Two ways to collect from Gmail
Connect the mailbox. Billfetch signs in to Gmail over IMAP with an app password and collects invoices from it. Best for a mailbox you use for business mail.
Forward to Billfetch. Every Billfetch account has a private forwarding address. Set up a Gmail filter that forwards invoice emails to it, and Billfetch reads only that address. It never sees your mailbox at all. Best if you’d rather not connect a personal inbox.
You can use both, and it’s often worth having a separate mailbox just for invoices.
What Billfetch keeps
- PDF attachments are saved as documents.
- Emails without an attachment are checked first, and only those that look like invoices are saved.
- Everything else is left alone and isn’t stored.
To narrow it further, add a Sender filter in the connection’s settings, such as shopify.com, [email protected]. When it’s set, only mail from those senders is fetched.
Collected documents arrive in This month under Awaiting approval. Billfetch reads the supplier, date, amount and tax from each one, you check and approve it, and it’s matched to the payment in your bank, for example on Wise or Starling.
How to connect Gmail
- Turn on 2-Step Verification for your Google account (app passwords need it).
- Create an app password, name it “Billfetch” and copy the 16-character code.
- In Billfetch, open Sources, select Add connection and choose Email (IMAP).
- Under Using Gmail?, select Fill in Gmail server settings, enter your full Gmail address as the user and paste the app password.
- Choose a date under Collect history from and select Connect mailbox.
The app password is stored encrypted. To stop collecting, choose Disconnect on the card; documents already collected stay in Billfetch.
When mail is collected
A normal inbox is checked when you select Sync now on its card. That keeps Billfetch from working through a busy personal inbox in the background.
If the mailbox receives nothing but invoices, turn on This mailbox only receives invoices. It’s then checked automatically, about every 15 minutes, and every email is stored without the invoice check. Don’t turn this on for a personal inbox.
What it doesn’t do
- It doesn’t send, delete, move or label your email.
- It doesn’t use Google sign-in; Gmail connects with an app password or through forwarding.
- It doesn’t store emails that aren’t invoices.
- It doesn’t submit anything to HMRC.
Frequently asked questions
Does Billfetch read all my email?
It reads the mailbox you connect, keeps PDF attachments and emails that look like invoices, and doesn't store anything else. A sender filter narrows it further.
Why does Gmail need an app password?
Billfetch connects to Gmail over IMAP, and Google requires an app password for that. Your normal Google password is never entered into Billfetch.
My Google Workspace admin has turned off app passwords. What now?
Use your Billfetch forwarding address instead. A Gmail filter forwards invoice emails to it, and Billfetch never needs access to your mailbox.
How often is Gmail checked?
A normal inbox is checked when you select Sync now. A mailbox that only receives invoices can be checked automatically, about every 15 minutes.
Gmail and Google Workspace are trademarks of Google LLC. Billfetch is not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by Google.