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    How to file expense claims by sending receipts on WhatsApp

    Updated 3 min readBy the flowwork.ai team

    Short answer

    In flowwork.ai, once your company turns WhatsApp on and you connect your number, you send a photo or PDF of a bill to the assistant on WhatsApp. It is saved to your newest draft expense claim (or a new one), and the Receipt reader agent reads the merchant, date, amount and category and asks whether to add it as an expense line. Tap Add to claim and the line is added with FlowExpense's usual policy checks; tap Not now to keep only the receipt.

    What your company needs

    • FlowExpense for expense claims.
    • WhatsApp turned on in Privacy & channels, and your number connected from My profile.
    • The Receipt reader agent hired, so receipts are read for you. It uses agent credits. Without it, the receipt is still saved to your claim and you add the details in the app.

    Send a receipt, step by step

    1. Take a photo of the bill (or forward the PDF) and send it to the flowwork.ai assistant on WhatsApp. Add a caption if you want it as the description.
    2. The receipt is saved to your newest draft claim, or to a new claim if you have no draft.
    3. The Receipt reader replies with what it read: merchant, date, amount and category.
    4. Tap Add to claim to add the expense line, or Not now to keep just the receipt.
    5. Submit the claim when you're ready; it goes to your approvers as usual, and they can approve it from WhatsApp too.

    If something on the bill can't be read, the Receipt reader says so instead of guessing. Policy limits and receipt rules are checked when the line is added, as in the app.

    Frequently asked questions

    Can I submit an expense by sending a bill on WhatsApp?

    Yes, in flowwork.ai. Send a photo or PDF of the bill to the assistant on WhatsApp; it is saved to your draft claim, read by the Receipt reader, and added as an expense line when you tap Add to claim.

    Which receipt formats work?

    Photos and PDFs.

    Does reading receipts cost extra?

    Reading uses the Receipt reader agent, which uses agent credits (about 3 per receipt). Saving the receipt to your claim doesn't.

    Sources

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