Ranking updated
How to organize receipts
Receipts are only useful at the moment you need one: a return, a warranty claim, an expense report, a tax question. The problem is that by then the paper has faded, been thrown away or is somewhere in a coat pocket. Organizing receipts is mostly one habit: capture each one on the day, and file it by what you might need it for.
A simple capture and filing habit, then apps that do the reading for you, with a section for receipt apps rising by visits on the Censuus ranking. How long you must keep records for tax depends on your country; check with your tax office or accountant.
Receipt apps rising by visits and sponsorship on Censuus
Younger apps from independent developers that read receipts from a photo:
KapikApp Storesnap a receipt and it fills in the store, amount, date and items, or log a spend by hand in seconds.- Your app hereFree, foreverList my app
Life Receipts: Proof KeeperApp Storekeeps everyday proof private and usable, for receipts you hold onto as evidence rather than for budgeting.Traty: Receipt Expense TrackerGoogle Playan Android app that reads every line of a receipt photo, the store, the date and each item, and sorts the items into categories.
Capture on the day
The receipt that gets photographed at the till or on the kitchen table that evening is the one you will find later. Make it part of putting the shopping away. Thermal paper fades, so a photo is often the only copy that will still be readable in a year.
File by purpose, not by shop
Ask one question per receipt: why might I need this? A returnable item, something under warranty, a work expense, a tax-relevant cost, or nothing. Most everyday receipts fall into the last group and can be thrown away once the purchase is fine. The others go into a folder for their purpose.
Clear the short-term pile
Receipts kept only for returns lose their value when the return window closes. Clearing them once a month keeps the important ones easy to find. Warranty receipts are worth attaching to the item itself in a home inventory, so the proof and the product are in one place.
Let an app read the receipt
Receipt apps read the store, date and amount from a photo, and some read every line item, which turns receipts into spending data as well as proof. Compare them in receipt scanner apps; for warranty items, see home inventory apps.
| Receipt for | What to keep | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Returns | until the return window closes | a short-term folder you clear out |
| Warranty items | as long as the warranty runs | next to the product or in your home inventory |
| Work expenses | until reimbursed and as your employer requires | an expense folder or app |
| Tax and business | as long as your tax rules require | a yearly folder, backed up |
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to organize receipts?
Photograph each receipt on the day, decide what it is for, returns, warranty, work expense, tax or nothing, and file it in a folder or app for that purpose.
How long should I keep receipts?
Returns receipts until the window closes, warranty receipts for the life of the warranty, and tax records for as long as your country requires. Check with your tax office or accountant.
Is a photo of a receipt as good as the paper?
Often a clear photo is accepted and lasts longer than thermal paper, but rules differ by shop, employer and tax authority, so check what they require.