You pull out a receipt you've been keeping since last spring and it's mostly blank. A few faint lines where the vendor name used to be, maybe a total that's still barely legible, the rest gone.
This isn't a fluke. It's how thermal paper works.
Thermal receipts — the smooth, slightly waxy kind that come from most point-of-sale terminals, gas station pumps, and ATMs — don't use ink. They're coated with a heat-reactive chemical that darkens when the printer head passes over it. That chemical is also reactive to heat, light, and friction. Leave a thermal receipt on a car dashboard in summer, fold it into a wallet, or just store it for a year, and the image fades.
The time to act on a thermal receipt is now, not later.
What you can do with a faded receipt
The first thing to try: photograph it in good light. Sometimes receipts that look faded to the naked eye are actually still legible to a camera. A smartphone camera in good daylight can often capture text that appears invisible to your eyes. Try:
- Angle the light. Hold the receipt at an angle to a window or lamp. Raking light can reveal impression marks even when the thermal coating has faded.
- Use a flashlight behind the paper. For very thin thermal paper, shining a light through the back sometimes reveals the text from the impression.
- Photograph in black and white. Increase contrast in your phone's camera or photo editor. What looks like a faint grey smudge can become legible with higher contrast.
- Try scanning. A flatbed scanner at high resolution (600 dpi) often picks up more detail than a phone camera.
If you can get a legible image, upload it to Receipt Converter. The AI can often extract data from low-contrast images that would be difficult to read manually.
Drop any receipt photo below. Results in a few seconds, free.
What to do when the receipt is truly gone
If the receipt is completely blank, you have limited options — but you're not entirely without recourse.
Credit card or bank statement. Your card statement shows the merchant name, date, and amount for every transaction. This isn't a receipt, and the IRS may not accept it as a substitute for receipts over certain thresholds, but it's something. For many expenses, especially smaller ones, a statement entry plus a written note about business purpose may be sufficient.
Request a duplicate. Many businesses can reprint a receipt or email you a digital copy if you return with your card and approximate time of purchase. Restaurants, hotels, and larger retailers can usually do this. It's worth asking, especially for large expenses.
Email receipts. If you used a credit card and the merchant had your email on file, check your inbox. Many businesses automatically email receipts. Search for the merchant name and the approximate date.
Original purchase confirmation. For online purchases, your order confirmation email contains the same information as a receipt. Screenshot it, save it as PDF, keep it.
The IRS requires that you have the original receipt for most business expense deductions. A credit card statement alone generally isn't sufficient. If you're missing receipts, a combination of the statement, a written reconstruction of the expense, and any supporting documentation (email correspondence, calendar entries showing the business meeting, etc.) may help your case in an audit — but it's not guaranteed. When in doubt, ask your accountant.
How to prevent this going forward
The fix is simple: digitize receipts immediately.
Not "when you get home." Not "this weekend." Immediately. Take out your phone, photograph the receipt, upload it right there. It takes 30 seconds and the data is preserved regardless of what happens to the paper.
A few specific habits that help:
Photograph receipts before you leave the register. You have the receipt in your hand, you have your phone in your pocket. Do it there.
For restaurant receipts, photograph before you sign. Many people sign the credit card slip and leave the receipt behind. The signed copy stays at the restaurant. If you photographed it before signing, you have the full receipt.
Keep a folder in your camera roll. Create an album called "Receipts" and move receipt photos there immediately. They're easy to find when you process them later, and you'll notice if you missed one.
Use a thermal receipt wallet or folder for paper receipts you keep. Away from heat, light, and friction, thermal receipts last significantly longer. A simple accordion folder kept in a cool, dark location extends the life from months to years.
Switch to digital receipts where possible. Many merchants now offer email or SMS receipts. Say yes. A PDF receipt in your inbox doesn't fade.
Even if you photograph every receipt, keep the paper for major expenses (over $100) for at least 60 days. If there's a dispute with a merchant or an unexpected audit inquiry, having both the digital record and the physical receipt is better than having just one.
How long do different receipts last?
Not all receipts fade at the same rate:
- Thermal paper receipts (gas stations, restaurants, ATMs): 6-12 months under normal conditions, faster in heat
- Inkjet-printed receipts (some retailers): Years, but can smear if wet
- Laser-printed invoices and receipts: 10+ years under normal storage
- PDF/email receipts: Indefinitely, assuming you don't delete them
For tax purposes, you need records for 3-6 years. Any paper receipt that might need to be produced in that timeframe should be digitized.
Once you've photographed your receipts, the fastest way to get them into a spreadsheet is to upload them for AI extraction. Read the full process in how to scan receipts into Excel — it covers what the AI can handle even with imperfect images.
Don't wait for receipts to fade. Digitize them now at Receipt Converter →