If someone has to approve each expense, enforce a policy or reconcile company cards, you need a full expense platform. If you just need receipts turned into a clean report for a client, employer or accountant, receipts-to-report is enough, and that is what Slipsheet does. Slipsheet is not an approval-workflow tool.
Most searches for an expense report app land on lists of platforms built for finance teams. If you are a freelancer, contractor or small team, much of that is more than you need. This guide helps you tell which side you are on.
The quick test
Ask who the report is for and what happens after you send it.
- A manager or finance team approves it inside the software, against a policy, and pays people back. That is an expense platform's job.
- A client, employer or accountant reads it, checks it and enters it in their own books. That is a receipts-to-report job.
If you said the second one, the work that matters is getting every receipt into one row with the right date, merchant, amount and tax, and handing over a file nobody has to retype.
Platform vs receipts-to-report, side by side
Expense platforms differ, so the middle column describes what the category is generally built for, not any single product. The right column is what Slipsheet does today.
| You need | Full expense platform | Receipts-to-report (Slipsheet) |
|---|---|---|
| Someone approves each expense in the software | Yes, this is the core job | Not offered. Slipsheet is not an approval-workflow tool |
| Company cards matched to receipts | Usually built in | Not offered |
| Spending policy checks | Usually built in | Not offered |
| Reimbursement payouts to employees | Often built in | Not offered |
| Receipts captured from photos, PDFs and email | Usually | Yes. Upload JPG, PNG, HEIC or PDF. Email forwarding on paid plans. No in-app camera |
| One clean file to hand over | Varies by product | One 9-column CSV |
| Costs tagged by client | Varies by product | Yes, with the client_tag column |
| QuickBooks Online or Xero | Often a direct connection | CSV import only |
| Google Sheets | Varies by product | Sync on Pro |
When you need a full expense platform
- Several people spend company money and a manager signs off on each report.
- You issue company cards and want card transactions matched to receipts.
- You have a written spending policy and want it checked automatically.
- Employees are reimbursed through the same system.
If any of these describe you, choose a platform built for approvals. Slipsheet won't fill that gap, and we would rather say so up front.
When receipts-to-report is enough
- You are a freelancer or contractor billing expenses back to a client.
- You are a small team where one person collects receipts and sends them to an accountant.
- You file your own expenses each month or quarter and want them in a spreadsheet.
- You want costs tagged by client so you can bill or report on each one.
For a step by step walkthrough, see how to create an expense report. If you report every month, building a monthly expense report from receipts covers the routine.
A worked example report
Here is what a receipts-to-report export looks like. This is synthetic example data: six May 2026 receipts from our test set, with an illustrative client tag (northwind) and short notes added. The columns are exactly the 9 Slipsheet exports, in order.
| date | merchant | total_amount | currency | tax_amount | category | client_tag | notes | file_name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-01 | GitHub Inc | 44.00 | USD | 0.00 | saas | northwind | repo for client build | 07-github.png |
| 2026-05-05 | Tartine Bakery | 32.60 | USD | 2.68 | restaurant | northwind | client kickoff | 08-tartine.png |
| 2026-05-09 | Lyft Inc | 19.42 | USD | 1.68 | rideshare | northwind | to client office | 09-lyft.png |
| 2026-05-12 | Home Depot | 156.88 | USD | 12.91 | hardware | workshop shelving | 10-homedepot.png | |
| 2026-05-16 | Figma Inc | 180.00 | USD | 0.00 | saas | northwind | design seats for project | 11-figma.png |
| 2026-05-21 | Zuni Cafe | 148.72 | USD | 12.24 | restaurant | team dinner | 12-zuni.png |
Across the six rows, total_amount comes to 581.62 and tax_amount to 29.51. Filter client_tag to northwind and you get 4 rows totaling 276.02, with 4.36 of tax, ready to bill to that client. The other two rows stay in your own costs. file_name points to the original receipt, so anyone checking the report can find it.
Three habits keep a report like this easy to accept:
- Keep tax in its own column instead of folding it into the total.
- Tag every billable receipt with the client before you export.
- Use notes for the reason behind the cost, so nobody has to ask.
Before you send it, run through the expense report receipt checklist. For specific report types, start from the travel expense report template or the contractor expense report template.
How Slipsheet produces the report
- Capture: upload JPG, PNG, HEIC or PDF receipts in your browser. On paid plans you can also forward receipt emails. There is no in-app camera.
- Export: one CSV with nine columns: date, merchant, total_amount, currency, tax_amount, category, client_tag, notes and file_name.
- Spreadsheets: Google Sheets sync is on Pro. Excel and Microsoft 365 connections are listed as coming soon. Today you can open the CSV in Excel.
- Accounting software: QuickBooks Online and Xero by CSV import only.
- Plans: Starter is $5 a month for 250 receipts. Pro is $12 a month for 1,500 receipts. Both start with a 14-day trial, no card needed.
Still comparing tools? Our roundup of the best apps to track business expenses covers both kinds. Or start a Slipsheet trial and build your first report.
Frequently asked questions
Is Slipsheet an expense report app with approvals?
No. Slipsheet is not an approval-workflow tool. It has no approval chains, policy rules, corporate card feeds or reimbursement payouts. It turns receipts into one clean CSV you can send to a client, employer or accountant. If someone has to approve each expense inside the software, you need a full expense platform.
When is receipts-to-report enough?
When you are the person spending and someone else just needs a clear record. Freelancers billing a client, contractors passing costs through, and small teams sending receipts to an accountant usually need one row per receipt with date, merchant, amount, tax and a tag, not an approval chain or card program.
Can I send the report to QuickBooks or Xero?
Yes, by CSV import. Slipsheet has no direct connection to QuickBooks Online or Xero. You export one 9-column CSV and import it yourself. Google Sheets sync is available on Pro, and Excel and Microsoft 365 connections are listed as coming soon. Today you can open the CSV in Excel.
How much does Slipsheet cost?
Starter is $5 a month for 250 receipts. Pro is $12 a month for 1,500 receipts and adds Google Sheets sync. Both plans start with a 14-day free trial, and you don't need a card to start. Forwarding receipts by email is included on paid plans.