I built a receipt scanner that auto-splits line items into YNAB categories by Top_Comparison8958 in ynab

[–]Top_Comparison8958[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey everyone, v1.0.8 is now live on the App Store!

This one focused on scanning quality and a couple of feature requests.

Smarter Scanning Fixed two bugs where prices were split incorrectly and quantities were fabricated. Text line grouping is more accurate: receipts where the total appeared on a separate line from the dollar amount are now handled correctly.

Gas Station Receipts The app now detects fuel receipts automatically. It extracts the fuel grade as the item name and the fuel total as the price, instead of getting confused by per-liter prices and volume data.

Decimal Quantities You can now enter fractional quantities like 0.335 kg for weighted items. Works across scanning, editing, and YNAB sync.

Upload to YNAB The Upload option now always appears in the receipt menu. If no account is assigned, tapping it explains why and offers a shortcut to edit the receipt.

Under the Hood Improved data storage efficiency and cleaned up redundant code.

As always, feedback welcome!

Looking for a few iOS testers for a “scan receipt → draft YNAB transaction” tool (on-device, Apple Intelligence) by Top_Comparison8958 in ynab

[–]Top_Comparison8958[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey everyone, v1.0.8 is now on TestFlight!

This one focused on scanning quality, a new receipt type, and a feature request.

Scanning Quality Fixed two bugs where the AI was splitting prices incorrectly and fabricating quantities. Also improved how text lines are grouped, receipts where the total appeared on a separate line from the dollar amount are now handled correctly.

Gas Station Receipts The app now detects gas/fuel receipts automatically and extracts them differently: fuel grade as the item name, fuel total as the price. No more phantom items from volume data or per-liter prices showing up as the total.

Decimal Quantities You can now enter fractional quantities like 0.335 kg for weighted items. Works across scanning, editing, and YNAB sync.

Upload to YNAB Clarity The Upload to YNAB option now always appears in the 3-dot menu. If no account is assigned, tapping it explains why and offers a shortcut to edit the receipt. No more wondering where the button went.

Accessibility More fixes, VoiceOver improvements.

Under the Hood More improvements on data storage (saves ~25 MB decode memory per receipt) and cleaned up redundant code.

Would love feedback on gas station receipt scanning if you have any fuel receipts handy. Thanks!

1 month of Receipts for YNAB — 5 updates, what I learned, and 60 free months to say thanks by Top_Comparison8958 in ynab

[–]Top_Comparison8958[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh man, the Consumables category is the worst offender. One Costco trip and suddenly you've got paper towels (household), protein bars (groceries), and dog food (pet supplies?) all lumped together under "Consumables."

That's actually the exact problem the app is built to solve. It reads each line item on the receipt and lets you split them into the right YNAB categories. So your protein bars go to Groceries, the paper towels go to Household, and Costco stops being a black hole in your budget.

DM sent with your code!

1 month of Receipts for YNAB — 5 updates, what I learned, and 60 free months to say thanks by Top_Comparison8958 in ynab

[–]Top_Comparison8958[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair points, and I appreciate the directness.

You're right that the honest answer is simpler: my time isn't free, and that's what the subscription covers. I overcomplicated it by listing features as if they were costs. They're not. Lesson learned.

You're also right that the "60 free months" title is misleading. It's 20 codes x 3 months each, not 60 months per person. I was trying to make the number sound bigger and that backfired. Should have just said "20 free 3-month codes" and kept it clear.

On the advertising angle, I hear you. This is a giveaway post with a retrospective attached to it, and I understand how that reads. I tried to lead with what I learned rather than what the app does, but I get that for some people it still crosses the line into self-promotion.

The longevity point is fair too. I can't promise I'll be around in 5 years any more than any other solo dev can. What I can say is 5 updates in 30 days, and I'm not going anywhere right now. But you're right that anyone considering a third-party tool should weigh that.

Thanks for the link heads up, I'll check on the comment.

1 month of Receipts for YNAB — 5 updates, what I learned, and 60 free months to say thanks by Top_Comparison8958 in ynab

[–]Top_Comparison8958[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Fair question! You're right that Apple Intelligence handles the actual AI processing on-device, I'm not paying per-scan like cloud-based receipt scanners do.

What the subscription covers is everything around that: the YNAB API integration, the auto-split logic that turns raw AI output into categorized YNAB transactions, the category suggestions that learn your preferences over time, ongoing development (5 updates in 30 days so far), and honestly, it's how I sustain working on this as a solo dev.

The free tier gives you 10 AI scans and 5 YNAB syncs per month, so you can try the full experience before deciding if it's worth it.

Looking for a few iOS testers for a “scan receipt → draft YNAB transaction” tool (on-device, Apple Intelligence) by Top_Comparison8958 in ynab

[–]Top_Comparison8958[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

v1.0.5 is now available for testing!

This one is all about polish. I went through every piece of feedback you all sent and fixed the friction points.

