Field Receipts

Field Receipts capture expense receipts from job sites for quick entry and tracking. Upload receipt photos, categorize expenses by cost code, and track approval and payment status.

What Is a Field Receipt?

A Field Receipt records purchases made on the job site, typically by field staff using company credit cards or petty cash. Unlike standard purchase orders that go through a formal ordering process, field receipts capture expenses after they've occurred.

Common uses:

• Job site material purchases
• Emergency supplies
• Small tool purchases
• Subcontractor payments
• Miscellaneous project expenses

Accessing Field Receipts

Field Receipt Inbox

Navigate to the Field Receipt Inbox to see all receipts across projects:

1. Main navigation → Field Receipts (or Field Receipt Inbox)
2. View, filter, and manage all uploaded receipts

Project-Specific View

View receipts for a single project:

1. Open the project
2. Click the Field Receipts tab (if available)
3. See only receipts associated with that project

Uploading Receipts

Quick Upload

1. Click Upload Receipt button
2. Select a receipt file (supported: JPEG, PNG, GIF, PDF, HEIC)
3. Select the project
4. Receipt is uploaded and appears in the inbox

Tip: The system can automatically extract information from receipt images, including vendor name, date, and amounts.

Uploading with Details (Admins)

Users with the Manage PO permission can enter details immediately:

1. Click Upload Receipt
2. Select file and project
3. Receipt form opens automatically
4. Fill in details (see Fields below)
5. Choose a save option:
   • Save - Keep form open for more editing
   • Save & Close - Return to inbox

Refund Receipts

Field receipts can record refunds — money returned by a vendor for a previous purchase. Common examples are returned tools, returned materials, or credit-card refunds for billing errors. Refunds appear in the Field Receipt Inbox with a Refund badge and a negative amount, and they sync to QuickBooks differently from regular receipts.

Uploading a Refund Receipt

The Upload Receipt button on the Field Receipt Inbox is a split button. Click the dropdown arrow on its right side to see:

• Upload Receipt — the standard receipt flow (this is also what you get by clicking the main button)
• Upload Refund Receipt — opens the refund flow

The Upload Refund Receipt form looks like the standard receipt form with two additions at the top:

• A Refund badge so you always know you're in refund mode
• A Refund method chooser

Choosing a Refund Method

Pick the method that matches how the money actually came back to you. This drives how the refund is recorded in QuickBooks, so it's important to get right.

Refund method	When to use
Credit Card	The vendor reversed the original charge back to a credit card
Cash or Check	The vendor refunded you with cash, a check, or a bank deposit

Once you pick a method, the Refund Account picker updates to match:

• Credit Card mode: the picker shows your credit card accounts ("The credit card the refund posted to")
• Cash or Check mode: the picker shows your bank accounts ("The bank account where the refund was deposited")

Pick the account the refund actually landed in. Everything else on the form (vendor, project, cost codes, line items, receipt image) works exactly the same as a regular receipt.

When you're ready, click Submit Refund or Submit Refund & Close. The refund saves as a New row and follows the same approval workflow as a regular receipt.

How Refunds Sync to QuickBooks

Credit card refunds sync as a single QuickBooks Purchase transaction marked as a credit. QuickBooks inverts the general-ledger direction automatically, so the expense is reversed against the credit card account you picked.

Cash or check refunds are more involved on the QuickBooks side. Readybuild creates three linked entities behind the scenes so the accounting comes out correctly:

1. A Vendor Credit that reverses the original expense lines
2. A Bank Deposit that records the cash coming back into your bank account
3. A zero-dollar Bill Payment that links the Vendor Credit and Deposit together so QuickBooks marks the credit as fully applied

The end state in QuickBooks is that the Vendor Credit shows Refund Status: Paid with the Deposit recorded as the payment. You don't need to do anything in QuickBooks — the link is automatic.

note

Cash and check refunds also create a paired Vendor Credit row inside Readybuild. This shadow row exists so the QuickBooks sync has something to point to. You'll see it in the Vendor Credits list tagged with a Field Receipt Refund badge. See the Vendor Credits docs for details on how it appears there.

Multiple Accounts Payable accounts in QuickBooks

The cash-refund Deposit needs to know which Accounts Payable account to charge. Most companies have only one A/P account, in which case Readybuild picks it automatically. If your QuickBooks file has more than one active A/P account (for example, separate A/P per business unit or per currency), you'll need to configure the default for Readybuild explicitly — without that, the Deposit could land against the wrong A/P account. Contact support if your books are set up this way.

