> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://tribalfs.gitbook.io/accountant/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://tribalfs.gitbook.io/accountant/transactions/scanning-receipts.md).

# Scanning receipts

Turn a photo of a receipt or invoice into a draft transaction.

**What you'll do:** photograph a receipt and let Accountant fill in the transaction for you to check.

## Scan a receipt

1. Tap the **+** button, then **Scan receipt or invoice**. You can also tap the **Scan** button in the transaction editor's toolbar, or touch and hold the Accountant icon on your home screen and tap **Scan receipt or invoice**.
2. Point the camera at the receipt and take the photo, or tap the gallery button to choose an existing picture. Long receipts are supported.
3. Wait while the app shows **Reading receipt…**.
4. On **Review scanned receipt**, check the **Payee**, **Date**, **Type**, **Total** and the accounts. Tap **Type** to change it, for example between a payment and a credit purchase. Then choose:
   * **Use these** to fill in the transaction editor
   * **Read again** to read the same photo again
   * **Rescan** to take the photo again
   * **Enter manually** to type the details yourself
5. The editor opens with the reminder *"Check amounts, dates, and accounts before saving."* Review everything, then tap **Save**.

The receipt photo is attached to the transaction automatically.

{% hint style="info" %}
**The first time** you scan, the app downloads its receipt scanner from Google Play (*Downloading receipt scanner*, with the size so far). This happens once.
{% endhint %}

## How the receipt is read

* **Text recognition runs on your phone.** A second reader handles faint and dot-matrix print.
* If you've set up an [AI provider](/accountant/ai-accountant/setting-up-ai.md), it turns the receipt into a transaction: payee, date, items and accounts.
  * **Cloud provider:** the photo and the recognized text are sent to that provider, if its model can read pictures. Otherwise only the text is sent.
  * **On-device model:** everything stays on your phone.
  * If the AI gives nothing back, the app asks once more. If it still can't, the review says *"The AI couldn't read this receipt, so these are the basic reader's guesses."* Tap **AI settings** to check your provider.
* The app checks what was read against the receipt itself, such as the total against the item lines. A discount line, such as a senior citizen discount, is taken off the items in proportion.
* **Payee:** the store's name is taken from the top of the receipt, skipping its address, phone number, tax ID and website. If it matches a name already in your ledger, the review says *"Matched to a saved payee."*
* **Date and time:** the time printed on the receipt becomes the transaction's time. A date that could be read two ways, such as 11/02/2026, is decided by the other dates on the receipt, and a date in the future is never used.
* Without AI, the app uses a basic reader (*Using basic reader…*) that finds the payee, total and date. You choose the accounts yourself.

## Money received or paid?

Set your **Owner or business name** in **Settings › AI features › Owner or business name**, as it's printed on receipts you issue. A receipt issued under that name is recorded as money you received; all others are money you paid. The review's **Type** row says why:

* *"Under your name, so it's money received. Tap to change."*
* *"Not under your name, so it's money paid. Tap to change."*
* *"No name set in AI settings, so it's money paid. Tap to change."*

## Paid by card

When a receipt shows a card's last 4 digits, such as *VISA \*\*\*\*4417*, the app looks for the card:

* Digits that match a credit card's **Card ending in** (in its [Payment settings](/accountant/planning/credit-cards.md)) make it a **credit purchase** on that card.
* Digits that match a bank account's **Debit card ending in** or account number (in its [Bank details](/accountant/accounts/bank-details.md)) make it a **payment** from that account.
* If no account matches, the wording on the receipt decides between a payment and a credit purchase, and you pick the account.

## When no account fits

If no account matches the receipt, the review says *"Choose the accounts next."* If only one side was found, it says *"Choose the paying account next."* or *"Choose the receiving account next."*

To let AI suggest a new account instead, turn on **Settings › AI features › Automatically add missing accounts**. Suggested accounts appear as **New draft account** and are labelled **Draft**. They're only added to your chart of accounts when you post the transaction.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Reading receipts needs Google Play services for text recognition. On devices without them, the scanner can take the photo but can't read it. Attach the photo and enter the details by hand instead.
{% endhint %}

## If the scan fails

* *"Couldn't read this receipt."* Tap **Try again** in better light with the whole receipt in the frame, rescan it, or tap **Enter manually**.
* *"Couldn't download the receipt scanner. Try again later."* Check your connection and scan again.
* *"Not enough storage to download the receipt scanner."* Free up some space on your phone.