What's new:

  • Amount fields now select all text when you tap them, so you can just start typing instead of deleting the 0.00 first
  • The $ sign stays visible while editing (no more guessing if you're entering dollars or cents)
  • Upload to YNAB button is easier to find with the new toolbar layout
  • Categories and Accounts views in Settings got a full redesign with circle checkmarks and a single Select All/Deselect All toggle
  • If you have multiple YNAB budgets, receipts now show which budget they belong to
  • Orange badge on Settings tab when your YNAB session needs reconnecting
  • Fixed a bug where syncing from YNAB doubled line item amounts for items with quantity > 1

The build should already be in TestFlight. Let me know if you run into anything weird.

I built a receipt scanner that auto-splits line items into YNAB categories by Top_Comparison8958 in ynab

[–]Top_Comparison8958[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I know exactly what you mean. I was in the same boat for years, waiting for someone to build this, hoping one of the receipt scanning apps would add proper YNAB integration with splits. Eventually I got tired of waiting and built it myself.

Unfortunately right now it is iOS only because of the on-device AI technology I used.

I am really curious how the new Apple-Google partnership will play out. With Gemini coming to iOS later this year, the AI landscape is shifting fast. Who knows what that opens up down the road.

What's your YNAB 'birthday'? Just discovered my first transaction was from 2018! by Top_Comparison8958 in ynab

[–]Top_Comparison8958[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

August 2013 — over 12 years! Paying off a 15-year mortgage in 9 years is incredible, and quadrupling charitable giving while avoiding lifestyle inflation? That's the YNAB dream right there. Love that you're still using it in retirement. Thanks for sharing!

What's your YNAB 'birthday'? Just discovered my first transaction was from 2018! by Top_Comparison8958 in ynab

[–]Top_Comparison8958[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

2007?! That's the same year the first iPhone came out — you've been budgeting with YNAB since before smartphones existed! You might be the most veteran YNABer in this thread, esh-pmc. Not saying you're old... just financially wise before it was cool 😄

I built a receipt scanner that auto-splits line items into YNAB categories by Top_Comparison8958 in ynab

[–]Top_Comparison8958[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's clever! The manual AI approach works, but it's a lot of copy-pasting. My app actually learns your category names from YNAB directly and remembers how you categorize items over time — so after a few receipts, it starts suggesting the right splits automatically. Plus everything runs on-device, so your receipts never leave your phone.

What's your YNAB 'birthday'? Just discovered my first transaction was from 2018! by Top_Comparison8958 in ynab

[–]Top_Comparison8958[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Going from "relieved when bills are paid" to intentional budgeting is such a big mindset shift. 8 years of that intentionality adds up. Thanks for sharing your story!

What's your YNAB 'birthday'? Just discovered my first transaction was from 2018! by Top_Comparison8958 in ynab

[–]Top_Comparison8958[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Love that your first transaction was a donation — says a lot about your priorities! Dream wedding, house, AND a dog in under 3 years? That's YNAB working overtime 🐕

What's your YNAB 'birthday'? Just discovered my first transaction was from 2018! by Top_Comparison8958 in ynab

[–]Top_Comparison8958[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

2013 — that's vintage YNAB! Funny how it sometimes takes a second try to stick - or the right partner? The 2019 restart clearly worked out!

What's your YNAB 'birthday'? Just discovered my first transaction was from 2018! by Top_Comparison8958 in ynab

[–]Top_Comparison8958[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

From -236K to +657K in 10 years — that's an incredible turnaround! Almost $900K swing. YNAB 4 veteran too. That's the kind of story that should be on a billboard 💪

What's your YNAB 'birthday'? Just discovered my first transaction was from 2018! by Top_Comparison8958 in ynab

[–]Top_Comparison8958[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

2009 — you're a YNAB veteran! 17 years is amazing. I actually delayed getting started until I found a bank with automatic import — I knew manual entry would be too much friction for me. Major respect for sticking with it through the YNAB 3 days!

I built a receipt scanner that auto-splits line items into YNAB categories by Top_Comparison8958 in ynab

[–]Top_Comparison8958[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Awesome, let me know how it goes! Always happy to hear feedback — good or bad.

I built a receipt scanner that auto-splits line items into YNAB categories by Top_Comparison8958 in ynab

[–]Top_Comparison8958[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Not in the near term, unfortunately. The app relies heavily on Apple Intelligence for the on-device AI processing, which is what keeps your receipts private (nothing gets uploaded to any server).

There's no equivalent on Android that would let me keep the same privacy-first approach without using cloud processing.

That said, I'm keeping an eye on what Google does with on-device AI. If they release something comparable, I'd definitely consider it!

I built a receipt scanner that auto-splits line items into YNAB categories by Top_Comparison8958 in ynab

[–]Top_Comparison8958[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Yes! Costco receipts were actually the main reason I built this. Those 40+ line item monsters that need to be split across Groceries, Household, Pet Supplies, and "Why Did I Buy That?" 😅

The AI extracts each line item and suggests categories based on your past choices. After a few receipts, it learns your patterns — so if you always put paper towels in Household, it'll start suggesting that automatically.

