Typing the shop, the date and the total off a crumpled till receipt is the fiddliest part of an expense claim. When you add a receipt to a claim line, Scoutworks now reads those three details for you and fills them in. You check them, fix anything that looks wrong, and submit as normal.
Where to find this
Open Finance → Expense Claims and choose Submit a claim. On any line, add a receipt in the Receipts section. Drop in a file, choose Browse, or use Camera on your phone to photograph the receipt.
There is nothing to switch on. Scanning starts as soon as the receipt is added.
What gets filled in
While the receipt is being read, you'll see Reading receipt… under it. This usually takes a few seconds. When it finishes, any of these fields that you haven't filled in yourself are completed:
| Field | Filled with |
|---|---|
| Description | The shop or business name, for example "Hilltop Stores" |
| Amount | The total you paid, after any discounts |
| Date | The date on the receipt |
| Category | The category your group used last time for the same shop |
Each field filled from the receipt shows a small From receipt mark next to its label. The mark disappears as soon as you change the value.
A field that can't be read clearly is left blank rather than guessed. If a detail is missing, type it in as usual.
Photos and PDFs
- Photos — a clear, flat photo with the total and date visible gives the best result.
- PDF receipts — for example, an online order confirmation saved as a PDF. These are read from the text inside the PDF.
- Scanned PDFs and saved emails (
.eml,.msg) — these can't be read. Attach them as normal and enter the details yourself.
If the receipt is already on another claim
If the same receipt file is already on another claim in your group, you'll see a warning with that claim's reference, for example This receipt is already on claim EXP-202609-0007. It's only a warning, so you can still submit. It helps stop the same purchase being claimed twice by mistake.
When a receipt can't be scanned
Scanning is there to save time. It never stops you submitting a claim. If a receipt can't be read, a short message says why, and you enter the details yourself:
| Message says | What it means |
|---|---|
| We couldn't read this receipt | The photo was too blurry, dark or cropped. Enter the details yourself. |
| This PDF has no text we can read | The PDF is a scanned picture rather than a text document. |
| Your group has used this month's scans | Your group has reached its monthly scanning limit. It resets on the 1st. |
| Your group's AI model can't read photos | See the next section. |
Groups using their own AI provider
If your group has connected its own AI provider, receipts are scanned with your provider and the model you chose. That model must be able to read images. If it can't, you'll see a message, and a group admin can pick a different model in Settings → Integrations. Scans on your own provider don't count towards the monthly limit.
What's next
- Submitting and approving expense claims — the full claim flow, from submitting to getting paid
- Reviewing and paying expense claims — what the treasurer sees
- Connecting your own AI provider — choosing a provider and model for your group
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Related guidesSubmitting and Approving Expense Claims
How leaders submit expense claims with receipts and how treasurers approve and record reimbursements.
Read articleReviewing and Paying Expense Claims
How treasurers and approvers review claims line by line, pay suppliers direct, and keep everything tidy on the Claims & Payments page.
Read articleConnecting Your Own AI Provider
How group admins connect the group's own OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or xAI account so Scoutworks AI features run on it — for control over where your data is processed and no monthly limit.
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