Docs/Cursor
MCP Server

Cursor Setup

Connect ReceiptConverter to Cursor so you can parse receipts and invoices directly inside your coding session — scan expense images, extract line items, auto-fill data structures, without ever leaving your editor.

Time to complete: ~2 minutes  ·  Requires: Cursor, Node.js 18+, ReceiptConverter API key
1

Get your API key

Sign in at receiptconverter.com/dashboard, open API Keys, and generate a key. It starts with sk_live_.

2

Open Cursor MCP settings

Two ways to get there:

  • Menu: Cursor → Settings → MCP
  • File: Edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json directly
3

Add the ReceiptConverter server

Add this to your ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "receiptconverter": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["receiptconverter-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "RECEIPTCONVERTER_API_KEY": "sk_live_your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

If you already have MCP servers configured, just add receiptconverter as another entry inside mcpServers.

4

Restart Cursor and verify

Fully restart Cursor. In the MCP settings panel, you should see receiptconverter listed with a green dot. The tools convert_receipt and check_usage will be available in Agent mode.

Using it in Cursor

Switch to Agent mode in Cursor Chat (the dropdown next to the chat input). Then try:

“Parse the receipt at /Users/me/Downloads/expense.pdf and add the total to my expenses array”
“Scan this receipt URL and create a TypeScript interface that matches the response structure”
“Parse all receipts in /receipts/ folder and write the data to expenses.json”
“How many API calls do I have left this month?”

Per-project config

For project-specific config (useful if different projects use different API keys), create .cursor/mcp.json in your project root:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "receiptconverter": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["receiptconverter-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "RECEIPTCONVERTER_API_KEY": "sk_live_project_specific_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Project-level config takes precedence over the global ~/.cursor/mcp.json.

Troubleshooting

Server shows red dot / disconnected
Check that Node.js is installed and npx is available. Run `npx receiptconverter-mcp` in your terminal — if it errors, fix that first.
Tool not appearing in Agent mode
Make sure you're in Agent mode (not Ask or Edit). Only Agent mode has access to MCP tools.
"RECEIPTCONVERTER_API_KEY is not set"
The env key is wrong or missing in your mcp.json. Copy the config block above exactly, then replace only the key value.
"File not found" when scanning local files
Use the absolute path to the file, not a relative path. For example: /Users/yourname/Downloads/receipt.jpg