Finding the Paired Vendor Credit

When you open an approved cash-refund Field Receipt, the form header shows a Synced as Vendor Credit indicator next to the QuickBooks Sync status. The vendor credit number (e.g. VC-22) is a link — click it to jump to the Vendor Credits list view of the same record.

Editing or Voiding a Refund

Refund receipts follow the same edit rules as regular receipts:

• Before approval — edit the fields directly on the form and save
• After approval and sync to QuickBooks — the receipt is locked; void (delete) it if it was wrong, then upload a new refund receipt

For cash refunds specifically: the paired Vendor Credit row in the Vendor Credits list is read-only. The Field Receipt is the source of truth — any edits must happen on the receipt, and the paired credit re-syncs automatically. The Vendor Credits form will show a banner with a link back to the source receipt.

Deleting the Field Receipt also deletes the paired Vendor Credit and voids all three QuickBooks entities. You don't need to clean anything up by hand.

Filtering Refunds in the Inbox

The Filter dialog on the Field Receipt Inbox has a Type option with three settings:

• All — shows everything (default)
• Receipts only — hides refunds
• Refunds only — shows just the refunds

This is helpful when you're reviewing month-end totals or doing a refund audit.

Automatic Receipt Scanning (OCR)

Readybuild can automatically extract information from uploaded receipt images using optical character recognition (OCR). This feature helps speed up data entry by reading the receipt and pre-filling form fields.

How It Works

1. Upload a receipt - Upload an image file (JPEG, PNG, GIF, HEIC) or PDF
2. Save the receipt - OCR processing starts automatically after saving
3. Wait for processing - A status indicator shows the current progress
4. Review and edit - Once complete, verify the extracted data and make any corrections

OCR Status Indicators

After saving a receipt with an uploaded file, you'll see a status indicator:

Status	Description
Save to start OCR	Receipt file uploaded but not yet saved - save to begin processing
OCR pending...	Receipt is queued for processing
Processing receipt...	OCR is actively extracting data from the image
OCR failed	Processing could not complete - enter data manually

When processing completes successfully, you'll see a confirmation message and the form fields will be populated.

What Gets Extracted

OCR attempts to extract the following information from receipt images:

• Title - Merchant or vendor name from the receipt
• Purchase Date - Transaction date shown on the receipt
• Line Items - Individual items including name, cost, and quantity

Auto-Population Rules

To preserve any data you've already entered, OCR only fills in empty fields:

• Title - Only populated if the title field is blank
• Purchase Date - Only populated if you haven't changed the date from today
• Line Items - Only populated if no line items exist yet

If you've already entered information in a field, OCR will not overwrite it.

Tips for Best Results

• Clear images - Use well-lit, in-focus photos
• Flat receipts - Smooth out wrinkles before photographing
• Full capture - Include the entire receipt in the frame
• Standard receipts - Printed register receipts work best

note

OCR is designed to assist with data entry, not replace it. Always review the extracted information for accuracy before saving. If OCR fails, you can still enter all information manually.

Downloading Receipt Files

To download the receipt image or PDF from the receipt form:

1. Open the receipt
2. Click the download icon in the top-right corner of the receipt preview
3. The file downloads to your device

This works for both image files (JPEG, PNG, etc.) and PDF receipts.

Receipt Fields

Required Fields

Field	Description
Title	Name or description of the receipt
Purchase Date	Date the expense occurred
Project	Project this expense belongs to (includes both regular and warranty projects)
Sub/Vendor	Who provided the goods/services
Receipt File	The uploaded receipt image/document

Line Items

Each receipt has one or more line items representing individual expenses:

Field	Description
Item Name	Description of the item purchased
Cost Code	Category for job costing (required)
Unit Cost	Price per unit
Quantity	Number of units
Unit of Measure	Unit type (each, square foot, etc.)
Builder Cost	Calculated: Quantity × Unit Cost

Optional Fields

Field	Description
Description	Additional notes about the receipt
Tags	Custom tags for categorization
QB Payment Account	QuickBooks account for sync (if QB is enabled)
Attachments	Additional supporting documents

Receipt Status

Receipts progress through two statuses:

Status	Description
New	Just uploaded, awaiting review
Approved	Reviewed and approved by manager

Changing Status

1. Open the receipt
2. Select a new status from the dropdown
3. Save the receipt

Status changes trigger QuickBooks sync if the integration is enabled.

Deleting Field Receipts

Field receipts can be deleted when they were entered in error, duplicated, or are no longer needed.

