Four ways to add Receipts into Xero
How to add receipts into Xero?
When I say receipts I am referring to items already paid for (perhaps over the counter) and the receipt is to be attached to the bank transaction in Xero.
There are several different ways to get your receipts into Xero without manually entering them.
Email the receipt directly into Xero to create a draft Bill
You will find your unique business Xero bills email in the Bills dashboard under the three vertical dots top right, then “Automate Bill Entry.”
You can do this even though the item has been paid. The draft Bill is created in Xero to be approved and then reconciled against the bank statement line.
Pros:
- Take a photo on your phone and email directly.
- If a receipt has been forwarded into your email, just forward it on.
- You can scribble notes on the receipt before photographing.
- No need to open an app and fill in details at the time.
Cons:
- If you are using Starter or Ignite versions you can only have 5 of these a month because they count as Bills.
- If you have a lot of actual Bills you may feel the receipts clutter up your Bills dashboard.
Upload the receipt directly into the Xero App
Open the Xero app and use the + top right to add in a receipt. Whether you add the receipt as a Bill or as a Receipt, you must fill in details at the time. Details may include the bank account the item was paid from and description information. You can take a photo as part of the process.
If you add the Receipt as a bill, the same limits apply if you are on Starter or Ignite. You will also need to add in details.
This method is great if you are Ok with needing to open the app and fill in details at the time. It is slower.
Create Spend Money Transactions with Hubdoc
Hubdoc is free in NZ for Xero customers who have Ignite, Grow or above subscriptions. Hubdoc is an app with a portal which scans and reads information on receipts, bills and other documents and pushes them into Xero. With Hubdoc there is more choice on how the documents get created in Xero including the option to create a Spend Money transaction. This means even if you are on the Ignite or Starter subscription you can still send in unlimited receipts to Xero as Spend Money transactions.
If you are using Hubdoc you will have a unique email to send receipts into Hubdoc. This is the quickest way – photograph the receipt and email to your unique Hubdoc email.
You can also use the free Hubdoc App to upload a picture of the receipt and enter in details that way, it's a little slower. You can also upload or drag and drop receipts directly into the web app of Hubdoc.
Depending on the Hubdoc set up and the type of document, you may need to log into Hubdoc to “Publish” the receipt through to Xero where it can be created as a Spend Money transaction.
In Xero, the created transactions will show in the Transactions Tab, and will pop up in green when a matching Bank Statement Line appears.
Create a Spend Money transaction while reconciling
We are all aware Spend Money Transactions are created while reconciling – this is probably the most common action in Xero. In addition, if you click into “Add Details” this will open a window with the option to upload a photo of the receipt which you might have previously saved somewhere on your computer.
Xero Expenses
When you process expenses in Xero using the Xero Expenses feature, you reimburse personal money that your staff spend on the business. You also enable the company to track money spent complete with an approval process.
Multi-line Bill Entry
To get bills into Xero on a line by line basis there are excellent and affordable apps available. Contact Helen at Living Business for a complimentary chat and getting started.