Recording Expenses with AI
Receipts pile up faster than anyone types them in. If you've connected an AI
assistant, you can share a stack of photos, an invoice, or a supplier statement
and ask it to record them. You get a preview of every expense it would create,
and nothing is written until you approve it in the chat.
The AI records spend. It never approves it.
Every imported expense arrives as Pending, exactly as if it had been typed
in by hand. Someone still approves each one in the app. There is no setting
that changes this — it's how the import is built.
Before you start
Connect an AI tool
Follow Setting up an AI connection
if you haven't already.
Grant the Expense Import permission
On the approval screen, tick Expense Import. It is never granted
automatically. See Understanding permissions.
Set up your categories and payment methods first
The AI matches each receipt to an expense category and payment method you
already have. It never creates new ones. Add the ones you use in
Expenses → Categories before your first import.
On ChatGPT, tick the import permission
Imports only work if you granted the matching Import permission on the
Fuze Store approval screen when you connected. If you unticked it — or you're
not sure — reconnect and leave it ticked. See
Connecting ChatGPT.
How it works
You share your receipts
Send the AI photos, a PDF invoice, a statement, or just type the amounts out.
Ask it to record them as expenses.
The AI shows you a preview
It reads each amount and date, matches a category and payment method, and
reports back a list with a total. Nothing has been written yet.
You check the numbers
This is the step that matters. Read the amounts against the receipts in front
of you. If something's off, correct it and ask for a new preview. The preview
expires on its own after 30 minutes.
It writes, all at once
On approval every expense is created in a single batch, all Pending. If any
part fails, the whole import is rolled back — you never get half a ledger.
Someone approves them in the app
Open Expenses and work through the Pending list as usual.
What it records
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Amount | Required. Must be more than zero |
| Date | Required — the date on the receipt, not today |
| Description | What it was for |
| Category | Matched to a category you already have |
| Payment method | Matched to a payment method you already have |
Up to 100 expenses per import. A bigger batch still works — ask the AI to
split it, for example one week at a time. A preview nobody actually reads defeats
the point of having one.
What it will never do
- It never approves an expense. Everything lands Pending.
- It never creates a category or a payment method. If a receipt doesn't match
one you have, that's an error you'll see in the preview, and the AI will ask
you which existing one to use. - It never guesses an amount. If a total is unreadable on a photo, it asks
you rather than inventing a number. - It never touches orders, payments, catalog, or settings.
- It never writes without your approval, and that approval covers only the
one preview you read.
Getting a good result
A sharp, flat, well-lit photo of a receipt reads far better than a crumpled one
at an angle. If a receipt is faded, type the amount out instead.
- Check the dates. A receipt photographed today may be from last week. The
preview shows the date it read for each one. - Say which category if your receipts don't make it obvious — "these are all
Supplies" saves a round trip. - Do one batch at a time so the preview stays short enough to actually check.
Troubleshooting
- The AI says it can't write — the Expense Import permission wasn't granted,
or your role doesn't cover recording expenses. Reconnect and tick it, or ask a
store owner about your role. - "You have no staff record in this store" — expenses are recorded against a
staff member. Organisation admins reach a store through the organisation and
aren't staff members there, so ask the store owner to add you as staff, or have
a staff member run the import. - A category wasn't found — add it in the app first, then re-preview.
- The preview expired — previews last 30 minutes. Ask for a new one.
- Nothing happened after you approved — ask the AI for the import status; it
can look the session up and tell you whether it completed or failed.