OCR Receipt Scanning — Drop It, Bill It, Done

Drop a receipt onto any matter and TimeNet automatically reads it, extracts the amount, creates an expense entry, and files the receipt in the matter's Documents folder. No typing required.

7 min Easy

What You'll Learn

How to turn any receipt into a billed expense entry with a single drag-and-drop — plus batch processing, mobile capture, and how OCR keeps your Documents folder organized.

Receipts are the bane of every lawyer's existence. Filing fees, courier costs, expert witness payments, travel expenses — they pile up, and manually entering each one is tedious busywork that doesn't generate revenue.

TimeNet Law 6's OCR Receipt Scanning turns this chore into a single drag-and-drop: drop a receipt image onto a matter, and TimeNet reads it, creates the expense entry, and files the document. Done.

🎬

DEMO VIDEO: Receipt to Expense in 3 Seconds

Drag a receipt photo from Desktop → drop onto matter in TimeNet → OCR processes → expense entry appears with amount, vendor, date auto-filled → receipt saved to Documents. Three seconds. Zero typing.

How It Works

The workflow is dead simple:

1

Drop

Drag a receipt image (photo, scan, PDF) onto any matter in TimeNet. The drop zone highlights when you're in the right spot.

2

OCR Reads

TimeNet's built-in OCR engine extracts key information: vendor/merchant name, total amount, date, and line items. All processing happens locally on your Mac.

3

Expense Created

A new expense entry is automatically created on that matter with extracted details pre-filled. Amount, vendor, date — all there.

4

Document Filed

The original receipt image is saved to the matter's Documents folder for your records. Named, organized, and linked to the expense entry.

📸

Screenshot: Mid-drag showing a receipt being dropped onto a matter, with the drop zone highlighted

📸

Screenshot: The auto-created expense entry with OCR-extracted fields highlighted (amount, vendor, date)

What OCR Extracts

TimeNet's OCR engine is trained to recognize common receipt formats:

  • Total Amount — The bottom-line total (handles tax, tips, totals vs. subtotals)
  • Vendor/Merchant Name — Who you paid
  • Date — When the transaction occurred
  • Line Items — Individual items on the receipt (when clearly formatted)
  • Payment Method — Credit card last 4 digits (when visible)

The extracted data pre-fills your expense entry. You can review and edit before saving, but most receipts need zero corrections.

📸

Screenshot: OCR results panel showing extracted data alongside the original receipt image

Pro Tip

For best OCR results, make sure receipts are reasonably straight and well-lit. Phone photos work great — you don't need a scanner. Even slightly crumpled receipts usually parse correctly.

Supported Formats

Drop any of these onto a matter:

  • Images: JPG, PNG, HEIC (iPhone photos)
  • PDFs: Single or multi-page
  • Scans: Flatbed scanner output

All processing happens locally on your Mac — your receipt data never leaves your computer. This is part of TimeNet's privacy-first Offline AI approach.

The Documents Folder

Every matter in TimeNet has a Documents folder. When you drop a receipt:

  • The original file is copied to the matter's Documents folder
  • Named automatically: Receipt_VendorName_2026-02-26.pdf
  • The expense entry links back to the document (click to view the original)
  • Documents folder is included in Dropbox/iCloud sync

This means your receipts are organized, backed up, and always findable — attached to the exact matter they belong to.

📸

Screenshot: Matter's Documents folder showing filed receipts with auto-generated names

Batch Processing

Got a stack of receipts? Drop multiple files at once:

1

Select all receipt images

Grab them all from Finder — photos, scans, PDFs, whatever you've got.

2

Drag them all onto the matter

TimeNet processes each one sequentially. Each creates its own expense entry.

3

Watch the progress

A progress indicator shows how many are done. Review all entries when the batch completes.

📸

Screenshot: Batch processing progress indicator (3 of 7 receipts processed)

🎬

DEMO VIDEO: Batch Receipt Processing

Select 5 receipt photos → drag all onto matter → progress bar moves → 5 expense entries appear → check Documents folder → all 5 receipts filed. End-of-month receipt dump in 10 seconds.

iOS Receipt Capture

On iPhone, the workflow adapts to mobile:

  • Take a photo of a receipt directly from the app
  • Or use the Share Sheet to send a receipt photo/PDF to TimeNet
  • Same OCR processing, same auto-fill, same document filing
  • Perfect for capturing receipts on the go — photo at lunch, expense by dinner
📸

Screenshot: iPhone showing camera capture of a receipt within the TimeNet app

Pro Tip

Snap receipts the moment you get them. The camera is right there in the app. By the time you get back to your desk, the expense is already entered and the receipt is filed. No more shoebox of crumpled paper.

Editing OCR Results

OCR is smart but not perfect. After extraction:

  • Review the pre-filled expense form
  • Edit any field that needs correction
  • Add a description or expense category
  • Toggle billable/non-billable
  • Save when satisfied

Common things to check: the amount (especially if tax is separate), the date (year can be tricky on worn receipts), and whether it's the right matter.

📸

Screenshot: Expense entry form with OCR data pre-filled, showing editable fields

Every Receipt. Every Dollar. Accounted For.

No more "I'll enter that receipt later." No more shoeboxes of paper. No more lost expense reimbursements. Drop the receipt, let OCR do the work, get back to practicing law. Every expense captured. Every receipt filed. Every dollar accounted for.

Related Tutorials

OCR Not Behaving? Perry Can Help.

If a receipt isn't parsing correctly, send it over. Perry will troubleshoot it personally.

Get Help →