4 Easy Ways to Upload Your Receipt Images to Shoeboxed

Are you tired of dealing with stacks and stacks of receipts every day? Shoeboxed can help remove that stress and get rid of those piles easily. 

We cover 4 different ways to add your paper receipt images straight from your phone and/or Gmail to the Shoeboxed app. It’s easy. We promise!

What is Shoeboxed?

Shoeboxed is a popular receipt scanning app with receipt software that helps you quickly turn your documents into digital, clearly categorized, and secure data. Leveraging AI technology, the Shoeboxed app automatically reads your receipt and selects important data to classify, which then gets checked and verified by a team of human data experts.

Shoeboxed simplifies your accounting and gives you back your time and energy so you can reclaim your billable hours and focus on your profitable pursuits. 

4 simple ways to upload your receipt images to the Shoeboxed app

While you can snap pics of your receipts directly with the Shoeboxed mobile app, there may be times when you only have pictures of receipts (e.g., e-receipts, images of receipts sent from other departments, etc.).

What do you do then? 

Here are four simple solutions for how to add your receipt images to your Shoeboxed app account:

Method 1. Upload receipt images from your photo library 

Allow Shoeboxed access to your photo library, and you’re good to go! Click Add New on the homepage, choose Photo Library, then you can submit receipt images from your phone to the app. It’s as simple as that. 

Step 1. Click on the + symbol.

Step 2. You can choose to take a photo or upload one from your photo library from here.

Method 2. Drag and drop receipt images from your desktop 

Apart from the Shoeboxed mobile app, you can also log in to Shoeboxed to manage your receipts from a web browser. 

Using this method, you can either upload receipt pictures directly from your files or drag any documents to the website and let Shoeboxed take care of the rest. Your receipts will be perfectly scanned, categorized, and human-verified.

The benefits of uploading receipts to a web browser include being able to submit multiple receipts at one time. At the same time, you can only upload one receipt at a time on the mobile app.

Method 3. Email us your receipts in PDF or a photo file.

If you have any receipt images and would rather have them all dealt with in one go, send them in via email!

Every Shoeboxed account has a unique email address with this format: [email protected]. Any receipts sent or forwarded to this email address will be automatically added to your Shoeboxed account.

To find your Shoeboxed email address, go to Settings and click Receipts drop box on the mobile app. On a PC, go to Settings and click General under Account info. 

While Shoeboxed automatically creates your Shoeboxed email address from your username and an auto-generated PIN, you can always customize your designated email account to make it easier to remember.

Method 4. Use our custom Gmail plugin 

This feature is a must-have for any e-receipts fans! By integrating Shoeboxed with your Gmail account, the plugin assesses your new emails, finds the emails that are receipts, and sends them to your Shoeboxed account.

In your Gmail account, you’ll see those receipts automatically labeled Sent to Shoeboxed.

Here’s how to set up the Gmail receipts plugin:

1. Follow this link: https://gmailreceiptsync.shoeboxed.com/

2. Log in to your Shoeboxed Account

3. Link your Gmail Account and Authorize

Enjoy getting all of the receipts sent to your inbox easily uploaded to our software!

Keep in mind that you can add more than one email address. 

That’s it! Now, every e-receipt in your Gmail account will automatically be added and the data will be extracted to your Shoeboxed account. 

Shoeboxed is more than a receipt scanner! 

While Shoeboxed is most famous for its receipts tracking feature, the software has more to offer than that.

With Shoeboxed, you can…

Store business cards 

Take or upload a business card photo to have all basic data automatically extracted and categorized. You can view your business cards online, create PDF files, and export your contacts, with all the information on the card, to any digital contact list, such as Outlook or Gmail.

See also: How to Store Your Business Cards: The Total Guide.

Track mileage 

Shoeboxed tracks mileage using your phone’s built-in GPS when traveling to and from business meetings. The app will record the precise start and end location, the date of your trip, and any receipts that occurred during the trip for detailed documentation.

See also: Tax on Mileage Driven: How to Claim Mileage on Your Tax Return

Expense reports

You can generate expense reports from scanned receipts and send them via email for approval. 

