Articles on: Purchase & Expense Management

WhatsApp Document Scanning: How to Record Vendor Bills and Expense Documents Automatically in Refrens?

What is WhatsApp Document Scanning?


WhatsApp Document Scanning helps your team bring purchase and expense documents into Refrens directly from WhatsApp.


Your business gets a dedicated Refrens WhatsApp number. Approved team members can send or forward bills, invoices, and expense documents to this number.


Refrens AI automatically picks up the supported document, scans it, and adds it to your business for review.


You can then verify the scanned data and save the document as a purchase or expense record.


This is especially useful for accounting and operations teams that regularly receive vendor invoices, supplier bills, employee expense receipts, or reimbursement documents on WhatsApp.


Instead of downloading a document from WhatsApp and uploading it manually to Refrens, your team can simply forward it to the dedicated Refrens WhatsApp number.


How It Works


Here is the basic flow:


  1. Find your dedicated Refrens WhatsApp number.
  2. Add the WhatsApp numbers of internal team members who are allowed to send documents.
  3. When a team member receives a bill or expense document on WhatsApp, they send or forward it to the Refrens WhatsApp number.
  4. Refrens automatically picks up supported documents sent from approved numbers.
  5. The document is scanned using Refrens AI and added to your business for review.
  6. Review the scanned data and save it as a purchase or expense record.


Step 1: Get Your Dedicated Refrens WhatsApp Number



Go to: Business Settings > Forwarding Channels > WhatsApp


Here, you will find the dedicated Refrens WhatsApp number available for your business.


Save this number so that approved team members can easily forward bills and expense documents to it.


Step 2: Add Allowed WhatsApp Numbers Before Sharing the Refrens Number



Before team members can send documents to your Refrens WhatsApp number, their WhatsApp numbers must be added under Forwarding Channels.


Refrens scans documents only from allowed WhatsApp numbers.


This means:

  • If a document is sent from a number that has been added, Refrens will pick it up and scan it.
  • If a document is sent from a number that has not been added, Refrens will not scan the document.


This helps ensure that only authorised members of your team can send documents into your Refrens scanning workflow.

How to Add an Allowed Number


Go to: Business Settings > Forwarding Channels > WhatsApp



Here, you can:

  • Add the WhatsApp numbers of team members who are allowed to send documents.
  • Manage the list of approved numbers.
  • Remove access when required.


Once a number is added, that team member can send or forward documents to your Refrens WhatsApp number for AI Document Scanning.


Step 3: Forward Bills and Expense Documents to Refrens


When your accounting, operations, or other internal team members receive a bill or expense document on WhatsApp, they can send or forward it to the dedicated Refrens WhatsApp number.


For example, your team can forward:

  • Vendor invoices
  • Supplier bills
  • Purchase bills
  • Employee expense receipts
  • Travel bills
  • Food bills
  • Reimbursement receipts


This allows documents received on WhatsApp to move directly into your Refrens scanning workflow.


Supported document formats include:

  • PDF
  • PNG
  • JPEG


For better scanning results, make sure the document is clear and readable.


Blurry images, incomplete invoices, or documents where important information is not visible may not scan correctly.

Step 5: Refrens Automatically Scans the Document


Once the document is received on WhatsApp, Refrens automatically picks it up for AI Document Scanning.


You do not need to:

  • Download the document from WhatsApp.
  • Open Refrens separately.
  • Upload the document manually.


Once Refrens successfully scans the document, you will receive a confirmation message on WhatsApp:


The message includes a direct link to review the scanned document in Refrens. Tap the link to open the scanned Purchase/Expense draft, verify the extracted details, and save the record.


This means your team does not need to separately open Refrens and search for the uploaded document after forwarding it on WhatsApp.


Where to View Scanned Documents?


After the document has been processed, go to: Purchases > Purchases and Expenses > Scanned Documents



Here, you can view documents received through WhatsApp along with your other scanned documents.


