Expense entry and categorization based on receipts or scans

Purpose

1.1. Automate entry and categorization of expenses for antique stores by extracting data from receipts or scanned documents, assigning categories, uploading to accounting ledgers, and notifying relevant staff for review or approval.
1.2. Eliminate manual data entry errors, speed up bookkeeping, enforce category consistency (e.g., inventory acquisition, restoration services, display materials), and maintain real-time expense records to streamline operational administration.
1.3. Integrate with POS, email, and cloud storage for holistic expense workflow, ensuring traceability for audits and accurate financial summaries specific to collectibles and antiques.

Trigger Conditions

2.1. New receipt scanned or uploaded to designated cloud folder or via mobile app.
2.2. Email received with attached receipt or invoice.
2.3. Image sent through messaging integration (e.g., WhatsApp or Slack channel for store expenses).
2.4. POS terminal logs supplier expense, generating image or PDF of receipt.

Platform Variants

3.1. Microsoft Power Automate
• Feature/Setting: “AI Builder — Receipt Processing” to extract data and “Automated Flow” to categorize and send to Excel/Dataverse.
• Sample configuration: Set OCR trigger on SharePoint folder, output to Dynamics 365 Finance.

3.2. Zapier
• Feature/Setting: “Zap Trigger — New File in Google Drive” + “Formatter — Text Parser” + “QuickBooks Online — Create Expense.”
• Sample configuration: Extract merchant, date, amount; auto-categorize or flag for approval.

3.3. Google Apps Script
• Feature/Setting: “Drive API — Watch for new uploads,” “Vision API — Text Recognition,” “Sheets API — Write Row.”
• Sample configuration: OCR scanned uploads in a GDrive folder, categorize, log to Google Sheets.

3.4. QuickBooks Online
• Feature/Setting: “Receipts — Upload and Categorize API.”
• Sample configuration: Direct-feed expense receipts, API auto-matching to categories like ‘Inventory’ or ‘Services’.

3.5. Xero
• Feature/Setting: “Files API — Upload and Assign to Bill,” “Extracted Data Endpoint.”
• Sample configuration: Email receipt to unique Xero address—data parsed, expense coded.

3.6. FreshBooks
• Feature/Setting: “Expense Receipts Endpoint,” with webhook for uploads.
• Sample configuration: Mobile app receipt scan triggers auto-category based on merchant keywords.

3.7. Expensify
• Feature/Setting: “SmartScan API” for real-time OCR parsing; auto-rule organization (“inventory,” “supplies”).
• Sample configuration: Email or app scan, returns categorized expense in dashboard.

3.8. Receipt Bank / Dext
• Feature/Setting: “Fetch and Extract API,” export to chosen ledger.
• Sample configuration: Receipts scanned or emailed in, output prepared for Xero/QuickBooks.

3.9. Sage
• Feature/Setting: “OCR Receipt Capture,” with workflow automation for supplier-matching and general ledger posting.
• Sample configuration: Mobile capture, mapped to chart of accounts category.

3.10. Smartsheet
• Feature/Setting: “Document Attachments Trigger,” “Data Shuttle,” “Categorization Script.”
• Sample configuration: Upload triggers parsing; row auto-categorized and timestamped.

3.11. Airtable
• Feature/Setting: “Automation — Attachment Added,” “Field Extraction Custom Script.”
• Sample configuration: Receipt uploaded to table, triggers script to fill in category.

3.12. Hubdoc
• Feature/Setting: “Auto-Fetch Vendors,” “Automatic Categorization Rule Engine.”
• Sample configuration: Email receipts or photos, instantly categorized per rules.

3.13. Evernote
• Feature/Setting: “Note Created in Tagged Notebook,” “AI-based Text Parsing Integration.”
• Sample configuration: Photo upload triggers parsing, custom tags set for categories.

3.14. Dropbox
• Feature/Setting: “Upload Folder Webhook,” “3rd-party OCR Integration,” Zap to accounting app.
• Sample configuration: File upload triggers OCR, data sent to FreshBooks for categorization.

3.15. Slack
• Feature/Setting: “Bot — Image Upload to Channel,” “Webhook/OCR service,” “Notification to finance group.”
• Sample configuration: Staff uploads photo, details parsed, push categorized expense to master ledger.

3.16. Trello
• Feature/Setting: “Card Attachment Added Trigger,” “Butler Automation for OCR and Routing.”
• Sample configuration: Receipt as card attachment, label/category set automatically.

3.17. Monday.com
• Feature/Setting: “File Column — New Upload Trigger,” “Integration Recipe: Parse and Categorize.”
• Sample configuration: Receipt upload, row auto-filled with parsed data, mapped to budget line.

3.18. Salesforce
• Feature/Setting: “Einstein Vision for OCR,” “Expense Object Automation.”
• Sample configuration: Receipt upload to custom object, auto-categorization, workflow approval task.

3.19. Oracle NetSuite
• Feature/Setting: “Expense Management SuiteApp,” “Receipt OCR Integration.”
• Sample configuration: API receipt upload, auto-match GL codes, route for approval.

3.20. SAP Concur
• Feature/Setting: “ExpenseIt API,” “Automated Report Creation on Upload.”
• Sample configuration: Mobile capture, parses to line item, category assigned per machine learning.

3.21. Google Workspace (Gmail, Drive)
• Feature/Setting: “Gmail Add-on parse attachment,” “Drive — New File OCR Script,” “Sheets — Sync.”
• Sample configuration: Email attachment triggers text extraction, auto-updates Google Sheet with category.

3.22. Zoho Expense
• Feature/Setting: “Receipt Auto-Scan,” “Auto-Categorization Rules Engine.”
• Sample configuration: Mobile or desktop upload, vendor/category matched, posted to expense list.

3.23. Notion
• Feature/Setting: “Database Trigger — File Upload,” “OCR API Integration.”
• Sample configuration: File upload triggers OCR script that fills merchant, date, and auto-category tag.

3.24. DocParser
• Feature/Setting: “Document Parsing Rule,” “Webhook to Accounting Platform.”
• Sample configuration: Parse PDFs, post extracted data to QuickBooks/Xero API with category rules.

3.25. OneDrive
• Feature/Setting: “File Upload Trigger,” “Microsoft Form Recognizer Integration.”
• Sample configuration: Receipt upload triggers text extraction, sends data/categorization to Excel.

Benefits

4.1. Eliminates manual data entry, reducing administrative time and error risk.
4.2. Provides fast, accurate, and consistent categorization tailored for antiques/collectibles operations.
4.3. Supports traceability for compliance and audits, linking every expense to its original document.
4.4. Enables real-time expense snapshot for informed budgeting and operational decisions.
4.5. Frees staff to focus on customer-facing and inventory-related tasks rather than administrative overhead.