How-to
How do I process invoices that only come as phone photos from the field?
By Tim White · Last updated
To process invoices that arrive as phone photos, coach the field team to shoot the page flat, filling the frame, in even light, since capture quality decides how well the data reads. Forward or upload the photos the same as any file, and rely on OCR to read the characters. Then check the fields the photo made uncertain, like a total under glare, rather than trusting the whole capture. A good photo reads almost as well as a scan; a poor one is where errors start.
1. Shoot the photo well
Flat page, full frame, even light, and no glare across the totals. Coaching the field team on this one habit fixes most photo problems before any software runs, because the reader can only work with what the camera captured.
2. Send it in like any file
Forward the photo by email or upload the image. InvoiceJet handles photographs through an OCR fallback and reads European number and date formats, so a phone photo goes through the same pipeline as a clean PDF.
3. Check the fields the photo hurt
Glare or a fold can distort a figure. The per-field confidence level points you at the values to confirm, usually a total or tax line caught under light, so you check those rather than re-reading the whole page.
Common questions
Do photos work as well as scans?
A flat, well-lit photo reads nearly as well. Glare, angles, and low light are what cause misreads, which is why capture technique matters most.
Which fields should I check on a photo?
The ones flagged low confidence, most often a total or tax line sitting under glare or across a fold.
Sources
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