Frequently Asked Questions

Bookkeeping-OCR is a desktop application designed for small businesses to track expenses and revenue, scan receipts using OCR technology, manage contacts, and generate financial reports—all while keeping your data private on your own computer.

Bookkeeping-OCR is perfect for freelancers, solopreneurs, consultants, contractors, and small business owners (1-3 people) who need simple, affordable bookkeeping without the complexity of traditional accounting software like QuickBooks or Xero.

Bookkeeping-OCR is available for macOS 10.13+ (both Apple Silicon and Intel) and Windows 10+. We plan to add Linux support in a future version based on user demand.

Yes! All your financial data stays on your computer. Bookkeeping-OCR doesn't upload anything to the cloud, and you don't need an internet connection to use the app (except for initial license activation and updates). You have complete control and ownership of your data.

No. After activating your license, Bookkeeping-OCR works completely offline. Internet is only required for: (1) initial license activation, (2) downloading software updates, and (3) purchasing additional licenses. All core features work without internet.

The free trial lasts 30 days from the first time you launch the app. During the trial, you get full access to all FULL tier features (expenses, revenue, contacts, and reports) with no restrictions.

No. Just download the app and start using it—no payment information required. The trial starts automatically when you first launch the app.

After 30 days, your trial expires and the app will be locked. All features become unavailable until you purchase and activate a license. However, your data is preserved and safe—you can activate a license at any time to regain access.

Visit bookkeeping-ocr.com/pricing, choose your tier (BASE or FULL) and license type (SINGLE or BUSINESS), and complete checkout with Stripe. You'll receive your license key via email within minutes.

BASE tier ($149 SINGLE / $299 BUSINESS) includes expense tracking, OCR scanning, and reports. FULL tier ($249 SINGLE / $374 BUSINESS) adds revenue tracking and contact management—perfect for businesses that need to track both expenses and income.

Yes! Contact support@bookkeeping-ocr.com with your license key, and we'll provide a prorated upgrade price based on the remaining time on your BASE license.

macOS: Download the DMG file, open it, drag Bookkeeping-OCR to your Applications folder, and launch from Applications.

Windows: Download the EXE installer, double-click it, follow the installation wizard, and launch from the Start menu.

See our detailed installation guide for step-by-step instructions.

macOS: If you see "Bookkeeping-OCR is damaged," open Terminal and run: xattr -d com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Bookkeeping-OCR.app

Windows: If you see an antivirus warning, click "Run anyway" or add Bookkeeping-OCR to your antivirus whitelist.

General: Restart your computer, check disk space (need 50+ MB free), and ensure you have admin rights. If issues persist, contact support@bookkeeping-ocr.com.

After purchasing a license: (1) Open Bookkeeping-OCR, (2) Click "Activate License" in the app, (3) Paste your license key from the email, (4) Click "Activate". Your license is now active and all features are unlocked.

Email support@bookkeeping-ocr.com with the email address you used during purchase, and we'll resend your license key within 24 hours.

SINGLE licenses can only be active on one computer at a time. To move your license to a new computer, contact support@bookkeeping-ocr.com and we'll deactivate your old machine so you can activate the new one.

Yes, but only one computer can use a SINGLE license at a time. Contact support@bookkeeping-ocr.com to deactivate your license on the old computer, then activate it on the new one. BUSINESS licenses support 3 computers simultaneously.

Click the "Upload Receipt" button in the app, select a receipt image (JPG, PNG, or PDF), and the OCR will automatically extract the vendor, date, and amount. Review and edit the extracted information, then save to your database.

OCR works best with clear, well-lit photos of printed receipts. Common issues: (1) Blurry or low-resolution images, (2) Handwritten receipts (OCR is optimized for printed text), (3) Very small font sizes. Try retaking the photo with better lighting or higher resolution.

Yes! You can export expense reports, revenue reports, and contact lists to CSV or Excel format. Go to the Reports page, select your criteria, and click "Export to CSV" or "Export to Excel".

Bookkeeping-OCR accepts JPG, PNG, and PDF files. For best OCR results, use clear, high-resolution photos. Images over 10MB may take longer to process—we recommend resizing large images before upload.

Yes, with a BUSINESS license. Up to 3 users can access the same database simultaneously by placing the database file on a shared network drive. Each user needs the app installed on their computer, but they all point to the same shared database.

Expense tracking records money you spend (receipts, bills, purchases). Revenue tracking records money you receive (payments, invoices, income). FULL tier includes both, so you get a complete financial picture of your business.

Yes! You can add custom categories in the Settings page. Default categories include Materials, Services, Travel, Meals, Office, Equipment, Marketing, Insurance, Utilities, and Professional Fees.

Go to the Reports page, select your criteria (date range, category, project), and click "Generate Report". You can view reports on-screen, export to CSV/Excel, or print them.

After 30 days, your trial expires and the app will be locked. All features become unavailable, but your data is preserved. Purchase a license from bookkeeping-ocr.com/pricing to regain access.

Yes! BUSINESS licenses cost $299 (BASE) or $374 (FULL), which is a 25% savings compared to buying 3 SINGLE licenses separately.

SINGLE licenses work on 1 computer only. BUSINESS licenses work on up to 3 computers simultaneously. You can transfer a SINGLE license to a new computer by deactivating the old one first.

BUSINESS licenses support up to 3 simultaneous users accessing the same shared database. Each user needs the app installed on their computer, but they all connect to the same database file on a network drive.

No. Bookkeeping-OCR uses one-time purchases, not subscriptions. After 1 year, your license expires and you'll need to manually renew to continue receiving updates. Your data remains accessible even if you don't renew.

We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you're not satisfied with Bookkeeping-OCR within 30 days of purchase, contact support@bookkeeping-ocr.com for a full refund, no questions asked.

macOS: macOS 10.13+ (Apple Silicon or Intel), 50 MB disk space, 4 GB RAM recommended

Windows: Windows 10+ (64-bit), 50 MB disk space, 4 GB RAM recommended

Internet connection is optional (only needed for activation and updates).

All your data is stored in a local SQLite database file on your computer. The default location is in your user folder:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Bookkeeping-OCR/bookkeeping.db

Windows: C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\Bookkeeping-OCR\bookkeeping.db

You can change the database location in Settings.

Your database file is a single file called bookkeeping.db. To back up your data, simply copy this file to a safe location (external drive, cloud backup service like Dropbox, etc.). To restore, replace the database file with your backup.

No. Bookkeeping-OCR is a desktop application only. This ensures your data stays private on your computer and the app works completely offline. We have no plans for a web version at this time.

Not currently. If you need API access to integrate Bookkeeping-OCR with other tools, please contact support@bookkeeping-ocr.com to share your use case. We may add API support in a future version based on demand.