Be honest – where are your receipts right now?
If the answer is “glovebox, handbag, kitchen drawer and possibly the washing machine”, you’re in good company. Receipts are the bit of bookkeeping nearly everyone puts off, and then January arrives and you’re trying to work out what a faded slip from a shop was for.
Last week we went through what you can claim as a consultant. This week is about the easiest way we know to actually record it.
How it works
Receipt scanning is built into the Pulse mobile app, on the same screen you already use to add an expense.
- Open Pulse on your phone and tap Log Expense
- Tap Receipt Photo and take a picture of the receipt
- Tap Auto Scan Receipt
- Pulse reads the receipt and fills in the date, description, amount and category for you
- Check it over, change anything that’s not right, and save
That’s it. The photo is stored against the expense, so if HMRC ever asks to see it, it’s there – even if the paper copy has long since gone through the wash.
A quick example
Kelly stops at the supermarket on the way to group to pick up ingredients for a taster session, along with a few bits for home.
She photographs the receipt in the car park and taps Auto Scan. Because there’s more than one item on it, Pulse shows her a list of everything it found, with a tick box beside each one.
- Fruit, vegetables and paper plates for the taster – ticked
- Washing powder and a birthday card – she unticks these
- The bottle of wine was already unticked, with a note explaining why
The total updates as she ticks, and only the £8.40 of business items is saved as an expense. The whole thing takes under a minute, and she drives off without needing to remember anything later.
You’re still in charge
The scanner fills in the form – it doesn’t save anything on its own. You always see what it’s read and can change it before saving, which is worth doing. A crumpled receipt or a faint print can trip it up now and then.
If it can’t read something, it leaves that box blank rather than guessing, and tells you so. And if a scan comes back with nothing useful at all, it doesn’t count against your allowance.
How many scans do I get?
It depends on your package:
| Package | Scans each month |
|---|---|
| Essentials, Essentials + MTD, Essentials + Tax Return | 25 |
| Essentials Complete | 50 |
| Premium and VAT Service | Unlimited |
Your allowance resets on the 1st of each month, and the app shows how many you’ve got left under the scan button. If you do run out, you can still add expenses by typing them in and attaching the photo, exactly as before.
For most consultants 25 a month is plenty – that’s a receipt nearly every day.
Quick habits that make it work
- Scan it before you leave the car park. The receipt is in your hand and you remember what it was for. Tomorrow you won’t.
- Do the online ones too. Screenshot the order confirmation and scan that.
Give it a go
If you’re already with us, receipt scanning is in the app now – there’s nothing to switch on. Our guide to adding expenses in the mobile app walks through it with screenshots, and if you get stuck you can message the team through our contact form.
Not a member yet? Have a look at our packages and pricing to see what’s included.
