Templates
WCPOS includes a complete template system for receipts, invoices, gift receipts, packing slips, kitchen tickets and more — all managed in WP Admin → POS → Templates.
Start at Customise Your Receipt. It walks through the three easiest ways to do it — picking a different bundled template, asking AI to tweak one, or editing by hand.
Template engines
WCPOS supports three template engines. The engine is chosen when you create a template or click Use Template on a gallery card, and cannot be changed afterward — start a new template if you want to switch engines.
Logicless HTML (recommended)
Mustache-style {{variable}} placeholders inside plain HTML. Renders client-side, so receipts work offline. Use for browser print and PDF receipts.
Thermal XML
XML templates that produce both a screen preview and ESC/POS commands for thermal receipt printers. Same template, two outputs. Use for Epson, Star, and other thermal printers.
Legacy PHP
Server-side PHP templates using WooCommerce functions. Kept for backward compatibility with existing yourtheme/woocommerce-pos/receipt.php overrides. Requires a server connection to render.
Template gallery
The gallery ships with ready-made templates you can use as-is or customise. Filter by category (Receipt, Invoice, Gift Receipt, Kitchen Ticket, Quote / Purchase Order), format (HTML / ESC/POS), and direction (LTR / RTL); preview with your store's real data. Each card's footer has a Preview link and a primary Use Template button — clicking Use Template creates an editable copy in Your Templates.
| Template | Engine | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Receipt | HTML | Default receipt — logo, store identity, items, totals, payment |
| Standard Receipt (RTL) | HTML | Right-to-left counterpart for Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, Urdu |
| Minimal / Modern | HTML | Same essentials as Standard, packed into less vertical space |
| Detailed Receipt | HTML | Full tax invoice — SKU column, unit price, per-rate tax breakdown, addresses |
| Gift Receipt | HTML | Items only, prices hidden. Includes gift message and return policy |
| Invoice | HTML | Full-page A4/Letter invoice with optional "How to pay" panel for unpaid orders |
| Packing Slip | HTML | Warehouse companion — items + quantities, ship-to, no prices |
| Quote / Estimate | HTML | Pre-sale document with pricing and terms — no payment section |
| Narrow Receipt | HTML | Monospace receipt for narrow paper or HTML-capable thermal printers |
| Simple Thermal Receipt (58mm) | Thermal | Clean 58mm thermal layout |
| Simple Thermal Receipt (80mm) | Thermal | Clean 80mm thermal layout — most common |
| Simple Thermal Receipt 80mm (RTL) | Thermal | RTL counterpart for 80mm. Needs a printer with an Arabic codepage (CP864 / Windows-1256) |
| Detailed Thermal Receipt (58mm) | Thermal | Kitchen-sink 58mm — addresses, tax breakdown, refunds, payments, terms, barcode |
| Detailed Thermal Receipt (80mm) | Thermal | Kitchen-sink 80mm — addresses, tax breakdown, refunds, payments, terms, barcode |
| Kitchen Ticket | Thermal | Items only, large font, no pricing — for prep stations |
Adaptive tax display
Most bundled templates (Standard, Standard RTL, Minimal/Modern, Narrow, Invoice, Quote, Thermal Simple variants) adapt automatically to your WooCommerce tax-display setting:
- Tax-inclusive stores (EU/UK/AU) see gross prices with a "Tax included" line.
- Tax-exclusive stores (US/CA) see net prices with tax added as a separate line.
- The grand total always shows the gross amount actually charged.
The Detailed family is a formal tax invoice and always itemises tax with tax-exclusive lines plus an explicit breakdown, regardless of the store setting.
How it works
- Add a template — click Use Template on a gallery card, or create your own from scratch.
- Customise it using the in-app editor with live preview, or paste it into ChatGPT / Claude and ask for the changes you want.
- Activate it — flip the Active toggle in Your Templates. Every active receipt template appears in the receipt-screen dropdown at the till.
- Print or display — receipts open after checkout with options to print, email, or view on screen.
Templates render against a standardised receipt data payload with sections for store info, line items, totals, tax, payments, refunds, and more. Currency fields all include pre-formatted _display variants (e.g., $29.99 instead of 29.99).
Pro features
With WCPOS Pro, each store can have its own template assignments, branding (logo, address, contact details), and template ordering — useful for multi-location operations where each shop prints its own letterhead.