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Lost the receipt? How to still make a warranty claim

No receipt doesn't always mean no warranty. Here are the other ways to prove when and where you bought something, and how to make sure it never happens again.

By Memento · Updated 1 November 2026 · 2 min read

Something breaks, it should still be under warranty, and the receipt is gone. Before you give up, know that the receipt is just one way to prove the purchase. What the shop or manufacturer really needs is evidence of when, where and for how much you bought it, and that evidence often exists somewhere else.

Other ways to prove the purchase

  • Your bank or card statement. If you paid by card or bank transfer, the statement shows the shop, the date and the amount. Many shops and manufacturers accept it, especially with the product's serial number.
  • The order confirmation email. For anything bought online, search your email for the shop's name or the product. The confirmation usually lists the exact model.
  • Your account with the shop. Online stores keep your order history, and you can often download the invoice again. Some physical shops can find a sale by your phone number or loyalty card.
  • The shop's own records. Go back to the shop with the date and the payment method. Many can look up the sale and print a copy of the invoice.
  • Product registration. If you registered the product with the manufacturer, they already have the purchase date.
  • Mobile payment history. Payment apps and mobile banking keep a record of every transaction.

The serial number can help

Some manufacturers can tell from the serial number when a product was made or shipped. If you have no proof at all, they may agree to work out the warranty from that date instead. It's not guaranteed and not every brand does it, but it's always worth asking. The serial number is on a sticker on the product, and often on the box.

Asking for help the right way

  1. Collect whatever you have: statement line, email, photos of the serial number and the fault.
  2. Contact the manufacturer's support and the shop, and explain that the receipt is lost but you have other proof.
  3. Be polite and specific: the date you bought it, where, what it cost, and what went wrong.
  4. If they say no, ask whether they'd repair it at a reduced price, and check what your local consumer law says about the seller's responsibility.

Make sure it never happens again

The fix is a thirty-second habit: photograph the receipt and warranty card on the day you buy, and keep the photo somewhere you can search. A photo can't fade, and it doesn't live in a drawer.

Memento does this for you. Snap the receipt, and it saves the shop, the price, the date and the warranty period, reminds you before the warranty ends, and finds it in one search, even years later.

Memento: receipts, warranties and bills, rememberedSnap it, and Memento fills in the details, reminds you before dates run out, and backs up to your own Google Drive. Free for Android.Get it free

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