Expense Tracking with Receipt Scanning

Receipts pile up in pockets, bags, and glove compartments. At the end of the month, they are all dumped onto a table and entered one by one. Half of the text has faded, and a few are missing.

The problem isn't actually entering the receipts; it's procrastinating on entering them. A receipt recorded on the day of the expense takes a second, whereas one recorded three weeks later turns into an archaeological excavation.

How does it work?

1. Take a photo of the receipt or upload it as a PDF. You can also do this from your phone.
2. The system reads the image and extracts the amount, date, VAT, and vendor information. This process takes just a few seconds.
3. The extracted information appears before you. You review it and make corrections if necessary.
4. When you approve it, an expense record is created, and the image of the receipt remains attached to the record.

The last point is more important than it seems: even if the physical copy of the receipt fades or gets lost, its image stays in the record. The need to shuffle through folders is eliminated.

Don't skip the approval step

Receipt reading works well, but it's not perfect. The margin of error increases for crumpled, faded receipts or those shot in poor lighting.

That's why the flow is designed not as "read and save," but as "read, show, approve." Ninety percent accuracy means ten percent erroneous expense records if you work without approval — and that error trickles all the way down to your VAT figure.

To improve reading quality: place the receipt on a flat surface, avoid casting shadows, and make sure it is completely within the frame.

Consumes Qolay Credits

Since receipt reading uses artificial intelligence, it consumes Qolay Credits. Every new company gets 100 free credits; you don't need to purchase anything extra to get started.

When your credits run out, reading won't work, but you can continue entering expense records manually. We explained how it works in the Qolay Credits article.

You've recorded the expense, what about the payment?

Most expenses have already been paid out of pocket or by card. Entering the expense record and processing the payment separately creates double work, and the second is frequently forgotten — resulting in cash register discrepancies.

Recording the expense and payment in a single step closes this gap; details are in the single-step payment with expense record article.

Frequently asked questions

Which file types can it read?

Common image formats and PDFs. Digital receipts taken as screenshots can also be uploaded.

Can it read a receipt with faded text?

It might not be able to read it. Thermal receipt paper fades over time; therefore, photographing the receipt on the same day is the safest method.

Do I need to keep the original receipt?

Your obligation to retain documents continues. Consult your financial advisor regarding the sufficiency of the digital copy; in any case, the image in the system makes your work easier for searching and checking.

Can I do a bulk upload?

You can upload multiple receipts, but each requires separate approval. This is intentional — bulk approval means errors passing through in bulk.

The real benefit of receipt scanning is not speed, but breaking the habit of procrastination. If you record the expense right where you make it, there is no such thing as an end-of-month problem.

Open a free account on Qolay.App and scan your first receipt today.