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smithbros
December 14, 2022
Solved

Why aren't my receipts uploaded from the QuickBooks mobile app showing as attachments on expenses?

  • December 14, 2022
  • 6 replies
  • 134 views

I'm having issues with the receipts. I've uploaded a dozens of receipts using the QuickBooks mobile app. Now when I click on receipts I see a thumbnail of it but when trying to download it, it's shown as having the size of 100 bytes which indicates that my file is no longer there. That is very frustrating considering it took hours and hours to capture all the receipts to keep it in a centralized location matching to the category. What could be the issue with it? I've also noticed that under expenses I'm not seeing attachment either in the QuickBooks web browser but it's definitely showing in the mobile app. So there's some discrepancy that I am seeing in mobile app and Online. 

Best answer by cody_a

Why your uploaded receipts aren't showing as attachments

A receipt only becomes a real attachment on an expense, bill, or check once it's matched to that transaction, so a snapped receipt that's still sitting unreviewed will show a thumbnail on your phone but won't show up as an attachment when you open the transaction in your browser. Spending hours capturing receipts only to have them seem to vanish is genuinely frustrating, so let's get them matched up and confirm they're actually attached where they need to be.


Step 1: Review and match your receipts

Do this from a web browser on your computer, since it's the easiest place to check everything at once:

  1. Go to All apps, then Accounting, then Receipts.
  2. Select the For review tab. Any receipt sitting here hasn't been matched or turned into a transaction yet, which is why it won't show up as an attachment anywhere else.
  3. Select a receipt. If QuickBooks found a possible match, select See suggested matches, choose the right expense, and select Match.
  4. If there's no match, complete the transaction details and select Save and close to create the expense from the receipt.

Once a receipt is matched or turned into a transaction, it's attached to that expense and should show up under Attachments when you open the transaction.


Step 2: Confirm the receipt is actually attached

You can check every receipt you've attached in one place:

  1. Select the Settings gear icon.
  2. Select Attachments.
  3. From here you can view, download, or edit any file you've attached, so you can confirm the file that's attached to a transaction is the correct one and not a placeholder.


Step 3: If a receipt still looks corrupted after matching

If a receipt still shows only a thumbnail and won't download properly after it's matched, snap it again from the mobile app rather than trying to fix the original file:

  1. Open the QuickBooks mobile app, select the Menu icon, then select Receipt snap.
  2. Select Receipt camera, take a new photo of the receipt, then select Use this photo and Done.
  3. Go through Step 1 above again to match or add the new receipt.

 

If re-snapping the same receipts keeps producing unreadable files, reinstalling the app can help.

Learn more here: 

 

Let us know if you're still seeing the same issue after matching and reinstalling, and we'll dig in further.

6 replies

K
Klent
Level 8
December 14, 2022

Thanks for taking the time to post your concerns here, smithbros. I'd love to lend a hand with getting these attachments downloaded. 

 

Normally, the size of the file won't change once you upload them. In addition, you should be able to download it by simply tapping the Save to Camera Roll icon.

 

The app may have encountered an issue upon processing the images they're not properly displayed attached to the transaction. Mostly, strange behaviors like this are caused by a corrupted or outdated cache file. To rule this out, let's clear the accumulated app data to start over fresh.

 

Based on your screenshot, it seems that you're using an iOS device. You can follow these steps to be guided in doing the process:

 

  1. Head to your phone's settings.
  2. Choose General, then select iPhone Storage.
  3. Tap QuickBooks Online from the application list.
  4. To free up the storage without deleting the documents and data for the app, hit Offload App.

 

After that, resync your data to see the latest available information.

 

  1. Go to Menu.
  2. Choose Help & Feedback.
  3. Tap Refresh Data, then hit Refresh to confirm.

 

 

However, if the issue persists, you may need to uninstall and then reinstall the application. Finally, I'm including this article to learn how to track your receipts so QuickBooks can extract info from them: Upload your receipts.

