Payment vouchers: what they are, the format, and a worked example
Written by the Lejar team4 min read
A payment voucher is an internal document that records and approves money going out of your business: who is being paid, how much, for what, and who signed it off. It is not a bill you send to anyone. It is the record you keep so that every payment can be traced from your books back to an approval and a supporting document.
What does a payment voucher do?
Two jobs: control and evidence. Before the money moves, the voucher is where someone with authority approves the payment. After it moves, the voucher ties the bank transaction to the supplier bill, expense claim, or rent it settled. A business that raises a voucher for every payment can answer "why did this money leave the account" for any line on its bank statement, years later.
What goes on a payment voucher?
| Field | Why it is there |
|---|---|
| Voucher number | Sequential, in its own PV series, so no payment can disappear from the record |
| Date | When the payment was made or authorised |
| Payee | Who received the money |
| Particulars | What the payment settles, naming the bill or invoice number it pays |
| Amount | The figure paid, in figures and, on printed vouchers, in words |
| Payment method and reference | Bank transfer reference, cheque number, or cash |
| Approved by | The signature or record of whoever authorised the payment |
| Attachment | The supplier bill, invoice, or claim the payment settles |
Payment voucher, invoice, and receipt: which is which?
| Document | Issued by | What it proves |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice or bill | Your supplier | They are asking you to pay a stated amount |
| Payment voucher | You, internally | You approved the payment and recorded where it went |
| Official receipt | Whoever received money | The money was received |
The sequence for money going out is: the supplier’s bill arrives, your payment voucher approves and records the payment, and the supplier’s receipt or your bank statement line proves it landed. For money coming in, the same roles flip: your customer keeps a voucher and you issue the official receipt.
Is a payment voucher required by law?
No Malaysian law prescribes a payment voucher format. What the law does require is records that support your figures: section 82 of the Income Tax Act 1967 requires records to be kept for seven years, and LHDN’s public rulings on keeping sufficient records expect payments to be traceable to source documents. A numbered voucher with the supporting bill attached is the discipline Malaysian businesses use to meet that, which is why auditors ask for vouchers first.
A worked example
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Voucher number | PV-2026-0142 |
| Date | 15 August 2026 |
| Payee | Syarikat Percetakan Maju Sdn Bhd |
| Particulars | Settlement of bill B-2026-0231, brochure printing |
| Amount | RM3,180.00 |
| Payment method | Online transfer, reference 2026081512345 |
| Approved by | Managing director |
| Attachment | Supplier bill B-2026-0231 |
In the books, this payment posts as a debit to trade payables, clearing the bill, and a credit to bank. If no bill was recorded first, the debit goes straight to the expense account instead. Either way the voucher number is the thread that connects the ledger entry, the approval, and the supporting document.
How does Lejar handle payment vouchers?
Lejar records every payment you make against its bill under Payments made, suggests the next payment voucher number from your document numbering settings, and posts the double entry for you. The bill, the voucher number, and the payment stay linked, so at year end every payment traces from the ledger to its supporting document without a filing cabinet.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a payment voucher and a receipt?
A payment voucher is your internal record that you approved and made a payment. A receipt is issued by whoever received the money as proof it arrived. One payment can produce both: your voucher and their receipt.
Do I need a payment voucher for every payment?
As a discipline, yes, including small cash payments. The seven-year record-keeping duty under the Income Tax Act 1967 applies to the figures those payments add up to, and a gap in the voucher series is the first thing an auditor will ask about.
Who should sign a payment voucher?
Someone other than the person who prepared it, where the team is big enough. The point of the approval line is that no single person can both create and approve a payment. In a small company that is usually a director.
Are electronic payment vouchers acceptable?
Yes in practice. What matters is that the records supporting your figures are kept and retrievable for seven years. An accounting system that numbers every payment and links the supporting bill serves the same purpose as a paper voucher book.
Is a bank transfer slip enough on its own?
No. The slip proves a transfer happened; it does not say what the payment was for or who approved it. Keep the voucher for the why and the approval, and the slip or statement line as proof of movement.