Every receipt your business keeps needs the same four things pulled out of it: the vendor, the date, the total, and the tax. Do that by hand for a few hundred receipts a year and it adds up to days of work. Receipt-scanning apps do it from a photo. Here's how the main options compare for Canadian small businesses, with a focus on GST and HST.
A note on this comparison: features and pricing change often. We describe what each tool is generally known for and who it suits. Check each vendor's current plans before you decide. If we ever earn a referral fee from a tool, we disclose it in your prescription.
What to look for in a Canadian receipt app
- Tax extraction. It should pull GST (5% in Alberta) or HST out as its own field, not just the total. Test this on your own receipts; accuracy varies with receipt layouts.
- Accounting connection. It should push straight into the software you use, usually QuickBooks Online, Xero, or Sage.
- How receipts get in. Phone photo, email forwarding, and bulk upload. Email forwarding matters for online purchases.
- Who uses it. Is it for one owner, a team submitting expenses, or a bookkeeper handling many clients?
- Record keeping. The CRA generally expects records to be kept for six years from the end of the tax year they relate to, and accepts electronic copies that meet its requirements. Check the CRA's current guidance before you shred anything.
The main options
| Tool | Best known for | Usually suits |
|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Online (built-in) | Receipt capture in the QuickBooks mobile app, matched to bank transactions | Businesses already on QuickBooks Online with modest volume |
| Hubdoc | Document and receipt capture owned by Xero, with bank-statement and bill fetching | Xero users, and bookkeepers who want documents collected automatically |
| Dext | Receipt and invoice extraction widely used by accountants and bookkeepers | Firms and businesses with higher volume or many suppliers |
| Expensify | Employee expense reports and reimbursements | Teams where staff pay and get reimbursed |
| Wave | Free-to-start accounting from a Canadian company, with receipt scanning on some plans | Very small businesses keeping costs low |
If you already use QuickBooks Online
Start with what you already pay for. QuickBooks Online's mobile app can capture receipts and match them to bank transactions. For a small business with a few dozen receipts a month, that may be all you need. The common gap: it's often set up but never used, because nobody showed the team how.
If you use Xero
Hubdoc is owned by Xero and is built to feed documents into it. It can also fetch bills and statements from some suppliers and banks automatically, which saves chasing. Check whether it's included with your Xero plan.
If you're a bookkeeper or have high volume
Dext is common in accounting firms because it handles large volumes and many clients, with supplier rules that learn how you categorize. It connects to the major accounting platforms.
If your team spends money and gets reimbursed
That's an expense-report problem more than a receipt problem. Expensify and similar tools are built around submitting, approving, and reimbursing, with receipts attached.
When an off-the-shelf app isn't enough
Most businesses should pick one of the above and set it up properly. A custom tool makes sense when receipts need to be tied to something the apps don't track well, such as a job number, a truck, or a site. That's common in trades and field services, where fuel and parts receipts need to land against the right job for costing.
How to choose in an afternoon
- Start with the tool your accounting software already includes or owns.
- Take 20 real receipts, including a faded one, a long one, and an online order email.
- Run them through your top two choices on free trials.
- Check that the GST amount came out right on every one, and that each landed correctly in your books.
- Pick the one your team will actually use, then set up email forwarding and phone capture for everyone.
Not sure receipts are even your biggest leak? Work out what admin is costing you first, or read where to start with small business automation.
Frequently asked questions
Do receipt apps calculate GST automatically?
Most extract the tax amount printed on the receipt rather than calculating it. Accuracy depends on the receipt layout, so test with your own receipts.
Can I throw away paper receipts after scanning them?
The CRA accepts electronic records that meet its requirements, and generally expects records to be kept for six years. Check the CRA's current guidance before discarding originals.
Which receipt app is best for QuickBooks Online?
Start with QuickBooks Online's built-in receipt capture. If volume or supplier count is high, Dext is a common add-on.
Is there a free option?
Some accounting tools include receipt capture in their plans, and several apps have free trials. Check current plans, since what's included changes.