Collected information and tips on submitting receipts

Choose the right type of receipt

Single receipt

Mixed voucher

Dealing with mixed receipts

Collected information and tips on submitting receipts

Observe the following rules to ensure that your receipt is accepted:

1. Completeness of receipts: Make sure that the entire receipt is photographed. Do not cut anything off so that all important information is visible.
2. Relevant data: The receipt must contain all data relevant to the audit: Date, location, amount and item description.
3. Criteria for meals: Receipts that do not meet the legal criteria for a meal will be rejected. This includes receipts that only contain drinks, unless these were purchased together with a meal.
4. Criteria for individual items: The product name must be clearly attributable to a meal or non-alcoholic beverage. Therefore, a description such as “own product” or only “drink” cannot be considered for reimbursement. These items must be deducted.
5. Photo quality: Make sure that the photos of the receipts are sharp and easy to read. Blurred images cannot be processed.
6. Several receipts in one day: If you have several receipts in one day, photograph them together and add up the totals.
7. Deadlines: Submit the receipts by the 3rd day of the following month at the latest (deadlines may vary depending on the employer setting, but always by the 3rd day at the latest). Receipts submitted later cannot be considered.
   Geographical restriction: Only receipts from Germany will be accepted.Fristen: Reiche die Belege spätestens bis zum 3. Tag des Folgemonats ein (Fristen können je nach Arbeitgeber-Einstellung variieren, jedoch immer spätestens zum 3.). Später eingereichte Belege können nicht berücksichtigt werden.
8. Geographical restriction:Only receipts from Germany are accepted.
9. Maximum amount: Only meals up to a maximum amount of €60 will be accepted. Individual receipts over € 60 will be rejected. Mixed receipts with a total amount of over €60 are acceptable if the cost of the meal does not exceed €60 (e.g. a supermarket receipt with a total amount of €80.22 and €12.21 for the meal is fine).
10. EC payment receipts: EC payment receipts are not invoices as they only show the amount and not the goods purchased. They are therefore not accepted.

Choose the right type of receipt

When you submit your receipt, it is important that you choose the right type of receipt. There are two types of receipt:

Single receipt

The receipt only contains food that you have purchased for yourself for immediate consumption during a work break. It must not contain any non-food items, alcohol, tobacco products or deposits. A total meal value of more than €60 does not comply with the guidelines and must unfortunately be rejected.

Mixed voucher

A mixed voucher contains items that are not to be consumed during a break. A mixed voucher can be, for example:

• Restaurant/delivery receipt on which the meals of colleagues are included
• Supermarket receipt that also includes food for another time (e.g. for weekly shopping)
• Receipt that includes non-food items (note: this also includes packaging such as paper bags, plastic knot bags, etc.), alcohol, tobacco and/or deposits
• Petrol station receipt, which also includes a tank of fuel

Tip for delivery receipts: it is best to take a photo of the physical receipt that you receive with the delivery. Delivery app confirmations or email notifications sometimes lack relevant data for verification.

Dealing with mixed receipts

These receipts can still be submitted, but the total amount to be reimbursed (i.e. the items that belong to your one meal) must be shown. There are the following options:

Option 1: AI

The AI can be used directly when uploading the receipt. This filters out all items in the receipt. Individual items can be selected or deselected.

Option 2: Calculator function

Individual amounts that are recognizable on the receipt can be entered manually and added together. Individual amounts can be added or subtracted from the total. The multiplication or division function can also be used to conveniently calculate the total if, for example, a dish has been shared with a colleague.

No further additions need to be made as long as the amounts can be clearly assigned to specific items, e.g. the amount of €0.99 can only be found once on the receipt and can undoubtedly be assigned to the item “Frischkäse”. As soon as several articles are listed with the amount of €0.99, for example, and only one of them is also intended for the break, the corresponding article must be identified by a mark/comment (see options 3 and 4).

Option 3: Comment field

You simply enter the total amount to be refunded (calculated by you) and can use the comment field to include, for example, the product name(s), the name of your dish in the restaurant, etc.

e.g.: “Bread, salad bowl, wiener”, ‘Without kitchen paper and garbage bag’, ‘Duck crispy + 1x table water’, ”Sushi menu 10 shared with a colleague”

Option 4: Physical marking

You can mark the submitted items by hand on the receipt by circling, crossing them out, etc. before taking the photo.

The following also applies to mixed receipts: A total meal value of more than € 60 does not comply with the guidelines and must unfortunately be rejected. The receipt can have a total value of more than €60, but the amount you entered and the meal you submitted cannot.

Follow our recommendations listed above. If your voucher is still rejected, you have the opportunity to take action again and add any missing information. After all, our aim at Probonio is to make the voucher submission process as simple, straightforward and successful as possible.

To do this, select the rejected receipt and activate the editing function using the pencil icon in the top right-hand corner. You can now correct the receipt by uploading a new photo and/or changing the data entered. Then upload it again for checking.

Make sure that you upload receipts on time so that you still have enough time to correct them if necessary.

Tip: Handwritten receipts can also be accepted, but only if they contain all relevant data, see above.

Translation Note: This article has been translated using automatic translation software to provide the reader with a basic understanding of the content. Despite reasonable efforts to provide an accurate translation, we cannot guarantee its accuracy.

If there are any questions regarding the accuracy of the information in the translated article, please refer to the German version of the article, which is the official version.