Scanning a receipt with your phone
A receipt in your glove box is a receipt you forget. Photograph it right there at the wholesaler; the app reads the amount, the VAT and the supplier for you in advance.
How to do it
- 1In the app, open Purchase invoices or Supplier and choose Scan receipt.
- 2Give the app permission to use the camera when it asks for it.
- 3Lay the receipt flat and hold your phone straight above it, with the whole receipt inside the frame. If it is dark, turn on the flash.
- 4Take the photo. If you already have it in your camera roll, choose Choose from gallery.
- 5You arrive at the check screen. Go through the amount including VAT, the VAT rate, the date and the supplier, and fill in whatever stayed empty.
- 6Choose the category the expense falls under, and if you want, link the receipt to a job that is running.
- 7Click Save receipt. The receipt is now in your purchasing, with the photo as supporting evidence.
What the app fills in itself
The app reads the text on the receipt and tries to pull out the total amount, the VAT amount, the VAT rate, the date and the name of the supplier. That often works, but not always: a thermal till receipt fades, digits run into each other and columns stick together.
If the app is unsure about a field, it leaves it empty. That is on purpose: an empty field that you fill in is better than a wrong amount that slips into your bookkeeping unseen.
The reading happens on your phone itself. So the text of your receipt does not go anywhere; only the photo ends up in your own storage as supporting evidence.
Good to know
- You can only link the receipt to jobs that are still running, so with the status Scheduled, On the way or In progress. Finished jobs are not among the choices.
- The VAT amount is calculated from the amount including VAT and the rate you choose. If it is not right, adjust the rate.
- In the web app you can also simply enter a receipt by hand, under Purchasing and then Receipts. There you upload the photo with it yourself.
Not working?
- All the fields stay empty after the photo.
- The automatic reading does not work on every device and every version of the app. The screen then works the way it always did: you fill in the amount, VAT, date and supplier yourself and save. The photo is kept as normal.
- The camera stays black or you cannot take a photo.
- The camera permission is probably switched off. Turn it on in your phone's settings, under the TelMaar app. If it still does not work, take the photo with your normal camera app and then pick it through Choose from gallery.
Last checked on 28 August 2026
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