Read a bill or receipt with AI

Instead of typing a vendor’s bill or a receipt, let AI read it. The document is attached to the record, the fields fill in for you to check, and nothing is saved until you press the form’s own button.

Who can do this

Owners, and Staff whose Team has Use AI features and the right to create the bill or submit the expense. Field users can read their own receipts in the field app. AI and Read bills and receipts must be on in Settings › AI assistant.

Read a vendor’s bill

1. Start a new vendor bill — In Vendor Bills, press New vendor bill.

2. Press Read from document — It’s in the header card. Choose or drop the vendor’s PDF or photo. It’s attached to the bill either way. This can take up to 30 seconds; you can keep working on the bill.

3. Check what filled in — The vendor, bill number, dates, currency and lines fill in, each marked Suggested by AI. Spine matches the vendor and items to yours and works out the totals itself.

4. Save it — Press Save as draft or Save and record (which asks first, as usual).

• A new vendor is offered as “New vendor: name”. Nothing is created until you confirm it.
• Totals that don’t agree — Spine says what the document says and what the lines add up to. Check the lines before saving.
• A possible duplicate — if the bill number matches one of this vendor’s bills, you see the duplicate warning before saving.
• A PDF or photo already attached offers Read too.

Read a receipt into an expense

1. Add the receipt — On the expense form, add the receipt as the first file.

2. Press Read receipt — It’s under the receipt’s preview. Date, amount, currency, tax, category and description fill in, marked Suggested by AI. The category is always one of yours, or left empty.

3. Submit — Check it and press Submit expense. Approval works as usual.

On the phone (field app)

On the New expense screen, photograph the receipt and tap Read receipt. Amount, date, category and description fill in, marked Suggested by AI; change anything before submitting. Offline, the button shows “Needs a connection — fill it in, or read it later.” and the expense queues as usual.

Caution

Read receipt isn’t offered in Labour mode. On a record you’re fixing, AI only fills empty fields and offers Replace my entries for the rest. A model that can’t read images can’t read photos; you’ll be asked to choose one that can, or enter it by hand.

See Purchases for bills and expenses.