Scan a supplier invoice and let AutoChain read every line.
Take a photo of a parts, tyre or consumables invoice, or upload the PDF. AutoChain reads the supplier, invoice number, date and every line, matches them to your jobs, purchase orders and stock, and shows you everything to check before anything changes.
Typing supplier invoices in by hand is slow and it is where cost prices go wrong: a part keyed in at the wrong price, a line missed, the same invoice entered twice. AI invoice scanning takes that job off the desk. Photograph the invoice or upload the PDF, and AutoChain reads the supplier, the invoice number and date, every line and the totals. It checks the lines add up, finds the registration on the invoice, and matches each line to the parts ordered on your jobs, your purchase orders or your stock. You check the result and confirm, and only then do your jobs and stock change.
- First month free on the core plan
- No card required
- Set up in about 10 minutes
- Cancel anytime
From independent bays to multi-site groups, built for the way you work.
Get started freeFrom supplier invoice to job and stock, checked by you
The scanner reads the page image and any text in the PDF, and copies what is printed rather than working figures out: if something is unclear it is left blank for you to fill in. If a line does not add up, AutoChain reads it again before showing it to you, and it tells you when the lines do not match the printed totals.
Each line is matched to the parts ordered on your open and recently completed jobs, then to your parts, tyre and consumable stock. A registration or VIN printed on the invoice, or a purchase order reference, links it to the right job. Every line is marked as matched, likely match or no match, with the reasons, so you can see why.
For each line you choose what happens: receive the part on the job, correct the cost of a part already received, add it to stock, add it to a work item, record a cost on the job, or skip it. Nothing changes until you confirm, and then everything is saved together and the purchase order moves on. If the supplier is new, create it from the details on the invoice.
Clean invoices can go straight through. When the supplier is known, the totals add up and every line matches exactly one part on a job, AutoChain confirms the invoice as soon as it is read. That setting is on by default, you can switch it off, and an automatic confirmation can be undone.
Every capability, at a glance
Everything on this page is in the core plan (£69.99/mo + VAT) unless it's marked as an add-on. SMS (£15/mo, 200 credits included) and HaynesPro (£49.99/mo per site) are optional add-ons. Prices exclude VAT.
- Upload a PDF or photo, or take a photo on your phone
- Reads the supplier, invoice number, date, VAT and totals
- Reads every line: part number, description, quantity, unit price, discount and VAT
- Checks that the lines add up to the printed totals
- Matches lines to parts ordered on your jobs, your purchase orders and your stock
- Finds the registration or VIN on the invoice and the job it belongs to
- Receives parts on the job at invoice cost, or adds parts, tyres and consumables to stock
- Flags an invoice that has already been confirmed, so it is not entered twice
- Bulk AI Scanner for a pile of invoices, or one PDF holding several
- 25 scan credits a month included, with top-up packs if you need more
Simple from day one
Setup takes about 10 minutes and there's no training course to sit through. Built for busy garages.
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Photograph or upload the invoice
Open the AI Scanner from a job's Parts menu or from your parts, tyre or consumable stock, then upload a PDF, JPEG, PNG or WebP file, or take a photo on your phone. Have a pile of invoices, or one PDF holding several? Drop them into the Bulk AI Scanner.
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AutoChain reads it
The supplier, invoice number, date, every line and the totals are read, and AutoChain checks the lines add up to the printed totals. A PDF holding several invoices is split into one scan for each.
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Check the matches
Each line shows what it matched on your jobs, purchase orders or stock. Warnings point out anything to look at, such as totals that do not add up, a supplier that is not on file, a retail price below cost or an invoice that has already been confirmed.
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Confirm, and it is done
Confirm and the parts are received on the job at invoice cost, stock is added, costs are recorded and the purchase order moves on, all in one go.
Ready to see AI Invoice Scanning in your garage?
The real impact on your garage
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Less typing at goods-in
The scanner reads part numbers, quantities and prices for you, so nobody keys them in from paper.
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Costs that match the invoice
Costs come from the supplier invoice itself and are recorded against the job, so your parts profit in business analytics reflects what you actually paid.
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Every line matched or flagged
Lines are matched to the parts ordered on your jobs and to your stock. Anything without a match is flagged, so it gets looked at rather than missed.
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Stock kept up to date
Parts, tyres and consumables from the invoice go into stock when you confirm, with a retail price you set or your default markup.
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No invoice entered twice
AutoChain spots an invoice from the same supplier with the same number, and will not confirm it a second time.
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You stay in control
Nothing changes until someone confirms. Technicians can upload invoices and see scans, and managers, site managers and service advisors review and confirm them.
AI Invoice Scanning: common questions
Straight answers to what garages ask us about this feature.
What can AutoChain scan?
Supplier invoices for parts, tyres, consumables and services, as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or WebP file up to 20 MB, or a photo taken on your phone. iPhone (HEIC) photos can be read in Safari. Each invoice can be up to 10 pages. Credit notes, delivery notes and receipts are recognised, but only invoices can be confirmed.
How many scans are included?
Every garage gets 25 scan credits a month in the core plan, and unused credits do not roll over. A one-page invoice uses 1 credit. Longer invoices use 1 credit plus 1 for every 2 pages, so a 2 or 3 page invoice uses 2, and a hard-to-read invoice can use 1 more. Free credits are used first.
What if I need more scans?
A business manager can buy scan credit packs from inside AutoChain. Prices are shown there and are plus VAT. Bought credits never expire and are used after your free monthly credits.
Am I charged if a scan fails?
No. If AutoChain cannot read an invoice, the credits for that attempt are given back, and uploading a file that has already been scanned costs nothing. A retry you start yourself counts as a new scan.
Do scanned invoices go to Xero, QuickBooks or Sage?
Not automatically. Scanning updates your jobs, stock and purchase orders in AutoChain. For your accountant, a business manager can download the confirmed invoices as a zip of the original files with a CSV listing the date, supplier, invoice number, net, VAT and gross amounts.
Who can scan and confirm invoices?
Managers, site managers, service advisors and technicians can upload invoices. Reviewing and confirming them is for managers, site managers and service advisors; technicians can see scans but not confirm them.
Run your garage smarter from today
Join 100+ UK garages, from single-bay workshops to multi-site groups, already streamlining jobs, customers, MOTs and online bookings with AutoChain from £69.99/mo + VAT.
- Set up in about 10 minutes
- No long-term contract
- Cancel anytime