Scan a receipt, get an expense
Typing receipts into a spreadsheet is the reason most people stop tracking their spending by about week three. Take a photo instead. The store, the date, the amount and the category get filled in, you glance at it, and it is logged.
It works one receipt at a time at the till, and it works on a shoebox. Pick a whole pile of receipt photos out of your camera roll and they go through together, so a month of catching up takes a couple of minutes instead of an evening.
Free account, 7 days free, no card needed
Making an account is free and takes an email address. Every new account starts with 7 days free, and you are never asked for a card to begin. GreenBug.ai is in a beta test period right now, so there is nothing to pay while the beta is running.
Create your free accountLook around first, no accountSet up in a couple of minutes from a phone or a laptop. No card, nothing to install.
How it works
1. Take the photo
At the register, or from the camera roll later. Crumpled and slightly crooked is fine.
2. It reads the receipt
Store name, date, total and a sensible category come back filled in.
3. Glance and save
Fix anything that looks off and tap save. About ten seconds each.
4. It joins the totals
Your running totals, charts and forecast all update on their own.
What you get
- One receipt or a whole pile at once
- Store, date, amount and category filled in for you
- Photos stay with the expense, so you can prove it later
- Works from a phone camera, no scanner or app store download
On your own, or together
Track your own money and nobody else sees a thing. Or bring in a partner, a housemate or family and share the costs you want to share, while anything marked personal stays yours alone. Both work the same way, and you can switch at any point.
The rest of it
Everything below is part of the same account, at no extra cost.
Bank and card import
Drop in the CSV or OFX your bank already lets you download. Names tidied, categories guessed, read on your own device.
Recurring expenses
Every cost that comes back, what it really costs a month, and what is due in the next two weeks.
Subscription tracker
Every subscription in one list with a yearly figure next to it, and a flag when one puts its price up.
Double charge checker
The same amount at the same place twice in a few days gets put in front of you while you can still fix it.
Spending forecast
Where this month is heading, and the next six months, from your real bills and your usual rate.
Questions people ask
Does it work on a crumpled receipt?
Usually. Flatten it out, get the whole receipt in the frame and let the light fall on it. If a line comes back wrong you can fix it before saving.
Can I scan a month of receipts at once?
Yes. Pick as many photos as you like from your camera roll and they are read one after another, then shown as a list you check and save.
What happens to the photo?
It is kept with the expense in your own private storage, so you can pull it up months later.
Is there a free expense tracker for anyone?
Yes. A GreenBug.ai account is free to make, and every new account starts with a 7-day trial. The app is in a beta test period, so there is nothing to pay while the beta runs.
Can I bring in my bank transactions?
Yes. Download the CSV or OFX file your bank or card already offers and drop it in. The file is read on your own device, names are tidied up, categories are guessed, and anything you already logged is spotted so nothing counts twice.
Do I have to type every receipt in by hand?
No. Take a photo, or pick a pile of photos from your camera roll, and the store, date, amount and category get filled in. You glance at it and save.
Does it find my subscriptions and repeating bills?
Yes. Once the same place shows up three times at about the same price it becomes a repeating cost, with what it really costs a month and when it is due next. Steady ones are marked as subscriptions, and you are told when one puts its price up.
Will it tell me if I get charged twice?
Yes. The same amount at the same place within a few days is flagged. Everyday places you use all the time are left out, so the list stays worth reading.
Can it tell me what this month will cost?
Yes. Once there are about three weeks of spending behind it, the forecast shows where this month is heading and lays out the next six months from your real bills and your usual day-to-day rate.
Can I use it on my own?
Yes. Most people do. You can also share with a partner, a housemate or family, and anything marked personal stays visible only to you.
Can I get my expenses out as a spreadsheet?
Yes. Settings has a Download Spreadsheet button that gives you every expense in a file Excel and Google Sheets both open.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. It runs in the phone browser, and Settings has a button that puts a GreenBug.ai shortcut on your home screen so it opens like an app.
Who can see my records?
Only you, and anyone you deliberately share with. Records are locked to one account inside the database itself, and they are never sold, rented or shared with advertisers.