You can filter documents using the available tabs:

  • All
  • Scanned
  • Failed
  • Added


Understanding Scanned Document Status


Each scanned document will show a status based on its processing stage.


Scanned - The document has been scanned successfully and is ready to be added as a Purchase/Expense.
Failed - The system could not scan the document properly. You may need to resend the document or check its quality.
Added - The scanned document has already been used to create a Purchase/Expense record.

How to Create a Purchase/Expense from a WhatsApp Document?


Once the document status is Scanned, click Add To Purchase.




The system will open the original document and the Purchase/Expense draft side-by-side:




On the left, you will see the vendor bill or expense document received through WhatsApp.


On the right, you will see the draft Purchase/Expense record created using the details extracted by Refrens AI.


This helps you compare the original document with the system-created draft before saving it.


Review the Purchase/Expense Draft



Save the Purchase/Expense Record


Once you have reviewed and verified the details, save the Purchase/Expense record.


The scanned WhatsApp document will then be linked to the created Purchase/Expense.


After the record is created, the document status will change from Scanned to Added.


The linked Purchase/Expense number will also be visible, allowing you to open the created record anytime.



What Documents Can You Send Through WhatsApp?


You can use WhatsApp Document Scanning for documents such as:

  • Vendor invoices
  • Supplier bills
  • Purchase bills
  • Employee expense receipts
  • Travel bills
  • Food bills
  • Reimbursement receipts
  • Other supported purchase or expense documents

Supported file formats include PDF, PNG, and JPEG.



Benefits of WhatsApp-Based Document Collection


WhatsApp-based collection helps your accounting team reduce the repetitive work involved in recording bills and expenses.


Instead of:
Receive on WhatsApp → Download → Open Refrens → Upload → Scan
your team can simply:
Receive on WhatsApp → Forward to Refrens → Refrens Scans Automatically


This helps your business:

  • Reduce manual downloading and uploading.
  • Bring WhatsApp bills into Refrens faster.
  • Make document collection easier for your accounting team.
  • Improve expense document tracking.
  • Speed up purchase and expense entry.
  • Keep vendor bills connected with Refrens records.
  • Reduce the chances of bills getting missed in WhatsApp chats.


Frequently Asked Questions


Who can send documents to my Refrens WhatsApp number?

Only WhatsApp numbers that have been added under Forwarding Channels can send documents for AI Document Scanning.
If a document is sent from a number that has not been added, Refrens will not scan it.

Should I share the Refrens WhatsApp number with vendors?

No. The Refrens WhatsApp number is intended to be used by your approved internal team members.
When your team receives bills or expense documents from vendors, suppliers, employees, or other sources on WhatsApp, they can forward those documents to the Refrens WhatsApp number.

Can my accounting team forward vendor bills to Refrens?

Yes. Once an accounting team member's WhatsApp number has been added under Forwarding Channels, they can forward supported bills and expense documents to the dedicated Refrens WhatsApp number.

Can I forward a bill that I have received on WhatsApp?

Yes. If your WhatsApp number has been added as an allowed number, you can forward the bill to the dedicated Refrens WhatsApp number.

Which file types are supported?

Supported file types include PDF, PNG, and JPEG.

Does Refrens automatically create the purchase or expense?

No. Refrens scans the document and prepares the extracted details for review. You should verify the information before saving the Purchase/Expense record.

What happens if the vendor already exists in Refrens?

Refrens tries to match the scanned vendor information with your existing vendor records. If a match is found, you can confirm the vendor and continue.

What happens if the vendor is new?

You can create the vendor as a new vendor before saving the Purchase/Expense record.

Do I need to download the bill from WhatsApp before adding it to Refrens?

No. If you receive the bill on WhatsApp, simply forward it to the dedicated Refrens WhatsApp number. Refrens will automatically pick it up for scanning.
In case you need further assistance, reach out to us on live chat support or drop an email at care@refrens.com.

Updated on: 13/08/2026

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