App to store warranty receipts: how to keep them so you can claim

If you’re looking for an app to store warranty receipts, the app matters less than the habit. A claim on a faulty washing machine or laptop usually needs three things: proof you bought it, the guarantee terms, and the date. This guide covers what counts as proof, how long your rights last in the UK, and the kinds of app people use to keep it all together.

Do you actually need the receipt?

Not always, but it helps. GOV.UK’s guidance for businesses on accepting returns and giving refunds says a shop can ask for proof that you bought an item from them, and that this could be a sales receipt or other evidence such as a bank statement or packaging. Which? (September 2026) puts it the same way: a receipt can speed up a claim, but it isn’t essential.

A manufacturer’s guarantee can be stricter. Citizens Advice says to claim on one you’ll usually need proof of purchase showing where and when you bought it, details of the problem and a copy of the guarantee. If you didn’t send back the registration card, the guarantee may not be valid. So the receipt and the guarantee paperwork are worth keeping together.

Your rights against the shop, and how long they last

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, your main rights are against the retailer, not the manufacturer. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, according to Which? and MoneySavingExpert (September 2026):

• Within 30 days of taking ownership (the date you bought it or the date it was delivered, whichever is later), you can usually reject a faulty item for a full refund.
• Within six months, the fault is presumed to have been there from the start unless the shop proves otherwise. After 30 days, the shop gets one chance to repair or replace it. If that fails, you can ask for a refund or a price reduction.
• After six months, it’s up to you to show the fault was there when you got it, which may need an expert report.
• Up to six years after you bought it, you can still make a claim. That doesn’t mean everything must last six years: it’s the time limit for claiming.

In Scotland, the limit is five years. MoneySavingExpert says it runs from when you first realised there was a problem.

“Nobody thinks about the receipt on the day they buy something. Take a photo before the box goes in the recycling, and put the date next to it. It takes a minute, and it makes any claim later far easier.”

Warranty or guarantee: why it doesn’t change your rights

A guarantee or warranty from the manufacturer is a contract between you and them, and Which? says they often last a year and usually offer a repair or replacement. They add to your legal rights rather than replace them. GOV.UK says customers have the same right to free repairs or a replacement whether they have a warranty or guarantee or not. So when the guarantee runs out, you can still go back to the shop.

Which? suggests dealing with the retailer first, so you don’t harm your later claim against them. Shops aren’t obliged to contact the manufacturer for you.

A worked example

Say you buy a £400 washing machine, delivered on 1 December, and pay by credit card.

• It fails on 20 December: that’s within 30 days, so you can usually reject it for a full refund.
• It fails in April: under six months, so the fault is presumed to have been there. The shop gets one chance to repair or replace it.
• It fails 18 months later: a one-year guarantee would have ended, but you can still claim against the shop. You’ll need to show the fault was there from the start, and Which? says the shop can now deduct something for the use you’ve had if a repair or replacement fails.

Because you paid more than £100 by credit card, you may also be able to claim from the card company. MoneySavingExpert says Section 75 covers purchases between £100.01 and £30,000. Debit card chargeback is a customer service promise rather than a legal right, and MoneySavingExpert says you usually need to claim within 120 days. In every case, the receipt or the statement line is what gets you started.

What to keep for each item

• The receipt or order confirmation, plus the matching bank or card statement line.
• The guarantee or warranty terms, and a note of when it ends.
• Any registration confirmation from the manufacturer.
• The model and serial number (usually on a sticker on the back or inside the door).
• Service or repair records, where the guarantee needs them. A boiler is the usual example: see how often you need a boiler service.

The kinds of app that can store warranty receipts

There isn’t one right answer. Each kind has strengths and gaps.

• Your phone’s photo library. Quick and free, but receipts get lost among thousands of photos, and nothing reminds you when a guarantee ends.
• Notes apps. Apple’s Notes app can scan documents using the iPhone camera, so you can make one note per appliance. It works if you keep it tidy, but there are no reminders unless you set them up separately.
• Cloud storage folders. Good for keeping files for years. Finding the right one depends on how you name them.
• Your email inbox. Online order confirmations land there anyway. Searching works until you change email address or the account is cleared out.
• Receipt and expense apps. Often built for business expenses, so they’re good at capturing receipts but not always at tracking guarantee dates.
• Home inventory and life admin apps. These keep an item, its paperwork and its dates together. Sort Admin, our app, is one of these.

Whatever you choose, look for three things: it keeps the document and the date together, it’s private (receipts and orders hold personal details), and you can get the file out when you need to send it to a shop.

Gifts and second-hand items

Citizens Advice says usually only the buyer can claim on a guarantee, unless the paperwork mentions “third party rights”. For presents, ask the giver for a gift receipt or a copy of the order, and keep it with the guarantee.

Extended warranties

If you’re offered one at the till, you don’t have to decide on the spot. Citizens Advice says that for electrical goods, if the warranty lasts at least 12 months and you bought it with the item, you can cancel within 45 days for a full refund. Before buying one, check what your legal rights and the manufacturer’s guarantee already cover.

What happens if you keep nothing

You may still be able to claim with a bank statement, but it takes longer, and you might not be able to prove which model you bought or when a guarantee started. A guarantee that needed registering may not be valid at all. Keeping the paperwork is the cheap part.

A simple plan

1. On the day it arrives: photograph or scan the receipt and the guarantee before you throw the box away.
2. Register it with the manufacturer if the guarantee asks you to.
3. Note the dates: when you bought it, when the guarantee ends, and six years on (five in Scotland).
4. If it goes wrong: go to the shop first, with your proof of purchase and details of the fault.

The same habit helps if you ever claim on your contents cover: see home insurance renewal: when to get quotes and what to check.