TL;DR
What did true_religion use ChatGPT for?
Their expense software only handled electronic data, so paper receipts meant manual entry. Instead of paying for a receipt-scanning app, staff now give receipts to ChatGPT, which returns a CSV the existing software understands. They say it isn't perfect but it saved them from upgrading their software.
What they did
They were evaluating a new receipt-scanning app. Instead, everyone puts their receipts into ChatGPT, which the company already pays for, and it outputs a CSV in a format their current expense software accepts.
How it went
They say it isn't perfect but it saved them from upgrading their software.
"it saved us from upgrading."
— true_religion
Worth knowing
- Spot-check amounts, dates and tax lines against the receipt before importing. Check the column order your software expects, and keep the original receipts.
- Price check: ChatGPT: free plan; Go: US$8/month (checked Nov 1, 2026).
Paying for ChatGPT? See cheaper ChatGPT alternatives.
Try it yourself
Paste this into a chatbot, then add your own details underneath.
I'm attaching photos of receipts. For each one, extract: date (YYYY-MM-DD), vendor, total, tax, payment method and a short category. Return only a CSV with these columns in this order: [paste the column names your expense software expects]. If a value is unreadable, leave it blank and list that receipt below the CSV.
Original post
See true_religion's original post on Hacker News → (Oct 7, 2026)
Filed under Money & Bookkeeping hacks
Sources
- true_religion on Hacker News, Oct 7, 2026 — the original post
- ChatGPT pricing — checked Nov 1, 2026