Automatic reading of expense receipts

Before getting started

On the mobile app, when you photograph a receipt using the camera on your smartphone or tablet, Cleemy Expenses automatically creates an expense.

On the web interface, when you import a receipt or if you transfer it by email, Cleemy Expenses also automatically creates an expense. 

When you add the receipt, Cleemy Expenses applies character recognition to extract the amount, the date, tax amounts, the supplier, the currency, and the type of expense. When data has been detected, the expense created following a receipt being added is completed with this data.

Activating and configuring the feature

This feature needs to be activated by an administrator, from the "General" page in the Settings menu. 

If the feature is not enabled, receipts will be automatically converted into expenses; only character detection will be disabled. The expense will be rendered invalid and a request for additional information from the employee will be made.

Following activation of the service, your employees will also need to update the settings of their mobile app (via its menu) to immediately use the feature. If they don’t do this, they’ll still have access to the feature later: the settings are automatically updated every two days on the web. The allocation of expenses recognized via automatic reading to an expense nature is based on the natures mapping table.

What is this feature?

In the mobile app, the "camera" button on the home page lets employees take a photo of their receipt, which will then make it possible to create an expense. 

In the web interface: the "import a receipt" button or the drag-and-drop field for a receipt lets users create an expense.

With this feature, the image is automatically enhanced (brightness, contrast, conversion to black & white) and cropped. This enhanced image is then used as a preview of the receipt, which makes it much easier for controllers to read.

Once photographed, the receipt is sent to the Cleemy Expenses server, which will coordinate the extraction of the data found in the image:

• The feature requires network access. You can photograph new receipts in offline mode, but they’ll only be processed once the mobile device has access to the network.
• It takes a few seconds for receipts to be processed once they’ve been uploaded online. Receipts being processed are represented in an expense entitled "Receipt processing":

• On the web app: It takes just over 10 seconds for receipts to be processed. Receipts being processed are represented in an expense entitled "Processing":

This feature is therefore particularly suited to users who photograph their receipts as they get them and then submit their expense report later, as well as to those who create their expense report all at once, at the end of the month, for example.

Whether it’s successful or not, the receipt is always automatically converted into an expense. All the user has to do is fill it out according to the elements provided (or not) by the recognition (for example, by providing guest information) before submitting it in their expense report.

If there is already an expense with the same characteristics (date and amount) but to which no receipt is attached, Cleemy Expenses will carry out a reconciliation and attach the interpreted receipt to the expense, adjusting its VAT, if required.

When the image quality is too poor for character recognition to work (image too dark, extremely crumpled receipt or a receipt that’s difficult to decipher), the image will still be associated with an expense, but it will be invalid pending additional information.

Warnings and identification of expenses to be controlled

Thanks to the automatic scanning feature, Cleemy Expenses offers warnings to facilitate the identification of expenses requiring control if:

• the information entered by the user is different from the information shown on the receipt

• the automatic reading was unsuccessful

These warnings concern the amount and date fields and are only visible in the approval interfaces (web and mobile) and control interfaces of Cleemy Expenses.

If warnings are legitimate, we recommend refusing the expense, specifying the reason corresponding to the situation.

Please note:

• Expenses with a nature subject to flat-rate reimbursement will not trigger these warnings for the amount field
• hotel receipts are not affected by warnings for the Date field

Optimizing recognition rates

Photographing data in receipts uses technology that is constantly being improved but which does not yet allow for all receipts to be successfully read.

• We’ve focused on receipts from meals, gas stations, tolls, and parking lots. They represent 70% of all expenses. Invoices from your suppliers in PDF format are also supported.
• The feature is officially available for receipts in Europe and North America (United States and Canada). Recognition rates for receipts from other countries may be significantly lower. Only receipts in Latin characters are supported to date.
• Handwritten receipts are not supported.
• Significantly crumpled or folded receipts have lower reading rates: smooth out your receipts before photographing them.
• The image quality hugely influences the success rate: try to take photos in a location with sufficient lighting and check that your camera is focusing on the text.