Scan a Receipt

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Introduction

The Smartbills mobile app uses your phone’s camera and AI-powered OCR to capture paper receipts and automatically extract key data. This guide covers the complete scanning workflow from opening the camera to saving the expense.

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Step 1: Open the Camera

There are several ways to start scanning a receipt:

• Home tab: Tap the camera icon or the Scan Receipt quick-action button
• Expenses tab: Tap the + button at the bottom of the screen, then select Scan Receipt
• Widget: Use the Smartbills home screen widget (iOS) to launch the scanner directly

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Step 2: Position the Receipt

Hold your phone over the receipt. The scanner will display a viewfinder with guidelines to help you frame the document.

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Tips for Better Scans

• Flat surface: Place the receipt on a flat, contrasting surface (e.g., a dark table for a white receipt)
• Good lighting: Use natural light or a well-lit area. Avoid harsh shadows across the receipt
• Avoid glare: Tilt your phone slightly if there is glare from overhead lighting
• Full receipt: Make sure the entire receipt is visible, including the header with the merchant name and the footer with the total
• Steady hand: Hold the phone steady for a moment to allow auto-focus to sharpen the image

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Step 3: Capture the Receipt

The scanner supports two capture modes:

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Auto-Capture

By default, the scanner detects when a receipt is properly framed and captures it automatically. You will see a green border appear around the receipt when it is detected, and the image is taken after a brief pause.

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Manual Capture

If auto-capture does not trigger, or if you prefer manual control, tap the shutter button at the bottom of the screen to capture the image.

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Scanning Multiple Pages

If your receipt has multiple pages (e.g., a long restaurant bill or a multi-page invoice):

1. After capturing the first page, tap Add Page
2. Position and capture the next page
3. Repeat for all pages
4. Tap Done when all pages are captured

All pages are combined into a single expense.

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Step 4: Review Extracted Data

After capture, Smartbills AI processes the receipt image and extracts key fields. This typically takes two to three seconds. The review screen displays the extracted information for you to verify. The AI extracts the following fields:

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Step 5: Assign a Category

Tap the Category field to select an expense category. Smartbills may suggest a category based on the merchant name and your past categorization habits.

1. Tap Category to open the category picker
2. Browse or search for the appropriate category
3. Tap the category to select it

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Step 6: Add Notes (Optional)

Tap the Notes field to add a description or business purpose for the expense. This is helpful for approvers reviewing your expense reports.

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Step 7: Save the Expense

Once you have reviewed the extracted data and made any corrections:

1. Tap Save to save the expense to your Expenses
2. The expense appears in your Expenses tab with the receipt image attached

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Supported Languages for OCR

The Smartbills OCR engine supports receipts in the following languages:

• English
• French
• Spanish
• German
• Italian
• Portuguese
• Dutch
• Japanese
• Chinese (Simplified and Traditional)
• Korean

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Alternative: Upload from Photo Library

If you have already taken a photo of a receipt or received one as an image file:

1. Tap the + button on the Expenses tab
2. Select Upload from Library
3. Choose the receipt image from your photo library
4. The same AI extraction and review process applies

You can also forward receipt images to Smartbills via the iOS Share Sheet or Android Share menu from any app. See Receipt Forwarding for details.

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Troubleshooting

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What’s Next?