Easy expense reports with Shoeboxed!

Professional receipt mail-in service

Scanning a pile of receipts and important documents takes significantly longer than using a professional scanning service. With Shoeboxed, you can seamlessly use the mobile’s receipt scanning feature and send in Shoeboxed’s Magic Envelopes.

Stuff your receipts and documents in the Magic Envelope, send them in, and the Shoeboxed team will take care of the rest for you. You’ll receive notifications once all your mail-in receipts have been scanned and verified.

The service is reliable, time-saving, and cost-effective for individuals who have to deal with daily receipts for their business.

See also: The Official Shoeboxed Magic Envelope Starter Guide.

Frequently asked questions

Are photos of receipts acceptable for IRS?

The IRS accepts digital receipts or scanned images of your receipts. These digital files come in handy, particularly if you tend to lose track of physical receipts and you run a business that is eligible for tax deductions. 

The IRS will ask you to provide documentation to support any “income, credits, or deductions you claimed on your tax return” during the audit process. None of these documents is a new document. You only need to provide the documents you used in your tax return application. Make sure not to send the IRS the original of your documents, only the copies. 

Examples of records you may be required to submit: 

• Loan agreements

• Legal papers 

• Schedule K-1 

• Medical and dental records

• Theft or loss of documents

• Employment documents

• The company’s workplace policies

• Continuing education requirements

• W-2 reimbursement statements or policies

Image. W-2 Form Wage and Tax Statement. IRS.

What should receipt images look like?

A receipt proves the transaction occurred between the two parties. Thus the text on the receipt should be clearly readable in the picture. Avoid blurry receipt images or images that crop out essential pieces of information.

I want to scan my receipts. What is the best app for receipt scanning?

Receipt scanning apps take pictures of your receipts and create digital copies, which you can quickly access from a digital filing system. The vast majority of these devices operate similarly. The app allows you to take pictures of your receipts and then uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to digitize the text and numbers on the receipts, storing them in a digital filing system. Popular accounting and expense-tracking apps offer digital scanning capabilities. The universal ones are Expensify, QuickBooks, Shoeboxed, Smart Receipts, etc.

What are the benefits of having receipt imaging within your expense reporting software?

1. Minimize paper trails—You can save resources to account for missing expenses and focus on productive aspects of your business. As almost everyone has access to the internet, you can easily share receipt images across the team for effortless team collaboration. Your bookkeeper and accountant will benefit tremendously from having access to receipt images of your receipts when tax time arrives.

2. Prevent fraud—The use of reliable expense reporting software with receipt imaging can reduce instances of employees filing inaccurate expense reports. The costs associated with fraud, intentional or not, can be detrimental to a business and should be avoided whenever possible.

3. Go paperless—Receipt imaging can provide many benefits beyond just simplifying your life. Going paperless reduces unnecessary business expenses such as paper and ink. You also contribute to greening the earth, saving natural resources, and minimizing waste. 

In this ultimate guide on receipt organization and management, we’ve covered in more detail the importance of receipt management for business owners, how to integrate such a system for your team, and everything you need to know about organizing expense reports for tax purposes.

How do I take a picture of a receipt?

Step 1. Keep your receipt smooth and flat.

Step 2. Take the picture in a bright place or use the camera flash when necessary. 

Step 3. Don’t move when taking the picture so that the photo shows up clearly.

Step 4. Lay your receipt on a flat surface and keep the camera directly above it.

About Shoeboxed!

Shoeboxed is a receipt scanning service with receipt management software that supports multiple methods for receipt capture: send, scan, upload, forward, and more!

You can stuff your receipts into one of our Magic Envelopes (prepaid postage within the US). Use our receipt tracker + receipt scanner app (iPhone, iPad and Android) to snap a picture while on the go. Auto-import receipts from Gmail. Or forward a receipt to your designated Shoeboxed email address.

Turn your receipts into data and deductibles with our expense reports that include IRS-accepted receipt images.

Join over 1 million businesses scanning & organizing receipts, creating expense reports and more—with Shoeboxed.

Try Shoeboxed today!