From the List View

1. Locate the receipt in the Field Receipt Inbox
2. Click the delete icon (trash can) on the right side of the row
3. A confirmation dialog appears: "Are you sure you want to delete this Field Receipt?"
4. Click Yes, Delete to confirm

From the Receipt Form

1. Open the receipt by clicking on it
2. Click the red Delete button at the bottom left of the form
3. Confirm the deletion in the dialog

QuickBooks Warning

If the receipt has been synced to QuickBooks, the confirmation dialog displays an additional warning:

This will unlink the expense from QuickBooks. The expense in QuickBooks will not be deleted.

The receipt is removed from Readybuild, and the link to QuickBooks is severed. The corresponding expense record in QuickBooks remains intact and must be managed separately if needed.

What Happens After Deletion

• The receipt is removed from the Field Receipt Inbox and all list views
• The receipt no longer appears in job costing reports
• The deletion cannot be undone

warning

Deleting a receipt that has been synced to QuickBooks does not delete the expense in QuickBooks. Review your QuickBooks records separately after deleting synced receipts.

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Filtering Receipts

Use filters to find specific receipts:

Filter	Options
Status	New, Approved
Vendor	Select from vendors
Project	Select from projects
Purchase Date	Date range
Upload Date	Date range
Amount	Amount range
Cost Codes	Select cost codes
Tags	Select tags

Filters persist between sessions for convenience.

Tags

Organize receipts with custom tags:

Using Tags

1. Open a receipt
2. Click the Tags field
3. Select existing tags or create new ones
4. Save the receipt

Managing Tags

Users with proper permissions can:

• Create tags - Type a new tag name and press Enter
• Edit tags - Modify tag names and colors
• Delete tags - Remove tags (only if not in use)

Tags are color-coded for easy visual identification in the receipt list.

Exporting Receipts

Export filtered receipts to CSV for external analysis:

1. Apply desired filters
2. Click Export to CSV
3. File downloads with receipt details

The export includes:

• Receipt header information
• Line items expanded to separate rows
• Tags and cost codes
• All financial data

QuickBooks Integration

If QuickBooks Online is connected:

Payment Account

Select a QB payment account (bank or credit card) to record how the expense was paid.

Automatic Sync

When receipts are approved, they automatically sync to QuickBooks as expenses (not bills). This is because field receipts represent expenses that have already been paid, typically with company credit cards or petty cash.

Sync Status

The QB Sync column shows when each receipt was last synced to QuickBooks.

Permissions

Basic Users

• Can upload receipts
• See their own uploaded receipts
• Cannot change status or approve

Users with Manage PO Permission

• Full access to all receipt functions
• Can approve and change status
• Can manage tags
• Can export data

Warranty Projects

Field receipts can be assigned to warranty projects in addition to regular projects. When selecting a project, both regular and warranty projects appear in the dropdown.

QuickBooks Sync for Warranty Receipts

When a field receipt assigned to a warranty project syncs to QuickBooks Online, it is recorded under the parent project in QuickBooks. This is because warranty projects are not synced as separate entities in QuickBooks — expenses are tracked against the original project for consolidated reporting.

Job Costing Integration

Field receipts feed directly into Job Costing:

• Each line item's cost code allocates the expense to project cost categories
• Approved receipts appear in the Job Costing "Field Receipts" section
• Receipt totals roll up into project cost tracking

Ensure cost codes are accurately assigned to maintain accurate job costing data.

Best Practices

1. Upload receipts promptly - Don't let receipts pile up
2. Assign cost codes - Every line item should have a cost code for job costing
3. Use tags - Create tags for common expense categories
4. Review regularly - Process new receipts weekly
5. Keep originals - Maintain physical receipts for accounting records

Troubleshooting

OCR Not Starting

If OCR doesn't begin after uploading a receipt:

• Ensure you've saved the receipt after uploading the file
• Check that the file is a supported format (JPEG, PNG, GIF, HEIC, or PDF)
• Try uploading a different image of the same receipt

OCR Failed

If OCR processing fails:

• The receipt image may be too blurry, dark, or damaged
• Handwritten receipts are not supported - printed receipts work best
• Try taking a clearer photo with better lighting
• You can still enter all information manually

OCR Results Incorrect

If extracted data doesn't match the receipt:

• This is normal - OCR is an automated process that can make errors
• Simply correct any inaccurate fields before saving
• OCR works best with standard printed receipts from major retailers

OCR Not Extracting All Fields

If some fields aren't populated:

• Not all receipts contain the same information
• Fields that were already filled in are intentionally skipped
• Some receipt formats may not be fully recognized
• Enter any missing information manually

Related Topics

• Purchase Orders - Formal vendor ordering
• Job Costing - Project cost tracking
• Client Invoicing - Invoice and payment processing