What is a cash receipts journal primarily used for?

A cash receipts journal is primarily used to document cash inflow transactions. This specialized journal serves a specific purpose: it captures all incoming cash transactions, which can include sales made in cash or cash receipts from customers. This allows businesses to keep an organized record of how much cash they are receiving over a particular period, which is crucial for managing cash flow.

By tracking these inflows, businesses can better understand their financial position, plan for future expenses, and ensure that they have enough liquidity to meet their obligations. This is distinct from other financial records that might focus on outflows or specific accounts like inventory or expenses. While payment transactions and expenses are certainly critical to financial management, they do not encapsulate the primary purpose of the cash receipts journal, which is focused solely on documenting money coming into the business.