How to Send Receipts to FreeAgent Smart Capture
Two ways to do it: snap it on your phone, or upload it on your computer. Both take under a minute.
What is Smart Capture?
Smart Capture is the bit of FreeAgent where you send pictures of receipts and supplier invoices. FreeAgent reads them for you and pulls out the supplier, the date, the total and the VAT — so you don't have to type anything in. Send everything there and we can do the rest.
Option 1: On your phone (easiest)
Open the FreeAgent app
Find the FreeAgent app on your phone and tap it. If you haven't got it, download 'FreeAgent' free from the App Store or Google Play and log in with your normal email and password.
Tap the camera / '+' button
On the main screen tap the '+' (or camera) button and choose 'Capture receipt'.
Take a photo of the receipt
Lay the receipt flat, good light, whole receipt in the frame. Make sure the total and the date are readable.
Tap upload
Tap 'Use photo' / 'Upload'. That's it — it goes straight into Smart Capture.
Bin the paper (if you want)
Once it's uploaded, the photo is your legal record. You don't need to keep the paper copy.
Option 2: On a computer
Go to freeagent.com and log in
Use your usual email address and password.
Click 'Banking' then 'Smart Capture'
It's in the top menu. Some accounts show it as 'Files' > 'Smart Capture'.
Drag the file in, or click 'Upload'
Photos (JPG/PNG) and PDFs both work. You can drop several in at once.
Wait a few seconds
FreeAgent reads the supplier, date, total and VAT for you. It will appear in the list when it's done.
Check it looks right
Click the item, glance at the total and the date, then click 'Create'. If a number is wrong, just type over it.
Quick rules to keep it clean
One receipt per photo
Don't fit three receipts in one picture — FreeAgent will only read one of them.
Do it the same day
Snap it when you get it. Receipts in a glovebox are receipts you'll lose.
Send everything
If the business paid for it, we want it. Better to send too much than too little.
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Common Questions
Can I email receipts into FreeAgent instead?
Yes. FreeAgent gives your account its own upload email address (find it under Files or Smart Capture). Forward a supplier invoice email to that address and it lands in Smart Capture automatically.
Do I still need to keep the paper receipt?
No. HMRC accepts digital copies, so once a clear photo is uploaded you can throw the paper away.
What if the photo is blurry or the total is wrong?
Open the item in Smart Capture and type the correct figures over the top, or delete it and take a better photo. Nothing is final until you click Create.
Can I upload PDFs and several files at once?
Yes — on a computer you can drag in multiple photos or PDFs together and FreeAgent will process them one by one.
What should I do if I can't log in?
Use 'Forgotten password' on the FreeAgent login page, or give us a ring on 01277 549101 and we'll sort your access out.
Want us to handle the bookkeeping?
You snap the receipts, we do everything else. Talk to us about our FreeAgent and Xero bookkeeping service.