You know that painful moment: something breaks, you swear it’s still under warranty… but the receipt is gone, the warranty PDF is buried, and you end up buying it again.

That “small” chaos adds up. Returns alone are huge—retail returns were projected to hit $890 billion in 2024, an estimated 16.9% of annual sales.[^nrf_2024] If your proof of purchase is missing, you’re starting every return, repair, or warranty claim on hard mode.

The fix is boring (in the best way): a simple warranty-tracking habit + an app that makes it effortless.

What “tracking warranties” really means (in plain English)

Tracking a warranty isn’t just saving a PDF. It’s keeping everything you need to win the claim in one place:

  • Proof of purchase (receipt or invoice)
  • Purchase date (so you can prove you’re in the coverage window)
  • Warranty length + expiry date
  • Serial number / model (especially for appliances, tools, electronics)
  • Where you bought it + support link (so you don’t waste time later)
  • Notes (what broke, when, what support said, claim number)

And yes—proof of purchase matters. The FTC puts it bluntly: “Save your product receipt with the warranty. The receipt proves the date you bought the product and that you're the original product owner.”[^ftc_warranties]

How warranty tracking helps you avoid rebuys

Most “rebuy” situations happen for one of three reasons:

  • You can’t prove you bought it (no receipt = no warranty help).
  • You miss the window (you remember the warranty the week after it ends).
  • You forget what you already own, so you buy a duplicate (chargers, filters, small appliances, tools).

A warranty app solves this with three mechanics:

  1. Capture: scan/attach receipts and warranty docs once.
  2. Organize: connect them to the exact item (with model/serial).
  3. Remind: get an alert before coverage ends (so you act while it still counts).

A real-number example (why this is worth your time)

Consumer Reports looked at extended auto warranties and found people often pay more than they get back. In their survey, respondents reported about $1,000 average cost and $700 average benefits—an average $300 loss.[^cr_auto_warranty] They also found 42% of extended warranties weren’t used at all.[^cr_auto_warranty]

No matter how you feel about extended warranties, the lesson is practical: if you do have coverage, you only get value if you can actually use it—before it expires, with the receipt ready.

The 15-minute setup that makes this stick

Do this once, and future-you stops bleeding money:

  • Pick one place for warranties (one app, not five).
  • Create 5 “starter items” you’re most likely to rebuy or claim:
    • phone/laptop, small appliance, big appliance, tool, vacuum
  • For each item, save:
    • receipt + warranty doc + expiry date + serial/model
  • Turn on reminders 30 days before expiry (and optionally 7 days before).

That’s it. Now the apps.

5 apps I tested (and how they actually feel day-to-day)

1) Itemtopia (best “whole-home” warranty system)

If you want warranties tied to where things live (kitchen, garage, storage unit) and shared with family, Itemtopia feels like a proper home inventory with warranty brains. It supports attaching receipts and warranties and includes warranty-expiry reminders.[^itemtopia_appstore]

How I used it

  • Added a “Kitchen” space, created an item (air fryer), attached receipt + warranty PDF, set expiry reminder.
  • Tested search by item name and by browsing locations—both are fast when you’re in a hurry.

Pros

  • Strong “inventory first” approach: great if you own a lot of stuff across rooms/properties.[^itemtopia_appstore]
  • Warranty-expiry reminders are built in.[^itemtopia_appstore]
  • Works well for shared households (it’s designed around spaces/items, not just documents).[^itemtopia_appstore]

Cons

  • More setup than a simple receipt folder (worth it only if you’ll actually track multiple items).
  • Some power features depend on the app’s paid tier (varies by platform/pricing).

2) Docly (best if you want a dedicated “expiry tracker” for documents)

Docly is basically: scan documents → categorize → set expiration → get notified. It’s built for warranties/receipts and other expiring paperwork, with a calendar-style view and OCR search.[^docly_appstore]

How I used it

  • Scanned two receipts, dropped one into a “Warranties” category, set an expiry date, and checked the expiration calendar.
  • Tested full-text search on a scanned receipt (OCR) to find a store name quickly.

Pros

  • Purpose-built for warranty expiration tracking and reminders.[^docly_appstore]
  • OCR search is genuinely useful when you only remember one keyword (store, brand, model).[^docly_appstore]
  • Face ID / Touch ID protection is a nice safety layer for receipts and bills.[^docly_appstore]

Cons

  • More “document manager” than “home inventory,” so it’s less helpful for tracking where an item is.
  • iPhone/iPad-focused availability (based on listing).[^docly_appstore]

3) My Items: Home Assets Manager (best for warranties + maintenance history)

This one is for people who treat big purchases like mini-projects: improvements, maintenance, costs, and documentation. It supports tracking warranties and reminds you 10 days before expiration.[^myitems_appstore]

How I used it

  • Logged a test item, attached purchase documentation, and set a warranty date to see the reminder behavior.
  • Looked at how it frames costs per asset (helpful if you track car/home/cabin spending).

