How do I process invoices that only come as phone photos from the field?
By Tim White · How-to · Last updated
Ask the field team to shoot the page flat, filling the frame, in even light with no glare on the totals. Have them forward the photo straight away to your invoice address. Then check the fields the photo made uncertain, usually the total or tax line, instead of re-reading the whole page.
1. Teach one good photo
Flat on a surface, phone held square above it, whole page in frame, no shadow from your hand, no glare on the numbers. A delivery ticket on a truck dashboard at an angle is where misreads start. A 30-second demo at the next crew meeting fixes most of it.
2. Send it the same day
Crumpled tickets in a truck door get lost. Have crews email the photo to your forwarding address before they leave the supplier. iPhone HEIC photos are accepted as they are. With a client or job tag in the address (bills-xxxx+jobname@in.invoicejet.ai), the invoice lands under the right job.
3. Check what the photo hurt
Each field comes back with a confidence level and the text it was read from. On a photo, look at whatever is flagged, most often a total under glare or a figure across a fold. On a PDF with a text layer, InvoiceJet also highlights the spot on the page. On photos it shows the text instead.
Common questions
Do photos work as well as scans?
A flat, well-lit photo reads nearly as well. Glare, steep angles and low light cause most misreads.
Sources
Keep reading
Try it on your own invoices
10 invoices a month free, no card. Every field comes back with a confidence level and the text it was read from.