can use a fully integrated clinic management software, use software that’s exclusively for accounting or take advantage of features offered by your credit card process company.
Let’s explore these options in detail.
Clinic Management Software
This type of software is designed to manage your whole practice. Software like ClinicSense is designed to do everything for you: including scheduling, intake forms, SOAP Notes, AND accounting. You can automate your invoices and receipts without having to create your own templates. Everything happens in one place, so you don’t need multiple systems.
Accountant Software
If you want software exclusively designed for tracking income and expenses, this might be the way to go. You can use software like Quickbooks to keep track of all the money flowing in and out of your business, as well as issue invoices and receipts for your massage services.
Credit Card Processing Companies
If you accept credit cards as payment, you probably already have a way to issue receipts, at least for the sales paid using a card. Companies like Square allow you to accept payment and issue a receipt instantly. You’ll pay a processing fee, but reports, invoicing and receipts are all included.
How to make your own massage therapy receipt template
If you’re not ready to spend money on software, you can make your own templates for massage receipts and invoices. This isn’t a good long term strategy, but it’ll work when you’re first getting started.
You can make a template using a word processor or with free software like Canva. You should include the following items on your massage therapy receipt template:
Here’s an overview of why each of these things are important:
Contact Information obviously needs to be on the receipt so people can contact you if they need to. Clients may refer back to their receipt when they are looking for your phone number or a link to your massage therapy website.
Invoice numbers help you track your receipts. If you’re doing all your accounting manually, you may skip this step.
Dates will also help you track your receipts and what was paid when. If a client requests a receipt from a previous service, you can quickly pull up a receipt if it’s tied to the date of their previous appointment.
Service details are needed for accounting and insurance purposes. You may only need the name of the service for your own records. However, if insurance is paying for the service, you need to include details about what the service entails.
Break down of cost is the whole purpose of a receipt. Make sure every cost is listed individually, so you and the client have a record of what was paid for. Then add all those costs up and list a total amount at the bottom of the receipt.
Method of payment is essential for accounting and is useful information for your clients. If you’re sending an invoice, include the methods of payments you accept on the invoice. If you’re issuing a receipt for massage therapy, include the method of payment used for that payment.
Branding should be on your receipt, too, because everything with your business name on it represents your business. Include a massage logo, your tagline or simply a thank you message written in the voice of your brand to add a personal touch.
Once you create your massage receipt template, simply fill it out each time a client pays you. Then print it out or email it to them for their records - and save a copy for yourself. That’s all there is to it.
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