What to keep when a vendor receipt is only available online

When a vendor receipt is only available online, keep a downloaded or exported copy of the receipt itself, the proof of payment, and enough vendor and transaction detail to show the payee, amount, date, and what was purchased. The IRS allows you to choose any recordkeeping system suited to your business that clearly shows income and expenses, and requirements for hard copy records also apply to electronic records, so a well-organized digital copy works (IRS recordkeeping). The narrow question is not whether the expense is deductible — it is what to capture and retain when the receipt lives only in a vendor portal or email inbox.

Download the receipt itself, not just the confirmation screen

Many vendors display a receipt in a portal but do not email it. Log in and download the PDF or save the full receipt page as a PDF, including the vendor name, invoice or receipt number, date, line items, and total. A screenshot of a payment confirmation is not the same document. The IRS notes that supporting documents such as invoices and receipts contain the information you need to record in your books, and that a combination of documents may be needed to substantiate all elements of a purchase (IRS: what kind of records).

Pair the receipt with proof of payment

An online receipt shows what was ordered; your bank or credit card statement shows that you actually paid. Save both. The IRS lists canceled checks, electronic funds transfer records, and credit card receipts and statements as documents reflecting proof of payment. Matching the receipt to the cleared transaction in your books creates a complete record for each purchase.

Capture vendor portal details before access expires

Vendor portals sometimes restrict access to older orders, and email attachments are easy to lose. As a practical workflow step, export receipts at least monthly rather than waiting until tax preparation. If a portal will not let you download a PDF, save the complete page as a PDF with the URL visible, and note the vendor account number. This matters especially when reviewing a bill before it flows into job costing, as covered in How to Review a Vendor Bill Before It Distorts Job Profit.

Store electronic records in an organized system

File digital receipts by year and expense type, using consistent file names such as vendor, date, and amount. The IRS says electronic systems should meet the same basic recordkeeping principles as hard copy records, and that documents should be kept in an orderly fashion and a safe place. Cloud storage with backup is a practical choice; keep a simple log or use accounting software attachments so each transaction links to its receipt.

Keep records as long as needed to support the return

Generally, keep records supporting income, deductions, or credits until the period of limitations for that return runs out — commonly three years, longer in specific situations such as unreported income exceeding 25% of the gross income shown on your return (six years) or a bad debt deduction (seven years) (IRS: how long). Employment tax records must be kept at least four years. Because online vendors may purge old portal data, retaining your own copies matters more than relying on the vendor's archive. If you are reconstructing older transactions from statements alone, see How to Open the Books When the Bank Account Is the Only Record You Have.

A transfer of money is not automatically deductible, and a missing receipt does not automatically disallow an expense — but the burden of proof for substantiating entries and deductions is on you, so capturing the receipt while it is still available is the practical step that protects the record. If you want help setting up a receipt capture workflow, contact us.

Further reading

For related context, read Why Clean Books Make Tax Season Less Stressful.