 

Feel welcome to reach out to me again if you have any other concerns or further questions about our mobile app. I'd be delighted to answer them for you. Take care, smithbros.

S
smithbrosAuthor
December 14, 2022

I’ve tried offloading and reinstalling app still makes no difference on many of the receipts. It almost seems like it’s got corrupt somehow on the server side as the preview shows the receipt but not when you try to download it. 
I wasn’t able to refresh data there’s no Help and Feedback on iOS. There’s just Help under menu. 

M
mv32
Level 8
December 14, 2022

Thanks for your prompt response and for sharing detailed screenshots, @smithbros.

 

I was able to replicate this in my test account. After uploading those receipts and matching them to the following expenses, you should be able to see and download the attachments in their respective expense transactions, like bills, expenses, and check expenses. I've added some attachments for visual reference:





 

Since this is not the case after following the recommended troubleshooting steps, I encourage contacting our Care Support team to investigate this further. They have tools to pull up your account and review this in a secure space.

 

Here's how to contact one of our supports using your browser:

  1. In your QuickBooks Online (QBO) account, click the Help icon.


     
  2. Next, select the Search tab and then click Contact Us.


     
  3. From there, enter a brief description of your concern. Example: Cannot see the matched receipt when opening the individual transaction.
  4. Hit Continue.


     
  5. Next, choose Get a callback or Start a chat.

 

You can also visit our Contact Support article to know the time and day when our support is available.

 

In addition, you can check the Attachments list to verify the receipts you'd attached recently to expense transactions. Just log in to QuickBooks in a supported browser like Google Chrome and then click the Gear/Settings icon and then select Attachments.

 

Additionally, I'd like you to check out these references for more insights about attachments and receipts:

 

 

Keep posting in case you need more help within QBO. I'm always available to lend a hand. Stay safe and more power to your business!

cody_a
cody_aCommunity ManagerAnswer
Community Manager
August 25, 2026

Why your uploaded receipts aren't showing as attachments

A receipt only becomes a real attachment on an expense, bill, or check once it's matched to that transaction, so a snapped receipt that's still sitting unreviewed will show a thumbnail on your phone but won't show up as an attachment when you open the transaction in your browser. Spending hours capturing receipts only to have them seem to vanish is genuinely frustrating, so let's get them matched up and confirm they're actually attached where they need to be.


Step 1: Review and match your receipts

Do this from a web browser on your computer, since it's the easiest place to check everything at once:

  1. Go to All apps, then Accounting, then Receipts.
  2. Select the For review tab. Any receipt sitting here hasn't been matched or turned into a transaction yet, which is why it won't show up as an attachment anywhere else.
  3. Select a receipt. If QuickBooks found a possible match, select See suggested matches, choose the right expense, and select Match.
  4. If there's no match, complete the transaction details and select Save and close to create the expense from the receipt.

Once a receipt is matched or turned into a transaction, it's attached to that expense and should show up under Attachments when you open the transaction.


Step 2: Confirm the receipt is actually attached

You can check every receipt you've attached in one place:

  1. Select the Settings gear icon.
  2. Select Attachments.
  3. From here you can view, download, or edit any file you've attached, so you can confirm the file that's attached to a transaction is the correct one and not a placeholder.


Step 3: If a receipt still looks corrupted after matching

If a receipt still shows only a thumbnail and won't download properly after it's matched, snap it again from the mobile app rather than trying to fix the original file:

  1. Open the QuickBooks mobile app, select the Menu icon, then select Receipt snap.
  2. Select Receipt camera, take a new photo of the receipt, then select Use this photo and Done.
  3. Go through Step 1 above again to match or add the new receipt.

 

If re-snapping the same receipts keeps producing unreadable files, reinstalling the app can help.

Learn more here: 

 

Let us know if you're still seeing the same issue after matching and reinstalling, and we'll dig in further.

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