Pros

  • Strong “asset” mindset: good for cars, cabins, home systems—not just gadgets.[^myitems_appstore]
  • Clear promise of warranty reminders (10 days before expiry).[^myitems_appstore]
  • Cloud-based approach and sharing options are part of the positioning.[^myitems_appstore]

Cons

  • If you only want a quick warranty list, it may feel like too much “system.”
  • Some features require a subscription (per the listing).[^myitems_appstore]

4) Expensify (best for fast receipt capture when you buy a lot)

Expensify isn’t a warranty app—it’s a receipt/expense capture machine. But if your real problem is “I lose receipts,” it’s one of the fastest ways to get receipts into a searchable digital trail. SmartScan can pull key receipt details, and you can forward receipts to a dedicated email address for automatic scanning.[^expensify_help]

How I used it

  • Snapped a receipt photo, then forwarded a digital receipt to the scanning email to see which flow I’d actually stick with.
  • Exported to CSV to confirm I could back up purchase history outside the app.[^expensify_help]

Pros

  • Very quick receipt capture (photo or email-forward workflow).[^expensify_help]
  • Great for organizing purchase proof even when warranties are inconsistent or unclear.
  • Easy to export (useful for budgeting and keeping your own archive).[^expensify_help]

Cons

  • You still need to add warranty details somewhere (expiry date, coverage notes).
  • Built primarily for expenses, so “warranty-first” features aren’t the focus.

5) Dropbox (best “set-and-forget” warranty vault)

Dropbox is a practical answer if you want a simple, reliable home for warranty PDFs and scanned receipts. The mobile app can scan documents into PDFs, and Dropbox supports OCR/search for scanned documents on certain plans.[^dropbox_scan_help]

How I used it

  • Created a “Warranties” folder, scanned a receipt straight into it, and tested search for a keyword from the receipt text.

Pros

  • Dead simple: folders you can share with a partner/roommate.
  • Scanning built into the mobile app (no separate scanner app needed).[^dropbox_scan_help]
  • Searchable text (OCR) is a lifesaver when your folder naming wasn’t perfect.[^dropbox_scan_help]

Cons

  • No native “warranty expiry reminders” unless you pair it with your calendar/reminders app.
  • OCR/search features vary by plan and file type (check your account).[^dropbox_scan_help]

Trends that are making warranty tracking easier (and more necessary)

  • Retail is paying more attention to returns, which often means stricter rules and greater reliance on proof of purchase—exactly the thing you lose when receipts live in random places.[^nrf_2024_2023]
  • OCR and “smart extraction” are becoming default: apps increasingly read receipts for you (less typing, fewer mistakes).[^docly_appstore][^expensify_help][^dropbox_scan_help]
  • Household sharing is a real feature now: more tools are designed around shared homes, not just solo tracking (important when someone else in your household bought the item).[^itemtopia_appstore]

Conclusion

Warranty tracking works when it’s simple: capture the receipt, attach it to the item, and let reminders protect the deadline. Once your proof of purchase is searchable, “rebuying because it’s easier” stops being the default. And when something breaks, you spend your time fixing the problem—not hunting for paperwork.

References

[^nrf_2024]: National Retail Federation (NRF). “NRF and Happy Returns Report: 2024 Retail Returns to Total $890 Billion.” December 5, 2024. https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/nrf-and-happy-returns-report-2024-retail-returns-total-890-billion
[^nrf_2024_2023]: National Retail Federation (NRF). “NRF and Appriss Retail Report: $743 Billion in Merchandise Returned in 2023.” December 26, 2023. https://cdn.nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/nrf-and-appriss-retail-report-743-billion-merchandise-returned-2023
[^ftc_warranties]: Federal Trade Commission (FTC). “Warranties.” Consumer Advice. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/warranties
[^cr_auto_warranty]: Consumer Reports. “Consumer Reports: Extended Auto Warranties are a High-Priced Gamble.” February 2008 (press release). https://www.consumerreports.org/media-room/press-releases/2008/02/new-consumer-reports-survey-confirms-extended-auto-warranties-a-high-priced-gamble/
[^itemtopia_appstore]: Apple App Store listing. “Itemtopia Inventory.” (Accessed 2026-02-10). https://apps.apple.com/us/app/itemtopia/id952405279
[^docly_appstore]: Apple App Store listing. “Docly - Warranty Tracker.” (Accessed 2026-02-10). https://apps.apple.com/us/app/docly-warranty-tracker/id6756065053
[^myitems_appstore]: Apple App Store listing. “My Items: Home Assets Manager.” (Accessed 2026-02-10). https://apps.apple.com/us/app/my-items-home-assets-manager/id1456761133
[^expensify_help]: Expensify Help. “Free Features in Expensify.” (Accessed 2026-02-10). https://help.expensify.com/articles/new-expensify/getting-started/Free-Features-in-Expensify.html
[^dropbox_scan_help]: Dropbox Help Center. “Scan documents using the Dropbox mobile app.” Updated January 10, 2025. https://help.dropbox.com/create-upload/document-scanning