The OCR works by analysing patterns of light and dark on a document to identify certain shapes, then matching those shapes to known characters in a database. To get the best results, images should be clear with a high contrast between the text and the background. When taking a photo of an invoice or receipt:
- Use a document with a clear background, without any physical folds, lines or ink blotches
- Take a photo against a blank background on a flat surface
- Take a photo in natural light
- Keep the flash off to avoid glare
- Keep the lens parallel to the edges of the document and point it towards the centre of the text
Once the receipt or invoice has been uploaded to the transaction, the OCR checks it for quality and consistency and provides feedback to the employee:
- If the feedback is positive and the feedback icon is green, the employee should proceed with filling in the transaction details.
- If the feedback is neutral and the feedback icon is yellow, the employee should check that the attachment is the correct one for the expense they are submitting. They should also check that the attachment quality is good, and that the details on the receipt or invoice are clearly visible.
- If the feedback is negative and the feedback icon is red, this indicates that the attachment doesn’t match the transaction, or that the attachment quality is poor. The employee should remove the attachment and upload a new one.
The OCR uses the receipt or invoice to prefill the VAT rate field in the transaction details. Feedback will be provided directly under the field:
- If the feedback is positive and the feedback icon is green, the OCR is confident about the result. The employee should proceed with filling in the rest of the transaction details.
- If the feedback is neutral and the feedback icon is yellow, the OCR is not confident about the result. The employee should check that the prefilled information matches the receipt or invoice.
- If the feedback is negative and the feedback icon is red, the OCR has not been able to extract the VAT rate from the receipt or invoice. The employee should enter it manually by clicking ‘Select VAT rate’.