You can add an expense or income in SparkReceipt by hand, with no receipt, photo or file. Open the add dialog, pick the type, and continue without adding a file. SparkReceipt creates an empty document and opens it, and you type in the Merchant (or Payer), date, amount and anything else you want.
The same dialog is how you upload a single receipt or invoice from your computer: drop the file in before you continue and SparkReceipt scans it for you.
Add a manual entry in the web app
- Click Add documents in the left sidebar. On a small screen, tap Add in the top bar.
- In the Add document dialog, choose Expense or receipt or Income or invoice.
- The dialog Create new expense (or Create new income) opens. Don't add a file. The box reads "Drag & drop files here to auto-scan, or just continue to create a manual entry instead."
- Click Confirm.
The new document opens right away. Fill in the fields you need. Changes save automatically as you type, so there is no Save button.
Shortcut: Blank document in the Add document dialog creates an empty expense and opens it in one click.
You can also start from an expense or income list in the web app, for example a month view: the Add expense or Add income button there opens the same dialog with the type already chosen.
Add a manual entry in the mobile app
- Tap Scan in the middle of the bottom bar.
- Pick the type at the top: Expense, Income, Statement or Document.
- Tap Add manually.
The new document opens for you to fill in. In a month's list, the add button also offers Add expense manually or Add income manually.
What to fill in
Nothing is mandatory. SparkReceipt sets the date to today and the currency to your account's home currency, and you can change both. Most people fill in:
- Merchant (on an expense) or Payer (on income)
- the document date
- the total, and the tax if you track it
- the Category
- the payment method, Tags and Details if you use them
If you plan to publish the document to QuickBooks Online or Xero, you need a Merchant or Payer and a Category. See Which fields are required on a document, and which can I leave blank?.
To record a return or credit, enter the amount as a negative number, see Credits & Returns: How to Show Negative Expenses in SparkReceipt.
Upload a single receipt or invoice from your computer
- Click Add documents in the left sidebar and choose the type, for example Income or invoice.
- Drag the file into the dialog, or click the box to pick it from your computer.
- Click Confirm.
SparkReceipt scans the file in the background and you stay on the page you were on. If you'd rather jump straight to the new document, turn on Open the document after adding it in your Profile.
A scanned document is filed under the date printed on it, not the day you uploaded it. An old receipt therefore lands in its own month, not at the top of the current month. Use Recents under Documents in the left sidebar to find what you just added.
If you add several files in the dialog, it asks whether to create a separate document for each file or attach them all to a single document. For many files at once, use Mass upload, see Can I bulk import historical data into SparkReceipt?.
I don't see an Add button, or manual entry doesn't work
- Your monthly document limit is used up. A manual entry counts as a document added this month, just like an upload, though it uses no credits. When your plan's monthly limit and your credits are both used up, the add buttons show an upgrade prompt instead of the dialog, also for manual entries. See How does the monthly credit system work?.
- Your plan has ended. The Add documents button is turned off and says "Adding documents is paused." Your saved documents stay available to view and export.
- Your role. Users with Accountant access may only be able to add statements. Ask an account admin or owner if you need to add expenses or income.
Can I type expenses into a table, like a spreadsheet?
No. SparkReceipt has no spreadsheet-style grid for typing many rows. Each manual entry is its own document. If you already have your expenses in a spreadsheet or CSV, import it instead and get one entry per row, see How do I import a spreadsheet of expenses so I get one entry per row?.
For costs that repeat every month, such as rent or a subscription, a recurring automation can create the entry for you, see How to set up automations in SparkReceipt.
Add a receipt to a manual entry later
You can attach a photo or file to a manual entry at any time. Read Does SparkReceipt store images of scanned receipts? first: adding the first file to a document you typed in yourself starts a scan, which can change some of the values you entered.