Upload a receipt
Use Smart Capture to snap a photo and let Acctally extract the details automatically.
Smart Capture
Snap it. We read it. You're done.
Tired of typing in receipt details? Just take a photo. Acctally's Smart Capture reads receipts and invoices, extracts the important information, and creates a transaction for you to review.
📱 Phone camera → 🤖 AI extraction → ✅ Ready to approve
What Smart Capture extracts
Point your camera at a receipt or invoice, and Acctally pulls out:
Vendor / Merchant
"Shoprite," "Total Energies," "Chicken Republic"
Total amount
The final amount you paid, including VAT
Date
When the transaction happened
Receipt / Invoice number
For matching and reference
Line items
Individual items with quantities and prices
Payment method
Cash, POS, transfer (when printed on receipt)
How to upload
Three ways to get your receipts into Acctally:
Option 1: Camera (recommended)
Click the camera icon or + Upload Receipt button. Your phone camera opens. Snap the receipt. Done.
Best for: Receipts you just received. Snap it before you lose it!
Option 2: Upload file
Drag and drop or browse to select a file. Works with images (JPG, PNG) and PDFs.
Best for: Digital invoices, email attachments, or photos already on your device.
Option 3: Forward email
Forward invoices to your dedicated Acctally email address. We extract them automatically.
Best for: Recurring digital invoices from suppliers.
What happens next?
Upload starts processing
You'll see a spinner while Smart Capture reads the document (usually 2-5 seconds)
Data is extracted
Vendor, amount, date, line items are pulled from the image
Transaction is created
A draft expense appears with fields pre-filled
You review and approve
Check the details, pick a category, select the money account, and save
The original document is stored forever. You can always view the original receipt attached to the transaction. Perfect for audits.
Tips for best results
What if Smart Capture gets it wrong?
AI is smart but not perfect. Sometimes the extraction might be off, especially with:
- Faded or damaged receipts
- Handwritten receipts
- Very small or unusual fonts
- Receipts in languages we don't support yet
No worries, you can edit!
All extracted data is editable. Just fix any mistakes before saving. The original image stays attached so you can always reference it.
If confidence is low, the transaction goes to your review queue automatically so you know to double-check it.
Receipts vs Invoices
Smart Capture handles both, but they work slightly differently:
🧾 Receipts
Proof you already paid. Creates an expense transaction immediately.
Fuel receipt, supermarket POS slip, restaurant bill
📄 Invoices
A bill you haven't paid yet. Creates a payable you can track and pay later.
Utility bill, supplier invoice, professional services bill
Acctally auto-detects which type it is based on the document content. You can change it if we guess wrong.
Next steps
Learn how to import transactions from CSV or bank feeds, or see what happens after you record.