Dining Expenses
Analyze Restaurant Receipts with Item-Level Detail
Capture every appetizer, drink, and gratuity for compliance with per-diem, entertainment, and client meal policies.
Tax agencies require itemized records for meals, but most tools capture only totals. Teams need proof of what was consumed to stay compliant.
ReceiptFlow's restaurant analyzer isolates menu items, separates alcohol from meals, identifies tips, and exports categorized data. Split bills, handwritten tips, and promotional discounts are captured so finance teams stay audit-proof.
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The Problem
Business meal deductions require detailed documentation. Tax regulations distinguish between food, beverages, and alcohol. Some jurisdictions limit deductions for alcoholic beverages. Per-diem policies cap meal amounts. Client entertainment requires proof of business purpose and attendees.
Standard receipt processing only captures totals, but auditors need line items. Was it a $200 client dinner or $150 food plus $50 bar tab? How much was tip versus meal cost? Were there non-deductible personal items on a split check? Without itemization, meals get rejected during audits.
Restaurant receipts add complexity: handwritten tips, multiple payment methods for split checks, promotional discounts, service charges, and unclear item descriptions. Generic OCR struggles with these variations, forcing manual line-by-line entry.
The Solution
ReceiptFlow's restaurant analyzer extracts every menu item with quantity, description, and price. The AI separates food from beverages and flags alcoholic drinks based on item name dictionaries. Appetizers, entrees, desserts, and drinks are classified automatically.
Tip detection works with both printed and handwritten gratuity amounts. The system identifies tip lines, calculates tip percentages, and validates that totals match subtotal + tax + tip. Service charges and delivery fees are extracted separately from tips.
Split bill scenarios are handled by detecting multiple payment methods on one receipt. Each payment card type and amount is extracted for reconciliation against corporate card statements. The original total is preserved alongside individual payment splits.
Step by Step
How It Works
Upload Restaurant Receipts
Upload photos or PDFs of restaurant receipts. Works with receipts from any restaurant worldwide.
Item Extraction
AI extracts restaurant name, date, time, server, table number, and every menu item with quantity and price.
Categorization
Items are categorized into food, non-alcoholic beverages, alcoholic beverages, desserts, and service charges.
Tip & Total Validation
Extract tips (handwritten or printed), validate totals, and export itemized data for policy compliance and audits.
Ready to try it yourself?
Upload your first receipts and see the results in seconds. No credit card required.
Supports PDF, PNG, JPG • Max 10MB per file
Why Choose This
Key Benefits
Item Categorization
Separate food, non-alcoholic drinks, alcoholic beverages, and desserts with configurable policy rules for each category.
Tip Recognition
Capture both handwritten and printed tip amounts. Calculate tip percentages and validate against total paid.
Split Bill Logic
Handle multiple payment methods on one receipt. Extract each card type and amount for corporate card reconciliation.
Per-Diem Compliance
Flag meals that exceed policy limits and require additional approvals. Automatic policy enforcement reduces manual review.
Alcohol Detection
Dictionary-based classification flags alcoholic beverages for policy reviews or non-deductibility in certain jurisdictions.
Audit Export
Generate CSV or PDF bundles showing original receipts plus itemized breakdowns ready for audit submission.
Restaurant Receipt Complexity
Restaurant receipts are among the most complex document types to process. Item descriptions use abbreviations and shorthand. Multiple modifiers apply to single items (e.g., "Burger + Add Cheese + No Onion"). Combo meals bundle multiple items into one line. Happy hour discounts affect only certain drinks during specific hours.
ReceiptFlow handles these scenarios with AI trained specifically on restaurant receipts from thousands of establishments. The system recognizes common abbreviations (App for appetizer, Ent for entree, Bev for beverage), handles item modifiers and special requests, and applies promotional discounts correctly.
For tax compliance, the itemization includes timestamp information for validating business meal timing (lunch vs dinner), guest count for per-person calculations, and optional fields for entering business purpose and attendee names directly in the dashboard.
Who This Is For
Critical for teams that regularly incur client meal expenses or need to comply with strict per-diem policies. Itemized tracking prevents audit rejections and ensures policy compliance.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it detect alcohol automatically?
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Yes. Dictionary-based classification flags beer, wine, cocktails, and spirits. You can review and override classifications before finalizing.
Can it split receipts among employees?
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Yes. Assign line items or payment splits to different employees or cost centers directly in the dashboard for multi-person meals.
How are discounts handled?
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Promotional discounts, coupons, and happy hour reductions are extracted as separate lines with references to which items were discounted.
What about delivery fees?
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Delivery fees, service charges, and platform fees (UberEats, DoorDash) are extracted separately from food costs and tips.
Can I set meal spending limits?
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Yes. Configure per-diem limits by meal type (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and get automatic flags when receipts exceed policy thresholds.
Is guest information captured?
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Number of guests is extracted when present on receipts. You can add client names and business purpose in the dashboard for complete documentation.
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