A warranty is only useful if you can find the receipt and know it hasn't ended. This guide covers what to keep for each one, then how to keep track of them on your iPhone with Receipt Cat, our receipt scanner and expense app for iPhone and iPad.
What to keep for each warranty
For each thing you buy with a warranty, keep:
- The receipt. It shows where and when you bought it, and what you paid.
- How long the warranty lasts. It's usually on the box, in the manual, or on the store's paperwork.
- The details you may be asked for. The model, and the serial number if there is one.
- Any extra cover you bought, with its own paperwork.
Keep them together, so you can find all of it when you need it.
Photograph the receipt early
Some receipts are printed on paper that fades over time. A photo taken on the day you buy something gives you a readable copy.
Add a receipt to Receipt Cat
Open Receipt Cat, pick Receipts, and tap Scan to photograph a paper receipt. For a receipt that's a PDF or a photo, such as a PDF attached to an email, tap Import and pick From Photos (30 at a Time) or From Files (PDF or Image), or share it to Receipt Cat from Mail or Photos.
The app reads the merchant, date and total on your device. Check them, fix anything with a tap, and tap Looks right.
Check the date. The warranty is counted from the receipt's Date, so make sure it's the day you bought the thing.
Set the warranty
On the receipt, open More and tap Warranty. Pick how long it lasts: 1, 3, 6 or 18 months, or 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 years.
A line under it shows the end date, like "Covered until October 12, 2027. You'll get a reminder 30 days before." The first time you pick a warranty, the app asks if it can send notifications.
While you're in More, add what you'd need for a claim:
- Notes. The model, the serial number, or what the item is if the store name doesn't say.
- Tags. A word to find it by, like "kitchen" or "laptop".
Keep the warranty card with the receipt
If the warranty came as a card or a page of paperwork, add it to the same receipt. Tap the ⋯ button at the top right and pick Scan Another Page, Add Page from Photos or Add Page from Files. The pages sit side by side at the top of the receipt. Tap one to see it full screen, and pinch to zoom.
Get a reminder before it ends
With notifications on, Receipt Cat sends a reminder at 9:00 in the morning, 30 days before a warranty of 3 months or more ends, or 7 days before a 1-month one. If that day has already passed when you set the warranty, the reminder comes sooner, usually at the next 9:00. It says "Warranty ending soon", with the store and the end date. Tap it to open the receipt.
If notifications are off, the line under Warranty says "Reminders are off" and shows a button to open Settings.
See every warranty in one list
On the home screen, tap the Warranties chip. It lists every receipt with a warranty, the one that ends first at the top, and each row says "Covered to" or "Ended" with the date. Warranties that have ended stay in the list, at the top, until you set them to None or delete the receipt.
To find one receipt, search. Search looks at the store name, your notes and tags, and the text read from the receipt.
When something breaks
Search for the item or open the Warranties list, and check the end date. Then open the receipt and share it: the ⋯ menu has Share Image, which sends the first page only. You can also tap a page to zoom in and read the details off it. What the warranty covers and how to claim depends on its terms, so check them with the store or the maker.
What the app doesn't do
Receipt Cat doesn't know what any warranty covers, and doesn't read the warranty length from the receipt: you pick it. It doesn't register products with the maker or make claims for you.
What it costs
Scanning, reading, warranties and reminders, and PDF and spreadsheet reports are free, with no watermark and no sign-up. There are no ads and no account.
Receipt Cat Pro is an optional one-time purchase for extras in expense reports and petty cash. You don't need it for warranties. More on the Receipt Cat page.
Your receipts are read on your device and kept on it and in your own backups, unless you share, save or print them.
Quick answers
How long should I keep a receipt for a warranty?
At least until the warranty ends, and longer if the warranty's terms ask for it. The Warranties list shows each end date.
Does Receipt Cat know how long my warranty is?
No. You pick the length on the receipt, from the box, the manual or the store's paperwork.
Will it remind me before a warranty ends?
Yes, with notifications on: 30 days before for 3 months or more, 7 days before for 1 month.
Can I keep the warranty card with the receipt?
Yes. Add it as another page of the same receipt.
Try Receipt Cat
Try Receipt Cat: free, no ads, no sign-up → iyio.com/apps/receipt-cat