Receipt Scanner¶

The fastest way to add expenses - just snap a photo and let AI do the work.

What It Does¶

The receipt scanner automatically extracts transaction details from receipt photos:

Merchant name - Where you spent money
Amount - How much you spent
Date - When the transaction occurred

All processing happens on your device - no internet required, completely private.

How to Use¶

Scanning a Receipt¶

Tap the + button in the app
Choose "Scan Receipt"
Take a photo of your receipt (or select from photos)
Ensure receipt is well-lit and in focus
Lay receipt flat on a surface
Capture the entire receipt
Wait 2-3 seconds for AI processing
Review auto-filled details
Merchant name
Amount
Date
Edit if needed - You have full control
Tap Save

The receipt image is saved with the transaction for your records.

Tips for Best Results¶

Good lighting - Natural light or bright indoor lighting
Flat surface - Lay receipt flat, avoid wrinkles
Clear photo - Hold steady, ensure text is readable
Full receipt - Capture entire receipt in frame
Avoid glare - Watch for reflections on glossy receipts

How It Works¶

AI Processing Pipeline¶

flowchart LR
    A[📸 Receipt Photo] --> B[Vision OCR<br/>~1 sec]
    B --> C[Qwen3 1.7B AI<br/>~1-2 sec]
    C --> D[Merchant]
    C --> E[Amount]
    C --> F[Date]
    D --> G[Category Matching]
    G --> H[✅ Transaction Ready]
    E --> H
    F --> H

    style A fill:#7FE8D3
    style C fill:#5DD9C1
    style H fill:#F4A460

Three-Stage Process:

Stage 1: Text Extraction (~1 second) - Apple Vision framework (OCR) - Extracts all text from receipt image - Identifies text regions and layout

Stage 2: Smart Parsing (~1-2 seconds) - Qwen3 1.7B AI model analyzes text - Identifies merchant, amount, and date - Structures the data

Stage 3: Category Assignment (instant) - Matches merchant to existing category - Creates new category if needed - Learns association for future use

Total time: 2-3 seconds

The AI Model¶

Money In & Out includes a complete AI language model:

Model: Qwen3 1.7B (4-bit quantized)
Size: ~1 GB
Location: Bundled inside the app
Processing: 100% on your device
Privacy: Zero data sent to cloud

This is why the app is 1.02 GB - we include the entire AI model to ensure your receipts never leave your device.

Privacy & Security¶

Your Receipts Stay Private¶

On-device processing - All AI runs locally on your device
No cloud uploads - Receipt images never sent to external servers
No internet required - Works completely offline
Local storage - Images stored on your device or in your iCloud
You control everything - Delete receipts anytime

What We Don't Do¶

❌ Don't upload receipts to our servers (we don't have servers)
❌ Don't use cloud AI services (Google, OpenAI, etc.)
❌ Don't analyze your spending patterns
❌ Don't share data with third parties
❌ Don't collect any data whatsoever

Supported Receipts¶

Works Best With¶

✅ Retail store receipts
✅ Restaurant receipts
✅ Gas station receipts
✅ Grocery store receipts
✅ Coffee shop receipts
✅ Service receipts

May Have Issues With¶

⚠️ Handwritten receipts
⚠️ Faded thermal paper
⚠️ Crumpled or damaged receipts
⚠️ Receipts with heavy graphics
⚠️ Non-English receipts (currently)

Accuracy¶

How Accurate Is It?¶

Generally very accurate with clear, well-lit photos:

Merchant name: 85-95% accuracy
Amount: 90-98% accuracy
Date: 80-90% accuracy

Accuracy Tips¶

Always review auto-filled data before saving. The AI is very accurate but not perfect:

Double-check amounts match your receipt
Verify merchant name is correct
Confirm the date is accurate
Edit any field if needed - you have full control

Viewing Receipt Images¶

Access Saved Receipts¶

Tap any transaction with a receipt thumbnail
Tap the receipt image to view full-screen
Pinch to zoom for details
Share or export if needed

Managing Receipt Images¶

Receipt images are compressed to save space (max 5MB each)
Images sync via iCloud if sync is enabled
Delete transaction to remove receipt image
Export transactions to save receipts externally

Troubleshooting¶

Receipt Not Scanning Well¶

Problem: AI can't extract details

Solutions: - Retake photo with better lighting - Lay receipt completely flat - Avoid shadows and glare - Try different angle - Ensure receipt text is readable

Wrong Information Extracted¶

Problem: Merchant, amount, or date is incorrect

Solutions: - Edit fields manually - you have full control - Auto-filled fields are suggestions, not final - Review each field before saving - If consistently wrong, contact support

Scanner Not Available¶

Problem: Can't access receipt scanner

Solutions: - Check camera permissions in Settings - Restart the app - Update to latest version - Use manual entry as fallback

Slow Processing¶

Problem: Takes longer than 2-3 seconds

Solutions: - Close other apps to free memory - Restart device if very slow - Older devices may be slower - Processing time varies by device

Manual Entry Alternative¶

Don't want to use the scanner? No problem!

Choose "Manual Entry" instead of "Scan Receipt"
Enter amount and optional note
Category is automatically assigned based on merchant
Takes ~5 seconds
No photo required

Both methods work equally well - use whichever you prefer.

Technical Details¶

System Requirements¶

iOS 26.0+ or macOS 26.0+
~1 GB storage for AI model
Camera access (for taking photos)
Photo library access (for selecting existing photos)

Offline Capability¶

The receipt scanner works completely offline:

No internet connection required
All processing on-device
Perfect for travel or areas with poor connectivity
Sync happens later when online (if iCloud enabled)

Performance¶

Processing time: 2-3 seconds average
Memory usage: ~200-300 MB during scanning
Battery impact: Minimal (similar to taking a photo)
Storage: Receipt images compressed to ~100-500 KB each

Comparison: Scanner vs Manual Entry¶

Feature	Receipt Scanner	Manual Entry
Speed	2-3 seconds + review	5-10 seconds
Accuracy	85-95% (with review)	100% (you enter it)
Convenience	Just take photo	Type everything
Receipt image	Automatically saved	Can add manually
Best for	Most transactions	Quick entries, no receipt

Future Improvements¶

We're continuously improving the receipt scanner:

Better accuracy for handwritten receipts
Support for more languages
Faster processing times
Enhanced merchant recognition
Multi-receipt batch scanning

Next Steps¶

Questions about receipt scanning? Check the FAQ or contact support.