Get Paperless Receipts with the Cloud Invoice App
Who doesn’t hate paper receipts? They’re an unwanted nuisance that usually end up crumpled inside our wallets and purses, taking up space as a shaming physical reminder of all the things we shouldn’t have spent money on. They’re also terrible for the environment — just think about the millions of receipts that are printed across the island on a daily basis!
The problem is, we’re encouraged to hold onto all these little slips of paper because they’re free entry into Taiwan’s receipt lottery. We’ve personally saved up months’ worth of receipts in large stacks, expecting to go through and check each one against the winning numbers — only to procrastinate and eventually toss them out because we can’t be bothered.
Thankfully, a Taiwanese friend showed us an easy solution to all the above problems: the Cloud Invoice App, available for iPhone and Android. It enables you to scan and store all of your receipts in digital form on the app so that you don’t need to worry about damaging the environment and holding onto crumpled paper copies. It also lets you know if any of your receipts have won money in the bi-monthly lottery, saving you the time and effort of manually checking every paper slip. What a life hack!
Although the app is only available in Chinese, it’s really simple to install and to use. Here’s how:
First, find the Cloud Invoice in the App Store or on Google Play by searching for its Chinese name:
雲端發票
Once you’ve downloaded and opened up the app, you’ll be presented with a login page. The easiest option here is to tap the white “Facebook” button to login with your Facebook account, because you won’t need to enter any details. If you don’t have Facebook or you’re opposed to linking it for security reasons, you’ll need to input a few fields of information to create an account.
Each time you open the app (or press the leftmost icon on the menu at the bottom) your barcode will appear on screen. This is what you’ll present for the cashier to scan each time you check out. Make sure to display it before you pay for your purchases so that you won’t end up with a paper receipt!
You can also go into your phone’s settings to add a barcode widget to your iPhone or Android. It’s even more convenient because you don’t need to open the app — just show it to the cashier and they’ll quickly scan it straight off your home screen. It’s that easy!
To see all of your past receipts, press the second icon from the left in the menu at the bottom. You’ll notice bi-monthly summaries of all your purchases (the above image is displaying a single receipt from Sept – Oct, 2019). You can press on any of these entries to see a full breakdown of what you actually bought.
If you’re making a purchase and you can’t present your barcode for whatever reason, fear not! You can scan paper receipts to save them in your app. Press the + symbol in the top left corner of the app to open the camera. Hover the white frame over the barcode on your receipt until it registers. Ta-da! Note: if you win anything with a paper receipt that you scanned, you must present the physical paper version of the receipt to collect your money. Boo.
The potential for winning money on Taiwan’s receipt lottery is the greatest incentive to scan and store all your purchases. The app automatically checks your receipts against the winning numbers to let you know if you’ve won anything. Press the second icon from the right in the menu at the bottom and you’ll see a general list of all the prizes with winning numbers. Then press the centre yellow tab (above) to display your own winnings, highlighted with the amount of money you’ve won.
To claim prize money, first check the date to make sure you’re within the redeemable range (ex. May-June 2019 receipt prizes can only be claimed between August 6 – November 5. Find more information here). Display your app and proof of identification at a bank and they’ll hand you the cash. Remember, if you originally received a paper receipt and then scanned it into your app, you’ll still need to present the physical receipt to claim your prize money.
We’ve loved using the Cloud Invoice App every time we make a purchase. It saves the environment, spares you the annoyance of paper receipts, and makes it easy to claim free cash in the bi-monthly lottery. It’s also super convenient to use! Why not make the switch to digital receipts today?
