Understand any foreign utility bill in seconds with Crade
A bill in German, Italian, Spanish, or Japanese. Crade reads it on your screen and tells you who is charging you for what, how much you owe, when it is due, and how to pay.
| Position | Verbrauch | Preis | Betrag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stromverbrauch | 342 kWh | 0,3812 € | 130,37 € |
| Grundpreis | 31 Tage | 0,4127 € | 12,79 € |
| Netzentgelte | . | . | 18,42 € |
| Umsatzsteuer 19% | . | . | 30,67 € |
What is this bill, how much do I owe, when is it due, and how do I pay?
Munich electricity bill (Stadtwerke München). Amount: €192.25 Due: June 30, 2026 Reference: RE-2026-074329 Pay by SEPA transfer: IBAN DE38 7019 0000 0042 1283 19 Reference: RE-2026-074329 / 10092847 Heads-up: late fee is €5 per reminder. Consider direct debit for future bills.
Living abroad means a steady stream of bills you cannot read. Electricity, gas, water, internet, taxes. The amount due you can usually find (numbers translate themselves). The structure, the reference codes, the deadlines, the why is harder. Crade reads the bill on your screen and gives you what you actually need to know.
What you put on your screen
- A PDF of the bill open in Preview, Acrobat, or your browser.
- A scanned image of a paper bill.
- An email with the bill embedded.
- Your utility provider's online portal showing the current bill.
What you say to Crade
Crade reads the bill and gives you the four things you actually care about. No translation noise, just answers.
What you get back
- Provider name and what the bill is for (electricity, internet, etc.)
- Amount due (in the bill's currency, with conversion if you ask)
- Due date (normalised to your format)
- Payment reference number (the one you need for bank transfer)
- How to pay (bank transfer, direct debit, card payment, kiosk)
Plus anything unusual: a late-payment warning, a usage change, a price increase notice, a notice that your contract is renewing. The kind of detail that hides in fine print on page 3.
Tips for better bill reads
- Tell Crade your country if the bill format is region-specific. "This is a German Stromrechnung" gets a more accurate read than just "explain this bill".
- Ask for the comparison if you suspect a price change: "Compare this to last month" if you have last month's bill visible too.
- Ask about deductibility if you are a freelancer: "Is this tax-deductible in Germany?". Crade gives general guidance, not legal advice.
- For bills you do not recognise (mystery charge), ask Crade to identify the company: "Who is this from?". Crade reads logos and addresses.
- If a section is unclear or there are multiple charges, ask Crade to break them down: "What is each line on the breakdown?".
Beyond utility bills
- Tax assessments from the tax authority
- Insurance renewal letters
- Government correspondence (residency, healthcare, schooling)
- Property tax statements
- Bank statements showing unfamiliar charges
The pattern is identical: bill or letter on screen, plain question, plain answer.
Frequently asked questions
Can Crade actually pay the bill for me?
No. Crade reads the bill and gives you the payment info. You initiate the payment in your bank app or the utility provider's portal. This is intentional: financial transactions are where mistakes have real consequences.
What if the bill is scanned from paper and partly faded?
Crade reads what it can and flags what is unclear. "The reference number is partly unreadable, please verify the last three digits" beats inventing a number.
Will Crade tell me if the bill is wrong?
Crade can flag obvious inconsistencies (math errors, unusual amounts compared to expected usage) but it does not have your historical data unless you provide it. Ask: "Compare this to last month's bill" if you have it visible.
Can Crade help me dispute a wrong bill?
Yes. Ask: "Draft a polite email in German disputing the standing charge". Crade writes the email; you send it.
Is this safe with sensitive billing info?
The screenshot goes to the AI provider, the same as any prompt. The bill contains your address, account number, and amount. For sensitive details (full credit card numbers, social security equivalents), redact before asking or describe in your own words.
The whole loop in one sentence
Bill on screen, one prompt, the four things you need (what, how much, when, how) back. Expat paperwork stops eating your evenings.
A menu in Japanese, a sign in Arabic, a bank statement in German, a tax form in Italian. Crade reads it on your screen, translates it, and tells you what action to take.
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Crade reads your lab results on screen and tells you what each value means in plain language. What is normal, what is borderline, what to ask your doctor about.