Photograph business receipts clearly with your phone

A receipt photo is useful only if another person can read it later. Before uploading, check the supplier, purchase date, items, totals, and tax details at the image's normal viewing size. A neat thumbnail does not prove that the small print is readable in the original.

Use the phone's ordinary camera and then select the photo from your camera roll in Just Invoice. The upload workflow accepts supported receipt images; it does not perform OCR, extract totals, or determine tax eligibility. Your job at capture is to preserve the document faithfully and add the correct purchase date.

Prepare the receipt and light

Place the receipt flat on a contrasting surface. Use steady, even light and avoid casting the phone's shadow across the total. Flash can create glare on glossy paper, so compare the result before keeping it. Flatten folds enough to reveal printed information without altering the document.

Hold the camera parallel to the page. A steep angle can stretch text and make one end unreadable. Fill most of the frame while keeping the edges visible. Leave enough margin that the supplier name and final total are not accidentally cropped when the picture is selected or viewed.

Inspect the photograph before uploading

Zoom into the date and tax lines. Check that digits are distinguishable and that the bottom of the document is present. For a long receipt, use a source PDF when available; otherwise choose a capture method that preserves all relevant information. Do not upload a cropped top half as though it were the whole purchase document.

For example, a hardware receipt may show the store and item list clearly but lose the final totals to glare. Retake it while the paper is still available. Adding a description of the total does not repair missing source evidence.

Save the correct date and context

Select the image, choose the actual purchase date, and add a short explanation if needed. The current date is a default, not an instruction to classify every old receipt under today. A December purchase captured in January should retain its December purchase date.

Wait until the upload succeeds. Selecting a file or seeing a preview during the form does not mean the document is stored. Keep the source photo until you have opened the saved receipt and verified it. Native uploads need a connection and an open upload screen; do not assume a background queue will finish an interrupted session.

Preserve the original meaning

Avoid filters, retouching, or replacing printed information with text. If the receipt is already faded or incomplete, request a supplier copy instead of reconstructing it from memory. The customer can explain what happened, while the accountant decides what additional evidence is needed.

Use the blurry-receipt checklist for problem images and the purchase-date guide for correct retrieval.