How to Scan Receipts with Camera

Overview

Akili Apps' AI-powered receipt scanning uses your camera or phone to capture receipts and automatically extract expense data. No more manual typing—just snap a photo and let OCR (Optical Character Recognition) do the work.

What You'll Learn

How to scan receipts with your camera
Taking the best receipt photos
Understanding OCR data extraction
Reviewing and confirming scanned data
Troubleshooting scanning issues
Batch scanning multiple receipts

Starting a Receipt Scan

From Desktop

Click "Scan Receipt" button in quick actions
Choose method:
- "Take Photo" - Use webcam (if available)
- "Upload Image" - Select file from computer
- "Mobile Scan" - QR code appears; scan with phone to use mobile camera
Follow on-screen instructions

From Mobile App

Tap the "+" button (bottom center)
Select "Scan Receipt"
Camera opens automatically
Position receipt in frame
Tap capture button

Or use quick camera:

Swipe right from home screen
Camera opens directly to receipt mode

Taking the Perfect Receipt Photo

Positioning

Do:

✅ Place receipt on flat, contrasting surface
✅ Ensure entire receipt is visible in frame
✅ Hold camera parallel to receipt (not at angle)
✅ Fill frame with receipt (get close)
✅ Include all edges

Don't:

❌ Take photos at extreme angles
❌ Cut off any part of receipt
❌ Include multiple receipts in one photo
❌ Use flash on reflective thermal paper

Lighting

Best lighting:

Natural daylight (near window)
Evenly lit room
Overhead lighting

Avoid:

Direct harsh shadows
Extreme backlighting
Very dim environments
Glare from flash on thermal receipts

Tip: For thermal receipts (faded), increase contrast by placing on dark surface.

Receipt Condition

Crumpled receipts:

Smooth out as much as possible
Can still scan, but OCR accuracy may decrease

Faded receipts:

Scan immediately before they fade further
Increase photo contrast
Use dark background
May need manual review

Long receipts:

Fold neatly if needed
Or scan in sections (top half, bottom half)
System can stitch together

The Scanning Process

Step-by-Step

Capture photo
- Tap shutter button
- Or use volume button (mobile)
- Preview appears
Adjust image (if needed)
- Crop to receipt edges
- Rotate if upside-down
- Adjust brightness/contrast
- Tap "Use Photo"
AI Processing (2-5 seconds)
- "Analyzing receipt..." message
- OCR extracts data
- Progress indicator shown
Review extracted data
- Merchant name
- Date
- Total amount
- Tax amount (GST/HST)
- Individual line items (Pro/Growth plans)
- Payment method (if detectable)
Confirm or edit
- Green checkmarks indicate high confidence
- Yellow warnings indicate low confidence (review these)
- Edit any incorrect fields
- Tap "Save Expense"

What Gets Extracted

Advanced OCR (Professional & Growth Plans):

✅ All standard fields
✅ Tax breakdown (GST, PST, HST)
✅ Line items with descriptions
✅ Payment method
✅ Receipt number
✅ Suggested category (AI-powered)
✅ Address (if needed)

Confidence Scoring

Understanding Confidence Levels

High Confidence (95-100%)

✅ Green checkmark
Data very likely correct
Safe to accept as-is
Still reviewable

Medium Confidence (70-95%)

⚠️ Yellow warning
Data probably correct
Recommend quick review
Common on faded receipts

Low Confidence (<70%)

❌ Red alert
Data uncertain
Manual review required
Often on damaged receipts

What Affects Confidence

High confidence factors:

Clear, sharp image
Good lighting
Standard receipt format
Well-known merchants
Fresh thermal paper

Low confidence factors:

Blurry image
Faded ink
Unusual receipt format
Handwritten receipts
Damaged receipts

Reviewing Scanned Data

Quick Review Checklist

Before saving, verify:

Merchant name - Correct and consistently spelled
Date - Correct format (YYYY-MM-DD)
Amount - Matches receipt total
Tax - Accurate GST/HST
Category - Appropriate CRA category

Common OCR Errors

Merchant name:

"STAPL3S" → "STAPLES"
"TIM H0RT0NS" → "TIM HORTONS"
Fix: Auto-complete suggests correct names

