Free Charity Receipts
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Upload a spreadsheet for bulk receipts

Updated

Use Upload a file for a longer list. Every row is checked before any credit is used, and the receipts are made in the background, so you can close the page.

Before you start

  • Sign in, and have a pass or enough credits for every receipt in the file. A cash receipt costs 1 credit, and a row that uses IRS Option B costs 2.
  • Fill in the organization details at the top of Bulk, including your Organization Email and the Default IRS Acknowledgment Statement. You can't start without the email, because FreeCharityReceipts emails you when the run finishes.
  • Get your file ready. See Prepare your spreadsheet.

Steps

  1. Click the Upload a file tab. The steps across the top are Upload, Map columns, Review rows, Confirm, Generating and Done.
  2. Drop your file on the page, or browse for it. You can also download a template there, as .xlsx or .csv.
  3. Map columns. Check that each receipt field points to the right Column in your file. You can combine address columns, mark an amount column as Amounts are in cents, and choose the Sheet to read for a workbook. Three fields are specific to IRS receipts: Written acknowledgment, Value of goods or services and Description of goods or services. If your file has no acknowledgment column, every row uses your default statement. Click Validate N rows.
  4. Dates. If your dates look like 03/04/2026, you are asked How should we read the dates in your file? Choose Day / Month / Year or Month / Day / Year. Nothing is chosen for you, and you can't continue until you pick, even for a U.S. file. Dates written as YYYY-MM-DD skip this question.
  5. Review rows. Every row is marked Ready, Warning or Error. Row numbers match your spreadsheet. Click a cell to fix it here. Use the filters All, Ready, Warnings and Errors, and Download error report (.csv) to work in your own spreadsheet. Rows with errors are skipped and not charged. Warnings let the row through, so look at them first.
  6. Click Generate N receipts. The Confirm window shows how many receipts, how many rows are skipped, the total amount and your credits. It notes that receipts where goods or services were provided (Option B) use 2 credits. If you uploaded identical contents before, it warns you so you don't issue a second set by accident. Click Generate receipts.
  7. Generating. You see the count, the batch and a time estimate. You can close the page. FreeCharityReceipts emails you at the organization email when the run finishes.

Stop and resume

Click Stop this run to stop. It stops after the receipt in progress, and the receipts already issued stay valid. If your credits run out, the run halts with Ran out of credits. Buy credits, then click Resume N remaining. It carries on where it stopped. Stop turns donor emailing off for good. If you ticked the donor email box, a stopped run emails nobody, and resuming issues the remaining receipts without emailing anyone. The results screen says so. The receipts are in the ZIP, so send them to the donors yourself. Only running out of credits holds the emails for a later resume. Only one upload can run at a time.

Download the results

  • Download receipts (.zip). A big run gives several parts, with up to 500 receipts each.
  • results.csv lists every row of your file with its receipt number, or the reason it was skipped.
  • If some receipts failed, they were not charged. Click Retry failed rows, or Download failed rows (.csv).

Click Upload another file to start again.

Recent uploads

Under the upload step, Recent uploads lists your 20 most recent runs that were started. Click Open to see a run, download its files again, resume it or retry failed rows. An upload you never started generating isn't listed, and is removed after 24 hours.

ZIP files and the rows from your file are kept for 30 days. After that the run shows Expired, the donor details are cleared, and the ZIP can't be downloaded. Receipt numbers and counts stay. See What we keep.

If something goes wrong

  • This run needs N credits and you have M. Buy credits or use a pass, then start again.
  • Another upload is still generating. Wait for it to finish. Only one upload runs at a time.
  • Choose a written acknowledgment for these receipts. Pick a Default IRS Acknowledgment Statement at the top of the page.
  • Rows N use Option B and have no description. Enter a default description above, or add a description column to your file. The default is the Default goods or services provided (description) box at the top of the page, which is always shown. Fill it in, then start again. The rows stay ticked.

For the messages on the review table, see Prepare your spreadsheet. For the rest, see Form errors.

Emailing donors

You can email each donor their receipts when you confirm. See Email receipts to donors.

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