Troubleshooting Common Issues

Try these fixes: 1) Ensure good lighting - use natural light or overhead lights. 2) Place receipt on a dark surface to increase contrast. 3) Hold camera directly above receipt (not at an angle). 4) Make sure receipt is flat and all corners are visible. 5) Avoid using flash (causes glare). If receipt is faded, manually enter the data.

Check these settings: 1) Go to Settings → Mileage and ensure "Automatic Tracking" is ON. 2) Verify location permissions are set to "Always" (not "While Using App"). 3) Make sure Background App Refresh is enabled in phone settings. 4) Restart the app after changing permissions. 5) Minimum trip distance is 0.5 miles - very short drives may not register.

Receipt.help syncs automatically when you have an internet connection. To force a sync: 1) Pull down on the receipts list to refresh. 2) Check that you are signed in with the same email on all devices. 3) Ensure you have a stable internet connection (not on airplane mode). 4) If still not syncing, try signing out and back in. All data is stored in the cloud, so you won't lose anything.

Don't worry - deleted receipts go to the Trash for 30 days before permanent deletion. To recover: 1) Go to Settings → Trash. 2) Find the deleted receipt. 3) Tap "Restore". If it's been more than 30 days, the receipt is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.

You can customize categories: 1) Go to Settings → Categories. 2) Edit existing categories or add new ones. 3) Set default categories for specific merchants (e.g., always categorize Starbucks as "Client Meals"). 4) When editing a receipt, you can change the category manually. Categories are suggestions - you can always override them.

Receipt.help defaults to the current IRS mileage rate ($0.70 for 2025). If you need to change it: 1) Go to Settings → Mileage → Mileage Rate. 2) Enter your custom rate (useful for past years or if you're in a country with different rates). 3) This will apply to all future trips. Past trips keep their original rate.

Check these things: 1) Verify you're forwarding to the correct email address (found in Settings → Email Receipts). 2) Forward the entire email, not just text. Receipt.help needs the full email with headers. 3) Some email providers block forwarding - try manually sending the receipt email to your Receipt.help address instead. 4) Processing takes 1-2 minutes. Check your receipts list after waiting.

Double-check your export settings: 1) Verify the date range includes all receipts you expect. 2) Check if you have filters applied (category, tags) that might exclude receipts. 3) Make sure "Include all receipts" is checked. 4) Try exporting as Excel instead of CSV - Excel includes more data. If specific receipts are truly missing, they may have been deleted or marked as personal (not business).

Performance issues are usually fixable: 1) Update to the latest version of Receipt.help from the App Store. 2) Restart your phone (clears temporary memory issues). 3) Check available storage - if your phone is nearly full, it can cause crashes. 4) Try signing out and back in (this re-syncs data). 5) If you have thousands of receipts, export old ones and archive them to improve performance.

Magic link issues: 1) Check your spam/junk folder for the email. 2) The link expires after 15 minutes - request a new one. 3) Make sure you're opening the link on the same device where you requested it. 4) Try a different browser if on desktop. 5) Disable ad blockers or privacy extensions temporarily. 6) If all else fails, email hello@receipt.help and we'll help you manually.