Which receipt scanner app is the best in Switzerland?
It depends on what you need the receipts for. For the self-employed and sole proprietors with invoices and VAT, Magic Heidi fits; for SMEs in the bexio suite, bexio Go; for clients of a Topal fiduciary, the Topal App. For your private tax return, hooi (iPhone) or Snapshare are enough. Test every app with three real receipts: a Migros till slip, a software subscription in USD and a restaurant bill.
Is there a free app to scan receipts?
Yes. Snapshare is completely free, but it only forwards receipts to tax software. The Topal App is free, but only useful with Topal accounting. With Magic Heidi you scan 3 receipts and write 3 invoices for free, in total, with no time limit and no credit card. After that, Pro gives you unlimited scanning (fair use) for CHF 24.99/month billed yearly or CHF 39 monthly. bexio can only be tested for 30 days.
How do I scan receipts properly with my phone?
Lay the receipt flat on a calm, high-contrast surface and make sure the light is good. The amount, date and VAT line must be easy to read. In Magic Heidi, the AI then fills in merchant, date, amount, VAT rate and category; you check the fields, correct anything the AI misread, and save. Ideally you scan right at the till, so nothing gets lost.
Can I throw receipts away after scanning?
Usually yes. In Switzerland you must keep business receipts for 10 years (Art. 958f CO), and the Ordinance on Accounting Records (GeBüV) allows digital storage as long as the receipts are complete, unaltered and readable at any time. Because thermal paper fades, an early scan is often the safer copy. For large amounts or special cases, it's best to ask your fiduciary.
Does the app recognise Swiss VAT rates?
Magic Heidi reads the VAT rate straight off the receipt: 8.1 %, 2.6 % or 3.8 %. The input tax flows into your VAT return, whether you use the effective or the net tax rate method. If you're below CHF 100'000 in turnover and not VAT-registered, you simply record receipts without input tax. More in the VAT guide.
Is a receipt scanner enough, or do I need bookkeeping software?
A pure receipt scanner like hooi or Snapshare digitizes the receipt and passes it on. Bookkeeping software also records it: category, VAT, income and expense statement. Magic Heidi and bexio combine both; with the Topal App, the booking happens in Topal accounting. More on bookkeeping with Magic Heidi.
What does my fiduciary get?
You export your expenses to Excel, filtered by period or category, and all receipt images as a ZIP. Or you give your fiduciary direct access to your account. At year end, the income and expense statement and the VAT summary are available as Excel too. More on year-end closing.
Where are my receipts stored?
With Magic Heidi, your receipts are stored encrypted on servers in Zurich, with weekly backups. To read the receipts, the AI scan uses specialised services that partly run outside Switzerland. If you want no cloud at all, use hooi: the receipts stay on your iPhone. Details on the security page.
Does the receipt scanner work without internet?
No. Magic Heidi needs an internet connection, because the AI reads the receipt online and everything syncs between your phone and computer. So keep the till slip until you have signal again, then scan it.
When is another app better than Magic Heidi?
When employees submit expenses and managers need to approve them: that's what Pleo, Spendesk or Yokoy are built for. If you only collect private tax receipts, hooi or Snapshare are enough. And if you already use Sage 50 or blue office, belegscanner.ch connects to them directly (CHF 980 licence or CHF 35/month rental, as of May 2026).
Magic Heidi 