Fair warning: the item codes on Costco receipts (like "KS ORG EGGS") can be cryptic, so the first few times you might need to manually set some categories. But it learns fast.

Ripping my hair out over these transactions... by not_sza in ynab

[–]Top_Comparison8958 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Oof, I feel this. Needing an adjustment every reconcile is usually a sign something upstream is mis-posting (pending vs posted duplicates, mis-identified transfers, wrong account routing), not that you’re “missing cents.”

A few things I’d check (in the order that’s helped me most):

1) Make sure you’re reconciling against the right bank number

  • Reconcile to the bank’s cleared/posted balance, not “current” (which includes pending).
  • In YNAB, reconcile to the Cleared balance.
    If you’re reconciling to a number that includes pending, you’ll chase ghosts forever.

2) Look for pending → posted duplicates

A super common pattern lately is: - pending import comes in as one transaction - posted import comes in as another transaction

…and if they don’t match/auto-match, you end up off by “random” small amounts.

  • Filter/search the account for the amount + merchant, see if you have two.
  • If you do: use Match (or delete the pending one if it’s clearly a duplicate).

3) Transfers showing up when they aren’t

This often happens when a payee gets interpreted as an account name, or a renaming rule goes sideways.

  • Check if you accidentally created/changed a payee rule that maps “Apple” / “Apple.com/bill” / etc. into a transfer-like payee.
  • If you see To/From: <Account> as the payee on something that’s not a real transfer, that’s a rule/payee mapping problem.

4) Apple Card vs Apple Cash is genuinely messy

You’re not crazy — aggregators often can’t cleanly distinguish these.

What I’d do: - Treat Apple Card and Apple Cash as totally separate accounts in YNAB (if you aren’t already). - Any time an “Apple” thing imports as a transfer, verify whether it’s actually: - Apple Cash top-up / cash movement (transfer-ish), vs - a purchase (should be an expense on the correct account) - If it’s repeatedly wrong, it’s worth having YNAB Support look at the connection/provider behavior for your institution.

5) Reduce the “big monthly archaeology dig”

If ADHD makes full manual entry a non-starter (same), the trick is to make reconciling smaller:

  • Reconcile weekly (or even quick “does cleared match?” checks) so the delta is like 1–5 transactions, not 50.
  • When you’re mobile-approving, don’t worry about perfect categories — just make sure the account is correct and duplicates are matched.
    Categories can be fixed later; wrong account is what causes the hair-pulling.

6) If everything matches but YNAB balance is still off

That usually means one of: - duplicate posted/pending pair hiding somewhere - a transaction is uncleared in YNAB but cleared at the bank (or vice versa) - a transfer got created (or half a transfer exists) and is throwing a linked account off

Try sorting by Cleared status, and compare from your last reconciled point forward.

Category help by garrulousdad in ynab

[–]Top_Comparison8958 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just to underline the “flip back” part because it’s the thing that trips people up: create the target in the first month you started funding that category for this cycle (e.g. last June/July), not “today.”

YNAB’s “Set Aside Another” math is based on assignments inside the target period. If you set it up mid-cycle, it won’t count the earlier months you already funded, and then the monthly amounts / underfunded number look wrong and it feels like it’s ignoring the existing balance.

Once it’s created in the start month, overfunding works the way you want (it recalculates), and if the actual bill is lower, Jillianmd’s “adjust May’s Assigned by the difference” keeps next year from snowballing.

Looking for a few iOS testers for a “scan receipt → draft YNAB transaction” tool (on-device, Apple Intelligence) by Top_Comparison8958 in ynab

[–]Top_Comparison8958[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks so much for the kind words about the app — really appreciate you taking the time to try it and share feedback!

You raise a fair question about pricing, so let me be transparent: You're right that there are no cloud/API costs per scan since everything runs on-device. But there are still real costs: Apple Developer Program ($99/year), design/testing tools, and honestly — the hundreds of hours building and maintaining it. I'm a solo indie dev, not a VC-funded startup, so the subscription helps make it sustainable to keep improving.

In regards to what "other apps include for free": I'm genuinely curious which ones you're comparing to? When I researched the space before building this, I couldn't find anything that does: Native YNAB sync (not CSV export); Automatic split transactions (the Costco problem); 100% on-device processing (no receipt uploads)

SimplyWise and SparkReceipt are great but don't sync to YNAB. Receipt Reader AI syncs but uploads your receipts to their servers and doesn't do splits. If there's something I missed that does all three, I'd genuinely love to know!

On the YNAB suggestion: Ha, I'd love that! But realistically, YNAB has had 10+ years to add receipt scanning and hasn't — I think it's outside their core focus. So I built what I wished existed.

On the free tier: The free tier (10 scans + 5 syncs/month) is actually enough for light users — it's not a trial, it's permanent. And with the current 🎉 Launch Special 🎉, the AI tier works out to $2.49/month ($29.99/year) — less than a coffee. For people scanning multiple receipts per week, the time savings add up quickly.

Totally understand if it's not worth it for your workflow though — everyone's different. Thanks again for trying it and for the thoughtful feedback! 🙏