Acknowledgement Letter: Types, Samples and How to Write

(5/5, 2 votes)

Acknowledgement letters, or receipt letters as some like to call it, are short in length, are written formally, and mostly have a legal purpose behind them. Relationship maintenance is a major thing in business, and sending an acknowledgement letter makes the other party believe you value their opinion enough to find out time to write a letter acknowledging your business with them. That way, not just goodwill is built, but trust is created too.

What is an Acknowledgement Letter?

Whenever you receive business documents, the letter that you send immediately after the receipt is called an acknowledgement letter. Or, as I mentioned already, a letter of receipt, since it serves as a receipt in itself.

How Many Types Can They Be?

Acknowledgement letters can be written for a variety of reasons and hence of various kinds, each written according to the context. Below I present to you some of the acknowledgement letters:

Letter to acknowledge a payment received (sample)
Letter to acknowledge the receipt of documents
Letter to acknowledge a purchase order (sample)
Letter to acknowledge the change in date (of a meeting)
Letter to acknowledge the completion of a project
Letter to acknowledge the return of an item
Letter to acknowledge the payment of overdue balance, etc.

The Process of Writing an Acknowledgement Letter:

Acknowledgement letters are written as soon as you receive the documents, so make sure you have them in hand or at least are aware of the reception of the documents, if not anything. Only write what's true and write to the point, without exaggerating anything. Follow these steps for drafting your acknowledgement letters:

Create an outline of the letter after you have received the papers. You will be either satisfied or dissatisfied. Your reaction will determine how you want to outline it.
Now make a draft. Rough papers are easier to work with. Think out loud, read out loud, and edit wherever needed.
Identify the person to be acknowledged. If you are not sure, enquire. Address the letter to him, with his necessary job post, company and contact details. Addressing the person is more impactful than addressing the company he works for as a whole. Read the first line of this article for further clarification.
The salutation should be also paid attention to, and it should be depending on the relationship between yourself and the recipient.
Do not miss out on the date and subject line. Remember this letter is a receipt in itself, so give attention to the details. This will prove helpful in the future.
Know that you are just acknowledging the receipt. State it clearly and directly. After that, you might not have much to write. And don't bother, because such articles are meant to be short and exact. If you have something more to say, which is in the case of dissatisfaction, you can point it out in the next paragraph, if not, time to end it.
The closing paragraph should focus on the hopefulness of doing business in the future together, or any statement that promotes goodwill. You can also call for contact if need be, here.
End with your typed name followed by the signature.

Dos and Don'ts of Writing an Acknowledgment Letter:

TIME IS KEY. If you received the documents, say, December 31st, 2017 and are writing on January 1, 2018, it may be a lame joke to say you wrote the letter after a year, but is still better than writing on February 29th. I hope my point is clear.
Choose a readable font to type the letter.
Do not forget to sign the letter.
Check for grammar and spelling errors.
Do not write more than what is necessary.
Be equally grateful and professional.