Lemon – Receipts Refreshed for iPhone – Review
Category: Productivity
Price: Free
TiP Rating: 3/5 stars
Release Date: Updated October 26, 2011
Version: 1.7
Seller: Lemon, Inc.
Rated: 4+
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 4.0 or later.
Link to app
App Store Description: Lemon.com is the best way to organize all your purchases into one simple place. Easily scan your paper receipts and we’ll turn the images into useful information that’s taggable and searchable so you can get organized and know where you’re spending your money. Check out Lemon.com to get your personal www.lemon.com address for all your digital and e-receipts. Give this address to merchants and keep your inbox free of spam!
Summary: Lemon is a convenient way to store and access your receipts, and monitor your spending all on your mobile device.
Review: The concept of Lemon is great. The app scans your receipts and lets you categorize and store them in your phone. This not only helps to de-clutter your desk or junk drawer, but it also makes your spending history easily accessible for anyone that is budget-conscious. Receipts can be tagged for easy organization and reports on your spending habits are created as you go.
The app itself is pretty simple, meaning there aren’t too many bells and whistles, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s clean and, for the most part, user friendly. When you first launch the app you’re greeted with a three-page introduction. It’s straightforward and appreciated, but it’s not necessary. However, on the second, third, and even the tenth launch, I was still greeted with the instructions. By now I’m confident that I know how to use the app and would rather get right to scanning instead of hitting the “back” button twice to view the home menu.
The home menu features four options: scan receipts, view purchases, inbox – I’m assuming those with a Lemon.com account can receive mail – and reports. Scanning a receipt is pretty simple; just align the receipt with the edges of the outline and snap a picture. If the receipt is long, like most grocery lists are, you can choose to add more before saving the image. The multiple frames are then put together so it looks like you’re viewing a single receipt.
Before saving a receipt you’re given the option of adding a label. Labels can be anything from cash or credit to personal, vacation, holidays, and so on.
To view the receipt click on Purchases from the main menu. Here your receipts are organized by date and the labels are displayed. Tapping on one of the results opens another page with the business information, label(s), and total of the purchase. A message also appears confirming that your receipt has been stored and is being digitized – it will be available within a few days. That’s a little confusing and at first I didn’t realize that my receipt was viewable while the digitization was taking place. To view your receipt right away, click on the icon that looks like an eye and the bottom part of the screen.
Reports help to determine how much you’re spending in a certain time frame. You can filter results by week, month, all time, or you can select a specific date range. Additionally you can filter by labels or merchants. you can then choose to have the report – which can be saved as a PDF, XLS, or CSV file – sent to you via email. You can also sign up for a free Lemon.com account and view your expenses online.
Lemon definitely has potential, but still needs to work out a few kinks. I think it would be popular for professionals, especially to keep track of spending for expense reports, and anyone who is tracking their budget. Even people who just want to get rid of that shoebox of receipts will benefit from its storage.
