Data & Analytics · Taggun + Claude
Taggun MCP with Claude: Automate Receipt Data Extraction and Expense Processing
The short answer
Claude works with Taggun through the Model Context Protocol, an open standard that lets Claude securely use other software. Once connected with an API key, Claude can ask Taggun to read receipt images, extract structured details such as merchant, date and totals, and pass that data into expense and approval workflows, with permissions the organisation controls.
What is Taggun?
Taggun is a real-time receipt OCR API. OCR means optical character recognition: software that reads text from a photo or scan. Taggun reads receipt images and returns structured data such as merchant name, date, line items and totals. Finance teams, expense management providers, accounting departments and product teams building apps use it to turn paper and phone receipts into data they can act on without manual typing.
How Claude connects to Taggun through MCP
The Model Context Protocol, or MCP, is an open standard that acts like a universal adapter between Claude and other software. It lets Claude use a tool securely, reading information and taking actions within permissions the organisation sets. Instead of building a separate custom link for every system, the same standard connects Claude to many tools in a consistent way.
Once Taggun is connected, Claude can work with receipt data in plain language. For example, a team member might ask Claude to extract the merchant, date and total from a batch of receipt images, flag any that look unclear, or suggest an expense category for each. Claude can read the results and pass them to the next step in a workflow.
Access is controlled by the API key, which the organisation issues and can revoke at any time. The consultancy sets the connection up with least-privilege access, so Claude only reaches what the workflow needs. Consequential steps, such as posting an expense or approving a claim, can require a person to confirm first, keeping people in charge.
What you can automate
Automated expense capture
Employees photograph receipts on their phones. Claude asks Taggun to extract the merchant, date, amount and tax, then prepares a clean expense record. Staff review the record before it is submitted, which removes most manual typing and reduces missing details on claims.
Expense categorisation
Finance teams often spend hours assigning categories such as travel, meals or supplies. Claude reads the extracted line items and suggests a category for each transaction, using the company's own policy rules. Unusual cases are routed to a person for a decision.
Receipt validation before payment
Before an invoice or reimbursement is paid, Claude can check that the scanned receipt matches the amount claimed and the date within the policy window. Mismatches are flagged with a short explanation so an approver can act quickly.
Month-end reconciliation support
At month end, accountants need card statements matched against receipts. Claude can compare Taggun's extracted totals and dates with transaction records and list receipts that are missing or do not match, saving time on manual checking.
Product and app automation
Software teams building apps that handle receipts can use Taggun's API together with Claude to parse new uploads, return structured results to users and log exceptions. This suits customer support, loyalty and retail applications.
An end-to-end workflow: Monthly expense claim processing
TriggerAn employee uploads a receipt photo to the expense folder or submits it through the company app.
Claude sends the receipt image to Taggun and retrieves the merchant, date, line items and total.
Claude checks the amount and date against the expense policy and the employee's booking record in the CRM or travel system.
Claude suggests an expense category and writes the structured record to the finance system.
Any receipt that is unreadable, duplicated or outside policy is placed in a review queue with a short note.
The line manager approves or rejects the claim in the ticketing or approval tool, and Claude records the decision in the audit log.
OutcomeExpense claims reach finance with complete, checked data, so processing time falls and reviewers spend their time on exceptions rather than data entry.
How we set it up
Free automation audit
We review how receipts and expenses flow today and identify the workflows worth automating, including volumes, approval rules and the systems involved.
Secure connection
We connect Claude to Taggun using an API key, stored securely and scoped to the minimum access the workflow needs. The key can be revoked at any time.
Workflow design
We design the end-to-end process across Taggun and your other systems such as Microsoft 365, your CRM, ERP or ticketing tool, with people approving every consequential action.
Testing against real cases
We test the workflow using past receipts and claims, measure accuracy, and refine extraction and categorisation rules until the results meet your standards.
Launch, monitoring and training
We launch with monitoring and audit logs, then train your finance and operations teams on how to use and review the workflow.
Who benefits
- Finance director
- Gets cleaner expense data and fewer errors at month end, with a clear audit trail for every decision.
- Accounts payable or expense team
- Spends less time typing receipt details and more time resolving the exceptions that need judgement.
- Operations or office manager
- Gives staff a simple way to submit receipts from a phone without chasing missing information.
- Software product lead
- Adds receipt parsing to an app faster by pairing Taggun's API with Claude's language understanding.
Security and control
- Access uses an API key with least-privilege scope, so Claude only reaches the data the workflow needs.
- Consequential actions such as approving or posting expenses require a named person to confirm first.
- Every action taken through Claude is recorded in an audit log that can be reviewed later.
- Keys can be rotated or revoked immediately if a device or account is compromised.
- Testing against real past cases runs before launch, and outputs are monitored after go-live.
For teams in the US, UK, India and the Middle East
Organisations in the United States and the United Kingdom can align receipt processing with their existing financial record-keeping and data protection obligations. In India, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 governs how personal data in receipts is handled, and we design workflows to match it. Organisations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia must observe their local data protection laws, and we choose a hosting region for any custom application to meet those requirements.
Learn more about Claude and MCP
Anthropic's AI model and assistant.
Secure links between Claude and business tools.
How engineers build and change software with Claude.
Hosted agents that run multi-step work.
The open standard Claude uses to connect to tools.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Taggun MCP server do?
The Taggun MCP server is the bridge that lets Claude use Taggun's receipt OCR. Through it, Claude can ask Taggun to read a receipt image and return structured details such as merchant, date and total. It acts within the permissions set for the connection, so the organisation decides what Claude can reach.
Is it secure to connect Taggun to Claude?
Security depends on how the connection is set up. We use an API key with least-privilege access, store it securely, and log every action. Consequential steps can require human approval. Keys can be revoked at any time, and we test the setup before launch.
What can Claude do with Taggun once connected?
Claude can extract receipt details, parse transaction data, suggest expense categories and check scanned receipts against your policy. It can work with natural language requests, such as asking for all receipts over a set amount from last week, and pass results to other systems in your workflow.
How long does setup take?
Timing depends on the number of systems involved and how complex your approval rules are. A focused expense workflow often moves from audit to launch in a few weeks. We give a clear timeline after the free automation audit, once we understand your volumes and requirements.
What plan or permissions do I need?
You need an active Taggun account that can issue an API key for the connection. The exact plan and access level depend on your Taggun agreement and the volume you expect. We confirm these details during the audit so the workflow fits what you already have.