Book supplier invoices from a photo

From photo to ledger entry, no line-by-line typing

If your team spends time entering supplier invoices, the short answer is yes: you can digitise them automatically from a photo. The process is to capture the image, use AI to read the data, then put it in a draft accounting entry for someone to check key details before posting.

The aim isn't to “let the machine do the accounts”, but to cut repetitive work: less typing, fewer errors and faster entry into the system, with the basic details ready.

What a photo of an invoice or delivery note can capture

When the image is clear, the system usually identifies the fields most often found on a supplier invoice:

— Supplier: legal name, tax ID and sometimes address.
— Dates: issue, receipt or due date, if shown on the document.
— Amounts: taxable amount, VAT rate, VAT amount and total.
— Document reference: invoice, delivery note or order number.
— Description: details of the expense or service.

In some cases, it can also detect useful details for classifying the expense, such as whether it relates to materials, transport, professional services or recurring purchases. The clearer the document,…

What a person should check before posting

Automation saves time, but doesn't replace checking. Before approving an invoice, it's worth checking:

— The identified supplier matches the actual document.
— The invoice number isn't a duplicate.
— The taxable amounts, VAT and total add up.
— The date is correct and hasn't been confused with another date on the document.
— The expense is assigned to the right account or category.

This human check prevents a reading error from becoming an incorrect entry or a badly recorded invoice. In practice, it's usually enough to check the key fields rather than enter them from scratch.

What audit trail to keep

For your accountant to follow the trail, and for an inspection if needed, the process should leave clear evidence. Saving the photo alone isn't enough: keep the original document, the extracted data and a record of who checked or approved the information.

In practice, it's useful to record:

— the original image or file received;
— the date the document was captured or received;
— the fields extracted automatically;
— changes made by the person checking it;
— the final status: pending, approved or posted.

That way, if someone asks where an entry came from, you can trace the full process…

Common paper errors automation helps reduce

Paper or photographed invoices can have specific issues: shadows, cut-off edges, blurry numbers, crossed-out text, small fonts or folds. It's also easy to mistake an 8 for a 3, a 0 for an O, or misread a date when the image is tilted.

Automation doesn't eliminate every error, but it greatly reduces manual work and means you only need to check uncertain details. This is especially useful when many similar invoices arrive: the team stops copying repeated data and focuses on checking exceptions.

How much time you can save day to day

The time saved depends on the volume and quality of the invoices, but the difference is often clear from the first batch. Instead of spending several minutes on each document, the task becomes a quick check of fields suggested by the system.

For an SME, that means fewer interruptions, fewer typing errors and faster processing of purchases and expenses. It also helps your accountant get the information sooner, with fewer follow-ups for clarification.

A simple first step

Start with a simple workflow: clear photo, automatic data extraction, human check and posting. If your team decides from the outset which fields to check and what evidence to keep, the process will be more organised and easier to maintain.

If you want to try this in a system designed for SMEs and sole traders, Regifactu is a natural option for managing the capture and review of incoming invoices in one place.