How Does ScanCompta Work? Receipt Photo to CSV

How does ScanCompta work in practice?

When someone wonders "how does scancompta work", the vendor's answer is three steps. You photograph a receipt or an invoice, the AI reads it, and the data lands in your records ready to send. According to the ScanCompta homepage, the promise is zero manual entry: a photo goes in, and the amount, VAT, date and category come out without you typing them.

The first step is the photo. The homepage says you can photograph a ticket or an invoice, and that you can also add mileage costs without any photo at all. Step two is extraction: the site states that the amount, VAT, date and category are detected automatically in 3 seconds. Step three is sending, and the page says that at the end of the month your accountant receives the CSV and all the supporting documents.

The homepage also offers a live test on the page itself. It says no account is required and nothing is saved, and you can either use your camera or import a ticket. That makes it easy to see how the extraction handles one of your own receipts before deciding to sign up. The site also states that it complies with the URSSAF obligation to keep records for 6 years.

How are receipts sorted by client, and what does the accountant get?

According to the features list on its homepage, ScanCompta keeps one folder per client and sends each one to the accountant separately. The site presents this as ideal for independents with several clients, because expenses tied to one engagement do not get mixed with another's. Each photo is kept securely and can be consulted at any time, which gives you an archive of supporting documents next to the extracted figures.

Mileage has its own entry. The homepage says you can enter trips in 10 seconds, that the amount is calculated automatically from your rate, and that everything goes out in the monthly export together with your receipts. No photo is needed for these, which suits the kilometres that never produce a ticket. It is a small feature, but it keeps the whole month in one place.

Before anything leaves, the site says it warns you when the same receipt has been scanned twice, so a duplicate does not reach the accountant by mistake. The export is described as a CSV plus a ZIP, with the supporting documents sent along. Check with your accountant that they are happy to receive a CSV and a bundle of photos, since that is the format the monthly send uses.

Does ScanCompta work offline, and can you install it?

ScanCompta does not work offline, and it cannot be installed as an app from the browser. That sets it apart from most PWAs in the catalogue, including Invoice Ninja, which is installable. You need a connection to scan, so treat it as a site you open when you are online, not an app that stores your work on the device and syncs it later.

Why it is not installable is not something the vendor explains. Its homepage presents a web service: you sign in, try the scan on the page, and use the camera or import a file from the browser. It describes no install step and no offline mode, so the sensible reading is a site you visit each time. If you want installable tools in the same area, browse the Productivity category.

So how does scancompta work when you have no signal? It does not, and the practical workaround is simple. Take the photo when you are connected, ideally the same day. The homepage says the scan takes 3 seconds, so it is a quick job. If you spend days somewhere with poor coverage, keep the paper receipts and scan them once you are back online.

Is ScanCompta free, or are there hidden limits?

The homepage advertises 5 free scans per month, with no bank card required and cancellation possible at any time. It also says the live demo needs no account. So the free tier is real but capped: it covers 5 receipts a month, which suits occasional use better than a daily routine of lunches, fuel and supplies. As of October 2026, those are the terms the homepage states.

If you only need to store a handful of receipts, the free allowance may be enough. Anyone scanning more should treat it as a trial of the extraction quality. Test it on your usual tickets, such as fuel, meals and supplies, and look at the plans offered at sign-up before relying on it for a full month. The main button on the homepage reads "Essayer gratuitement", meaning try for free.

Who is ScanCompta for, and what does it not do?

The homepage says it is designed for independents, craftspeople and small businesses, with freelancers who have several clients as the ideal case thanks to separate folders. If your month is a pile of tickets, a few invoices and some kilometres, and your accountant does the books, this is the capture step that sits in front of that work.

It is a capture-and-export tool, not a complete accounting system. Nothing on the homepage suggests it keeps your ledger or files your returns, and it does not replace your accountant; it feeds them. When you wonder how does scancompta work alongside other tools, the answer is that it sits upstream: it produces the records, and your accountant's own software does the rest.

If you also need to bill clients, look at Invoice Ninja, whose own site describes invoicing, online payments, expense tracking and time tracking. For contracts, DocuSeal describes itself as a free and open source tool for filling and signing documents. More tools for this kind of work are collected in Finance & Business PWAs.

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