Date:

2025/11/13 → 2025-11-13
Fix: Date picker for easy selection

Amount:

$45.9 → $45.90
$1,234 → $1,234.00 (missing decimal)
Fix: Manual entry with proper format

Tax:

Combined tax → Split GST/HST
Fix: Tax calculator auto-splits

Batch Scanning Multiple Receipts

Scanning Many Receipts at Once

Method 1: Rapid Capture (Mobile)

Open receipt scanner
Enable "Batch Mode"
Tap capture for each receipt
Photos queued for processing
Review all at once after scanning
Approve or edit each expense

Benefits:

Scan 10-20 receipts in minutes
Process later when convenient
Don't lose momentum

Method 2: Multi-Upload (Desktop)

Click "Scan Receipt"
Select "Upload Multiple"
Choose multiple receipt images
All upload and process
Review queue appears
Approve one by one

Weekly Receipt Processing

Recommended workflow:

Collect receipts throughout week
Batch scan on Friday afternoon or Monday morning
Review queue - Process all at once
Save time - 30 minutes for whole week

Attaching Scanned Receipts to Existing Expenses

Scan and Attach

Already created expense manually? Add receipt:

Open existing expense
Click "Add Receipt"
Scan or upload receipt image
OCR processes receipt
Option to update expense with OCR data
- Update amount if different
- Update date if different
- Keep current data
Receipt attached to expense

Smart Matching

AI automatically matches receipts to expenses:

Scans unmatched receipts
Looks for similar expenses within ±3 days
Matches based on amount and merchant
Suggests matches
One-click to connect

See Receipt Matching guide.

Mobile vs. Desktop Scanning

Mobile Advantages

✅ Scan on-the-go immediately after purchase
✅ Never lose receipts
✅ Higher quality camera
✅ Better portability
✅ Batch mode easier

Desktop Advantages

✅ Larger screen for review
✅ Keyboard for faster editing
✅ Bulk upload from folder
✅ Better for historical receipts
✅ Multi-monitor workflow

Recommendation: Scan with mobile, review on desktop if needed.

Supported File Formats

Image formats:

JPG/JPEG
PNG
HEIC (iPhone photos)
GIF
BMP
TIFF

Document formats:

PDF (single or multi-page)
Each PDF page processed separately

File size:

Maximum: 10MB per file
Recommended: 2-5MB for faster processing

Tips for Best Results

Before scanning:

Smooth out wrinkles
Place on contrasting surface
Ensure good lighting
Check entire receipt is visible

During scanning:

Hold steady (avoid blur)
Fill frame with receipt
Use grid lines for alignment
Tap to focus if needed

After scanning:

Review confidence scores
Check yellow/red flagged fields
Verify merchant name spelling
Confirm amount and tax

General:

Scan receipts immediately (before fading)
Use batch mode for efficiency
Save originals for 6 years (CRA requirement)
Back up receipt images to cloud

Common Questions

Q: How accurate is the OCR? A: 95%+ accuracy on clear receipts. Always review before saving.

Q: Can I scan handwritten receipts? A: Yes, but accuracy is lower (60-80%). Manual review required.

Q: What if the receipt is in French? A: OCR supports English and French. Extracts data accurately from both languages.

Q: Can I scan receipts from my email? A: Yes! Forward receipt emails to receipts@akiliapps.com. System extracts attachments and processes them.

Q: How long are receipt images stored? A: Forever (as long as your account is active). Both Professional and Growth plans include unlimited storage.

Q: Can I delete the paper receipt after scanning? A: CRA recommends keeping originals for 6 years. Scan for convenience, but keep physical copies.

Q: What if OCR gets the amount wrong? A: Always review and correct before saving. System learns from corrections.

Q: Can I scan receipts for past expenses? A: Yes! Scan anytime and attach to existing expenses or create new historical expense.

Uploading Receipts - Upload from computer
Receipt OCR - Understanding OCR
Managing Receipts - View, edit, delete receipts
Receipt Matching - Match to expenses
Creating Expenses - Manual entry alternative

Need More Help?

Contact support at support@akiliapps.com or use the live chat in the bottom right corner of the app.

Index Uploading Receipts