What is the difference between duplicate and triplicate?
For most businesses the honest answer is "duplicate". Most businesses only need one copy for the customer and one for themselves. But for some, the third copy is the whole point.
Duplicate and triplicate at a glance
| Duplicate | Triplicate | |
|---|---|---|
| Parts per set | 2 (original and one copy) | 3 (original and two copies) |
| Sets per Discoverprint book | 100 | 50 |
| Sheets per book | 200 | 150 |
| Who gets the copies | Customer, your book | Customer, a third party, your book |
| Cost per invoice | Lower | Higher |
Why triplicate books have fewer sets
It is a matter of thickness. A 50-set triplicate book has 150 sheets, roughly the same as a 100-set duplicate book with 200. Binding more sets in a triplicate book would make it too thick to sit flat while you write, and writing on an uneven surface gives weak copies. So triplicate books use up faster: the same number of invoices needs roughly twice as many books. How many invoice books will you need in a year? has a table showing the difference.
Who genuinely needs triplicate?
The third copy earns its place when three different people need the same paperwork:
- Delivery firms and hauliers. Customer copy, driver's copy back to the office, book copy. This is often called a triplicate docket system, explained in What is a triplicate docket system?
- Garages. Customer copy, workshop copy for the job file, office copy for accounts.
- Plant hire. Customer, yard and office each need a record of what went out and came back.
- Businesses with a bookkeeper off site. One copy is posted or handed to the bookkeeper weekly, while the book stays with you.
- Purchase orders. Supplier, stores and accounts.
Who does not need triplicate?
If you are a sole trader who keeps the book and hands it to your accountant at year end, the book copy is your office copy. A third copy adds cost, bulk and shredding later. Likewise, if you photograph each invoice for your bookkeeping app, the photo does the job the third copy would have done, and the paper original stays in the book. Keep in mind that Revenue expects paper-issued invoices to be kept on paper, so the book copy is always the one to keep.
Is the third copy readable?
Yes, if you write firmly with a ballpoint pen and use the writing shield. The third copy is always slightly lighter than the second, because your pen pressure passes through two sheets to reach it. Gel pens and soft surfaces make the difference worse. Put the most important figures, like the total, in clear capitals.
Can the copies be labelled?
Yes, and it is worth doing in a triplicate book. Printing "Customer copy", "Office copy" and "Book copy" (or "File copy") on the three parts means nobody hands the wrong sheet to the wrong person. In our books the printing is black on all three parts, and you can tell us the labels you want in the order notes. The proof shows exactly how each part will read.
What about four copies?
Some businesses need four copies, for example a customer, a driver, a yard and accounts. Four-part books exist, but copy clarity on the last sheet drops further and books hold fewer sets. What comes after triplicate? covers when that is worth it and the alternatives.
A quick way to decide
- Write down where each copy of your current invoice goes.
- If the answer is "customer" and "stays in my book", choose duplicate.
- If a third person needs a physical copy on the day, choose triplicate.
- If the third copy would go in a drawer and never be used, choose duplicate.
If you are still deciding on duplicate, What is a duplicate invoice book? explains what to look for in one.
Triplicate books when the third copy has a home
Discoverprint's triplicate invoice books hold 50 sets (150 sheets) in A4, A5, A6 or DL, numbered on all three parts, perforated at the top or the left, with each part labelled if you ask. Design is free, a proof is emailed within one working day, books are dispatched 3 to 4 working days after approval and delivery is free anywhere in Ireland. See the full NCR books range, including duplicate books with 100 sets.
Read next
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between duplicate and triplicate?
- A duplicate set has two parts, an original and one copy. A triplicate set has three parts, an original and two copies. The third copy is for a third person, such as an office, a driver or a job file.
- Why do triplicate books have fewer sets?
- Each triplicate set has three sheets. A 50-set triplicate book is 150 sheets, about the same thickness as a 100-set duplicate book. A thicker book would not sit flat to write on.
- Is the writing clear on the third copy?
- Yes, with a ballpoint pen, firm pressure and the writing shield in place. The third copy is always slightly lighter than the second, because the pressure passes through two sheets.
- Is triplicate worth the extra cost?
- Only if the third copy is used. Triplicate books cost more per invoice, and a copy nobody needs is paper you pay for, store and later shred.
Sources
- Discoverprint: Triplicate invoice books
