How to capture receipt photos

In this article, you’ll learn how to take clear, readable photos of your receipts so they’re easy to review and more likely to be captured accurately.

Capture your receipt photo

1. Place the receipt on a flat surface and flatten it (avoid wrinkles)
2. Use bright, even light (daylight near a window is ideal)
3. Hold your phone parallel to the receipt (top-down), not at an angle
4. Make sure the receipt fills most of the frame, and all corners are visible
5. Tap to focus on the text, then take the photo

Make sure key details are readable

Your photo should clearly show (without blur or glare):

• Merchant/supplier name
• Date
• Total amount
• Currency
• VAT/tax (if needed for your expense or bookkeeping)

Handle long or multi-page receipts

1. If the receipt is too long for one clear photo, take multiple photos
   • Include overlap between photos so nothing is missing
   • Try to capture the header (merchant + date) in the first photo
   • Try to capture the total in the last photo
2. For multi-page documents, capture pages in order
   • Ensure each page is fully visible (no cropped edges)
   • Make sure the text is readable (no blur)
   • Keep lighting consistent across pages

Quick don’ts

• Don’t crop off the top or bottom of the receipt
• Don’t take photos with glare (tilt the receipt slightly or change the light source)
• Don’t take photos with motion blur (steady hands; rest elbows on a surface if needed)
• Don’t rely on one zoomed-out photo if the text becomes unreadable — take closer shots instead
• Don’t take photos with flash; only use it if the image is too dark.