About the AI receipt scanner

Use the WorkflowMAX mobile app to photograph receipts, let AI extract the details, and create job costs in a few taps. This article explains how to turn on the feature, who can use it, and the full step‑by‑step flow from scan through to job cost creation.

Who can use this feature?

• Staff privileges (My Receipts / All Receipts)
  • My Receipts
    • No Access – cannot see or upload your own receipts.
    • View/Create – can view and upload your own receipts.
    • Full Access – can view, create, and delete your own receipts.
  • All Receipts
    • No Access – cannot see anyone else’s receipts.
    • View Only Access – can view all receipts for all staff.
    • View/Create – can view all receipts and upload on behalf of others.
    • Full Access – can view, create and delete receipts for any staff member.

Where to find your receipts

In the mobile app

• Open the WorkflowMAX mobile app.
• Use the bottom navigation bar and tap or Expenses.
• You’ll see:
  • A Scan new receipt button.
  • Lists of your receipts, usually grouped as:
    • My Expenses – receipts you created.
    • All Expenses – receipts created by anyone, if you have access.
  • Tabs or filters for Draft and Submitted receipts.

• Expense Manager — search & filters
  • Date
  • Supplier
  • Job number
  • Status (Draft / Submitted)
  • Created by

  From here you can open the receipt image and view the associated job cost.

Scan a new receipt

1. Start a new scan

• In the mobile app, go to the Expenses tab.
• Tap Scan new receipt.
• If asked, grant Camera permission:
  • If you deny access, you’ll see a message explaining how to turn it back on in your device settings.
  • The scan button stays hidden until camera access is granted.

2. Capture the receipt

• The camera opens in full‑screen.
• Place your receipt on a flat, well‑lit surface.
• Fill the frame with the receipt so all key details (supplier, date, totals) are visible.
• Tap the capture button to take a photo.
• If the photo is blurry or cut off, you can retake it in the next step.

3. Confirm or retake the photo

After capturing, you’ll see a preview screen with your receipt image. You can:

• Retake – opens the camera again so you can take another photo.
• Continue / Use this photo – sends the photo for AI extraction.

You can pinch to zoom and check that:

• The receipt is in focus.
• Nothing important (totals, supplier, tax) is cut off.

• Extraction errors

  Infrastructure error

  • You’ll see an error message.
  • The app will NOT save a draft for this failed attempt.
  • You can retry scanning.

  Invalid or unreadable receipt

  • You’ll see a message explaining that no usable information was identified in the photo you submitted.
  • Try retaking the photo in better lighting, or flattening a crumpled receipt.

Review and edit the extracted data

The Review screen shows your receipt image alongside the data the AI extracted. You can edit everything before you submit.

Key fields you’ll see:

• Type – usually defaults to Job Cost.
• Job – the job you want to allocate this cost to.
• Extract as:
  • Line items – each item on the receipt becomes a separate line.
  • Consolidated – a single cost line using the total amount.
• Date of receipt – from the receipt.
• Supplier – the business that issued the receipt.
• Line items – description, quantity, unit cost, tax rate, line total.

• Tax handling

  Tax is determined from the receipt and your organisation’s tax rates:

  • If the receipt shows a tax rate (e.g. 10%), that rate is used.
  • If the rate is not clearly printed, the system calculates the rate from tax amount and total.

  The extracted tax rate is matched to your organisation’s tax settings:

  • If there’s a match → that tax rate is applied.
  • If not → tax rate defaults to 0%, and line totals are treated as excluding tax.

  For suppliers with a zero default tax rate:

  • If the receipt itself shows tax, the receipt’s tax is used (the supplier default is ignored).

Save as draft vs Submit

At any time from the review screen you can:

• Save as Draft
  • Saves your progress even if you haven’t chosen a Job or Supplier yet.
  • The receipt appears in the Draft list under My Expenses (and All Expenses, if you have access).
  • You or someone with appropriate permissions can open it again later to finish.
• Submit
  • Runs validation to make sure required fields are filled (job, supplier, date, at least one valid line item).
  • If required information is missing, you’ll see clear error messages against the relevant fields.
  • Once validated, you move into supplier and job linking, and then final cost creation.

Select or create a supplier

On the Supplier step, you connect the receipt to a supplier in your WorkflowMAX account.

Use an existing supplier

• Search by supplier name in the supplier search bar.
• You’ll see sections such as:
  • Recent – recently used suppliers.
  • All – the full supplier list.
• If the AI detected a supplier name that exactly matches an existing supplier, that supplier is highlighted and can be selected immediately.
• Tap a supplier to link it to the receipt.

Create a new supplier

• If the supplier doesn’t exist yet, tap Create new supplier.
• Fill in details such as: Name (required), Postal address, Country, Phone/fax, Email/website, Relevant financial settings.
• If the name exactly matches an existing supplier, you’ll see a warning and can choose to use the existing record instead.
• When saved, the new supplier is created and automatically linked to your receipt.

Link the receipt to a job

• Tap the Job field.
• Search by job name, job number or client name.
• List is grouped into Recent Jobs and My Jobs.
• Permissions affect what you see.

• Submit & what happens next

  When you tap Submit the system validates required fields and permissions, applies tax logic, links the receipt to the selected job and supplier, creates job cost(s) and attaches the receipt image to the job’s documents. The receipt’s status changes from Draft to Submitted and appears in the Submitted tab.

• Troubleshooting
  • I don’t see the Scan new receipt button — ask your admin to enable the Mobile OCR/Receipt Scanner feature and confirm your AI Expense Scanner permissions.
  • The app can’t access my camera — Android: Settings → Apps → WorkflowMAX → Permissions → Camera → Allow. iOS: Settings → WorkflowMAX → Camera → Enable.
  • The wrong supplier or tax rate is detected — select or create the correct supplier; adjust tax rates on line items.
  • Job is missing from the Job list — check job permissions with your admin.