Import PDF invoices on iPhone: share sheet, Files and whole folders

Many invoices never exist on paper. Software subscriptions, phone bills, hosting and supplier orders arrive as PDF attachments, and more and more suppliers send structured e-invoices. ReceiptBook treats these the same as a scanned receipt: they go to the Inbox, get read, and wait for you to confirm them. The difference is that a PDF with a text layer or an XML e-invoice is read from its data, not from a picture, so there is far less to check.

Which files ReceiptBook reads

ReceiptBook reads PDF files, images (JPG, PNG and HEIC) and XML e-invoices. Anything else is turned away with the message that ReceiptBook reads PDF, image and XML files. Each file can be up to 50 MB.

The reading order follows the best source available. XML e-invoices are read exactly, a PDF's text layer comes next, and images are read with Apple's on-device text recognition. ZUGFeRD and Factur-X PDFs carry an XML invoice inside, and ReceiptBook reads that embedded data; the e-invoice post goes into the formats.

From Mail or Files: the share sheet

The quickest route for a single invoice is the share sheet. In Mail, touch and hold the PDF attachment (or open it) and tap the share button. In Files, select one or several files and tap share. Then choose ReceiptBook.

The share sheet only copies the files; it doesn't read them. As the sheet says, ReceiptBook reads new documents the next time you open it. It takes up to 20 files at a time. If you share more, or a file is too big or of a type it doesn't read, the sheet tells you which limit applied and shows how many of the files were added.

Many apps also offer Open with ReceiptBook or an Open In option for PDFs and XML files. That opens the app directly with the file.

From inside the app: Import PDF or e-invoice

If the invoices are already saved in Files, iCloud Drive or another storage provider, tap + in the Inbox and choose Import PDF or e-invoice. The Files picker opens and you pick the PDF, image or XML files to bring in. This is the route to use when an email client doesn't offer ReceiptBook in its share sheet: save the attachment to Files first, then import it here.

A whole backlog: Import a folder

Starting with ReceiptBook at the end of a year, or switching from a folder of scans? Import a folder takes everything in one pass. Pick a folder and ReceiptBook walks through it and its subfolders, imports every PDF, image and XML file it finds, and shows a progress bar with the count of files done. Files in iCloud Drive that aren't downloaded yet are fetched as part of the import.

When it's finished, the sheet title changes from Importing folder to Folder imported and shows a report:

You can tap Stop at any time. If an import stops before the end, the report says to import the folder again to add the rest, because files already imported are skipped. That makes it safe to run the same folder twice, for example after you add next month's PDFs to it.

How duplicates are handled

Two kinds of duplicate are caught. An exact copy of a file, byte for byte, is recognized by its SHA-256 fingerprint and not added again; the notice says Already in ReceiptBook. This is what protects you when you re-import a folder or share the same attachment twice.

A different file for the same purchase, such as the PDF invoice and a photo of the printed copy, is not an exact copy, so it is imported. ReceiptBook then compares the vendor, date, total and invoice number and marks the match Looks like a duplicate, with a link to Open the earlier copy. You decide which to keep. Check badges and field sources covers that warning.

FAQ

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