🧭 Record supplier bills by photo, end to end
The full routine for turning paper supplier bills into saved purchase bills with Photo Invoice, including stuck scans and checking OCR health.
Why and when you use it
Goods arrive daily and bills pile up. This workflow gets each bill from paper to a saved purchase bill quickly and safely: photograph, review, confirm, save, then clear anything stuck at day end. It keeps stock, supplier dues and GST input correct. It is written for the purchase clerk, with checks the owner can do weekly.
Before you start
- Suppliers added with GSTIN (Suppliers)
- Products added with HSN code and GST Rate % (Inventory)
- Bill scans available on Plan & Usage (Growth and Business plans can buy an OCR pack)
Step by step
- Check goods against the billWhen goods arrive, count them against the supplier's bill and note any shortage or damage on the bill.
- Photograph the bill in Photo InvoiceOpen Photo Invoice and upload or photograph the bill: flat, good light, all corners visible.
- Review header and linesCheck supplier, bill number, date, amount, and every item's product, quantity, rate and GST against the paper.
- Correct and confirmFix misread values and confirm. A draft purchase bill is created.
- Save on PurchasesOpen Purchases, check the draft's total against the Supplier Bill Amount (₹) and press Save Purchase Bill.
- Clear Stuck bills at day endOpen Stuck bills (all). Retry, re-photograph or enter each one by hand with New Purchase Bill.
- Check OCR health if many got stuckOpen OCR health to see whether the reader is working, and Plan & Usage for scans left.
- Confirm the effectsCheck stock in Inventory and the supplier's balance in Accounts Payable or Suppliers.
- Weekly owner checkOnce a week, compare supplier statements with Accounts Payable to catch any bill that was missed.
Worked example
On 12 Nov 2026 Sharma Traders receives two bills from Hindustan Foods Pvt Ltd: HF/2026/4821 for ₹32,970 (atta and oil) and HF/2026/4822 for ₹12,600 (12,000 taxable + 5% IGST ₹600, 100 packets of poha at ₹120).
- Count the goods: all quantities match both bills.
- Photo Invoice: upload HF/2026/4821; correct oil quantity from 170 to 120; total ₹32,970; confirm.
- Purchases: open the draft and press Save Purchase Bill.
- Photo Invoice: upload HF/2026/4822; it does not finish.
- At 6 pm, open Stuck bills (all); retry fails, so re-photograph in good light; it reads 100 × ₹120, IGST ₹600, total ₹12,600; confirm and save on Purchases.
- OCR health shows the reader working; Plan & Usage shows scans left.
- Accounts Payable shows ₹45,570 owed to Hindustan Foods Pvt Ltd for the two bills.
Result: Both bills are saved once each. Stock rises for atta, oil and poha; ₹45,570 is owed to the supplier; IGST input of ₹2,170 is recorded for November 2026 and will appear in GST Reports.
💡 Tips
- Do bills the same day goods arrive, while the paper is in hand.
- Always match the read total to the paper total before saving.
- File the paper bill with the Stockivio purchase bill number written on it.
- Ask your CA how long to keep paper bills for GST records.
⚠️ Common mistakes
- Saving a bill before counting the goods. Fix: count first; if short, record a purchase return afterwards.
- Duplicates from retrying after manual entry. Fix: search Purchases by supplier bill number before re-entering.
- Forgetting stuck bills. Fix: make Stuck bills (all) part of the day-end close.
Questions
Can a salesman's phone photo be used?
Yes, if it is clear and complete. Have the office review and save it so one person checks every bill.
🎬 Video walkthrough (script — recording coming soon)
- Scene 1: Goods arrive; count against the bill.
- Scene 2: Photo Invoice, upload, review, correct, confirm.
- Scene 3: Purchases, Save Purchase Bill.
- Scene 4: Second bill gets stuck; Stuck bills (all) at day end.
- Scene 5: Re-photograph and save.
- Scene 6: OCR health and Plan & Usage check.
- Scene 7: Accounts Payable shows ₹45,570 owed.