How does a receipt-photo contest on WhatsApp work?

Customers send a photo of their receipt plus their name and phone number to your WhatsApp. Replai reads the photo, extracts the receipt details, records each entry to a Google Sheet with the sender's number and timestamp, and confirms the entry back to the customer. You draw the winner from the sheet.

Can it read receipt photos automatically?

Yes. Replai reads images, so it can pick out the store, date and amount from a receipt photo and log them alongside the entrant's details. Blurry or partial receipts are flagged for a human to check rather than silently accepted.

Do customers need to download an app or fill in a form?

No. They message your existing WhatsApp number with a photo and their details, which is why entry rates are high. There is no landing page, no app and no login.

What does contest mode cost?

Contest mode runs on any Replai plan. Starter is $19 a month for one number and 120 conversations a cycle, Growth $49 for three numbers and 300 conversations with outbound campaigns for winner announcements. Each entry conversation counts against the cycle; top-ups are 100 conversations for $9 on Starter, $8 on Growth and $7 on Pro.

Run receipt-photo contests on WhatsApp

Quick answer

Customers send a photo of their receipt to your WhatsApp number. The assistant reads the image, extracts store, date and amount, asks for the details your campaign needs, confirms the entry back, and logs every row to a Google Sheet with the sender's number and a timestamp. You draw the winner from the sheet. No landing page, no app.

Entries arrive as receipt photos; blurry or partial ones are flagged for a person to check.
Every entry becomes a sheet row with photo link, entrant details, number and timestamp.
Opt-out handling is automatic, and a second AI screens replies for abuse and scams.
Each entry conversation counts against your cycle; top-ups are 100 conversations for $9 on Starter, $8 on Growth and $7 on Pro.

At a glance

It answers

Receipt photo entries
Entry rules and dates
A confirmation to every entrant
Entries logged to a sheet

It hands to you

Winner announcements
Disputes

10 min

to set up

You first

on existing chats

Any

language

Contest mode

answered by Replai, after hours

[receipt photo] I'd like to join the contest21:14
Got it: receipt for $124 dated 6 Sep. You're in, entry #218. The draw is on 30 Sep and winners are messaged here.21:14
Can I submit two receipts?21:16
Yes, one entry per receipt above $50. Send the next one whenever you're ready.21:16

Illustrative exchange. Your bot answers from your own prices, hours and rules.

Replai knowledge base screen with pasted prices, hours and policies — Your prices, hours and rules live here. Paste them once; every answer comes from this.

Replai leads table showing captured customer details — Every enquiry that shows intent lands in a sheet with the name, number and what they asked.

How does a customer enter the contest?

A customer buys your product. Your packaging or in-store signage points them to your WhatsApp number — "Send us a photo of your receipt to enter the draw."

They WhatsApp the photo. Replai reads it, asks for the entry details you need (name, phone, store location — whatever your campaign requires), and logs it all to a Google Sheet you can watch live.

That's it. No website, no form, no QR-to-form redirect. Customers stay in the channel they're already in.

Why do WhatsApp entries beat a landing page form?

The channel is the reason it works. More than 3 billion people in over 180 countries use WhatsApp (WhatsApp, About page), so an entrant is already signed in, already holding the receipt photo on the phone in their hand, and one message away from being in the draw. A form asks them to start again.

Most SEA promo campaigns lose entries at the form-redirect step. A landing page asks for name + phone + receipt upload + tick-box consent, and a chunk of people bounce before they finish. Older customers in particular.

WhatsApp removes the friction:

No download — they're already in the app
No URL typing — they've already got your contact
No desktop upload — the photo is on the phone they're holding
Voice notes work too — customers who'd rather speak than type can dictate their details, in any language

Replai handles all of it from one channel.

What you get

Vision-based receipt reading. Replai's vision model reads the photo, extracts what it can, and asks the customer to confirm anything ambiguous — date, store, amount.
Lead capture to a Google Sheet. Every entry lands as a row with photo URL, customer details, timestamp, and conversation link. Filter, sort, draw the winner.
Any language, auto-detected. The customer writes in English, Malay, Mandarin, Spanish or a mix, and Replai answers in kind.
STOP / opt-out handling. Automatic, so you stay on the right side of PDPA.
Flag review. A second AI quietly classifies every reply for complaints, scams, and abuse — so a sketchy entry doesn't slip past you.

Set up in 5 minutes

Pair your WhatsApp Business number (30 seconds via QR), pick the Contest template, edit two prompts to match your campaign rules, point it at a Google Sheet. First entry can land within an hour of you flipping it on.

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Frequently asked questions

How does a receipt-photo contest on WhatsApp work?: Customers send a photo of their receipt plus their name and phone number to your WhatsApp. Replai reads the photo, extracts the receipt details, records each entry to a Google Sheet with the sender's number and timestamp, and confirms the entry back to the customer. You draw the winner from the sheet.
Can it read receipt photos automatically?: Yes. Replai reads images, so it can pick out the store, date and amount from a receipt photo and log them alongside the entrant's details. Blurry or partial receipts are flagged for a human to check rather than silently accepted.
Do customers need to download an app or fill in a form?: No. They message your existing WhatsApp number with a photo and their details, which is why entry rates are high. There is no landing page, no app and no login.
What does contest mode cost?: Contest mode runs on any Replai plan. Starter is $19 a month for one number and 120 conversations a cycle, Growth $49 for three numbers and 300 conversations with outbound campaigns for winner announcements. Each entry conversation counts against the cycle; top-ups are 100 conversations for $9 on Starter, $8 on Growth and $7 on Pro.

Sources

About WhatsApp, WhatsApp, 2026-09-07
Making voice messages better, WhatsApp blog, 2022-03-30