How to scan a receipt with AI

InnoBooks can read your receipts for you. To scan a receipt right inside the app, upload a photo or PDF from the expense form: the AI recognizes the supplier, date, amount and taxes, then pre-fills the fields. All you have to do is review, pick a category and save.

What you’ll need #

• An InnoBooks account with permission to create expenses
• The receipt or invoice as a file (PDF or image), 5 MB maximum per file
• Your suppliers already saved, for automatic matching (optional)

Steps #

1. Open the new expense form

   Open the Expenses page, then click New Expense at the top right. The expense form opens.

   

2. Upload the receipt

   At the bottom of the form, click Add Attachment, then select the receipt file (PDF or image). Each file is limited to 5 MB.

3. Let the AI read the receipt

   A loading indicator appears while the receipt is analyzed. The AI reads it and automatically pre-fills the Supplier Name, the Date, the amount and the detected taxes. The analysis cost is shown as a small note (Artificial intelligence cost).

4. Review the detected lines

   If the receipt has itemized lines, the Scanned line items section opens. Each line shows a status: Matched, Suggested, No match or Ignored. You can Confirm a suggestion, link an item, Create item or Ignore a line, then click Apply lines to turn them into expense lines.

5. Review, categorize and save

   Check the pre-filled fields, select a Category (required), adjust the Date or supplier if needed, then click Save. The expense is created with the receipt attached.

Tips & edge cases #

• The supplier is auto-filled only when it matches an existing supplier and the field is still empty. Otherwise, pick it (or create it) manually.
• The AI never guesses the category: you must always choose it before saving.
• If the detected currency is US dollars, the warning “The price is in USD” appears — double-check the amount.
• If the line totals don’t match the receipt total, a warning is shown so you can fix it before applying.
• After a scan, a banner may offer Add Equipment from the invoice — handy for an asset purchase.

Frequently asked questions #

Which file formats can I scan? #

You can upload a PDF or an image of your receipt, up to 5 MB per file. The AI reads both PDFs and photos.

Does the AI fill in the expense category? #

No. The AI pre-fills the supplier, date, amount, taxes and lines, but the Category is required and must be chosen manually before you save.

What if no item matches a receipt line? #

The line shows the status No match. You can link it to an existing item, Create item on the spot, or Ignore it — it then stays as a plain, unlinked expense line.

Related articles #

• How to record and categorize an expense
• How to create an item or service