For bookkeepers, accountants, and business expense tracking
Amazon receipt file naming convention for expense tracking and bookkeeping
Standardize Amazon receipt filenames with order number, date, vendor, and amount. Keep your expense records organized and ready for reimbursement or tax filing.
Name Amazon receipts as YYYY-MM-DD_Amazon_OrderNum_Amount.pdf for instant recognition and expense categorization.
- Lead with order date (YYYY-MM-DD) so receipts sort chronologically and match credit card statements.
- Include "Amazon" identifier and order number to enable quick lookup and duplicate detection.
- Add order total to verify amounts without opening files, reducing errors during expense reporting.
Proof: 12.3k Amazon receipts processed last quarter with this pattern at 94% average confidence across 203 businesses.
Recommended patterns
Standard Amazon receipt pattern
Lead with date for chronological sorting, include Amazon identifier for vendor filtering, and capture order number for lookup.
Pattern
YYYY-MM-DD_Amazon_OrderNum_Amount.pdfExample
2025-10-15_Amazon_123-4567890_89.99.pdfTokens
Order date
Order date in YYYY-MM-DD format
Example: 2025-10-15
Vendor identifier
Amazon or marketplace identifier
Example: Amazon
Order number
Amazon order number (last 7 digits)
Example: 123-4567890
Order total
Order total without currency symbol
Example: 89.99
Amazon receipt with expense category
Include expense category for automated categorization. Ideal for businesses that need to track Amazon purchases by department or expense type.
Pattern
YYYY-MM-DD_Amazon_Category_OrderNum.pdfExample
2025-10-15_Amazon_Office_123-4567890.pdfTokens
Order date
Order date in YYYY-MM-DD format
Example: 2025-10-15
Vendor identifier
Amazon identifier
Example: Amazon
Expense category
Office, Equipment, Supplies, etc.
Example: Office
Order number
Amazon order number
Example: 123-4567890
Amazon Business receipt with cost center
Include cost center for multi-department businesses. Enables automated allocation and department-level expense tracking.
Pattern
YYYY-MM-DD_Amazon_CostCenter_OrderNum_Amount.pdfExample
2025-10-15_Amazon_IT_123-4567890_89.99.pdfTokens
Order date
Order date in YYYY-MM-DD format
Example: 2025-10-15
Vendor identifier
Amazon or AmazonBusiness
Example: Amazon
Cost center
Department or cost center code
Example: IT
Order number
Amazon order number
Example: 123-4567890
Order total
Order total
Example: 89.99
Core principles
Lead with order date for chronological sorting
Start with YYYY-MM-DD to match credit card statement dates. This ensures receipts appear in order and simplifies reconciliation with payment records.
Include Amazon identifier for vendor filtering
Add "Amazon" to filenames when managing receipts from multiple vendors. This enables quick filtering and prevents confusion with other online marketplace purchases.
Capture order number for lookup
Amazon order numbers are unique identifiers. Including them enables instant lookup in Amazon order history and duplicate detection during expense processing.
Add expense category for automated categorization
Include expense categories (Office, Equipment, Supplies) to enable automated filing and reduce manual categorization during expense reporting.
Consider cost centers for department tracking
Add cost center codes for businesses that need to track Amazon purchases by department. This enables accurate budget allocation and department-level reporting.
Common mistakes
Using download date instead of order date
Why it's wrong: Download date (when you saved the receipt) differs from order date (when purchase was made). This breaks chronological organization and prevents matching with credit card statements.
Fix: Always use the order date from the receipt header, not the date you downloaded the file. This ensures receipts match credit card transaction dates.
Omitting order number from filename
Why it's wrong: Without order number, you cannot look up orders in Amazon or detect duplicate receipts. This causes confusion during expense reporting and audit.
Fix: Include the full Amazon order number (e.g., 123-4567890-1234567) or at minimum the last 7 digits for unique identification.
Not distinguishing Amazon from other marketplaces
Why it's wrong: If you purchase from Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and other marketplaces, omitting vendor name makes visual identification impossible and breaks vendor-based filtering.
Fix: Always include "Amazon" in the filename, especially if you manage receipts from multiple online marketplaces.
Including item descriptions in filename
Why it's wrong: Item descriptions make filenames too long and inconsistent. Amazon orders often contain multiple items, making single-item descriptions misleading.
Fix: Use expense categories (Office, Equipment) instead of item descriptions. This provides consistent categorization without excessive filename length.
Frequently asked questions
How do I handle Amazon Business vs personal Amazon receipts?
Add "AmazonBusiness" or "AmazonPersonal" to distinguish between accounts (e.g., 2025-10-15_AmazonBusiness_123-4567890.pdf). This prevents confusion when managing both business and personal purchases.
Should I include item descriptions in the filename?
No. Use expense categories instead (Office, Equipment, Supplies). Item descriptions make filenames too long and inconsistent, especially for multi-item orders.
Can I automate this for emailed Amazon receipts?
Yes. Forward Amazon receipt emails to a watched folder (Dropbox, Google Drive) and we automatically extract order numbers, dates, amounts, and categories from the PDF attachment.
What about Amazon Subscribe & Save recurring orders?
Use the same pattern but consider adding "Subscribe" tag (e.g., 2025-10-15_Amazon_Subscribe_123-4567890.pdf) to distinguish recurring from one-time purchases.
How do I match Amazon receipts to credit card statements?
Lead with order date in YYYY-MM-DD format to match credit card transaction dates. Include order amount to verify totals during reconciliation.