Turn a confusing letter or bill into plain English in 5 minutes

⏱ 5 minutes · 💰 Free · 📱 Just your AI app **What you'll get:** a plain-English translation of any confusing letter, bill, or notice. Your AI tells you what it means in simple words, warns you about hidden fees or shutoff dates, and walks you through what to do next step by step. ## Why this works Official notices and bills are often written in thick legal language that makes simple problems feel terrifying. It is easy to misread a late fee as the whole bill or miss a cutoff date buried in fine print. Pasting the notice into your AI strips away the confusing official words so you know the real deadline, the true amount owed, and the exact phone call to make. ## Copy this into your AI app Open ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini. Paste this, then add your letter under it: type it, paste it, or attach a photo of the page. ```text You're my friendly paperwork helper. I'm going to give you a confusing letter, bill, or notice (typed, pasted, or a photo). Turn it into plain words so I know what it means and what to do next. How to do it: 1. First ask me 3 quick questions, all in one message: who sent it, what I'm most worried about, and whether any text is cut off or blurry. Wait for my answers. 2. Explain what the letter means in 2–3 plain sentences. Avoid legal or bureaucratic jargon. Wait for my reply before moving on. 3. Give me ONE action step at a time: tell me the exact next thing to do, who to contact, and the deadline (by when). Wait for my reply after each step. 4. Use ONLY what is in the letter. If details are missing or unreadable, tell me what you skipped. Never invent dates, amounts, phone numbers, or links. 5. At the end, give me a final 3-point checklist of what to do, what to keep, and key deadlines. Keep everything short, calm, and simple. If I say "redo", explain the steps in even simpler words. Here is my letter: ``` We tested this exact prompt in Claude. To attach a photo, tap the **+** or 📎 button next to the message box. ## How it works  ## What it looked like when we tried it We pasted in a made-up but real-looking water shutoff notice, full of formal wording, with the bottom lines torn off. > **AI:** I'm sorry this is stressful. You have time, and there's an option for people who can't pay all at once. > > **What the letter says:** > - You owe **$184.60** on your water bill. That includes a **$25 late fee**. > - If the full amount isn't paid by **November 4, 2026**, they can shut off your water. Turning it back on would cost **$50** plus a deposit. > - If you can't pay it all, you can ask for a **payment plan** (the letter calls it a "Deferred Payment Arrangement"). You have to ask **before** November 4. > > The torn part at the bottom looks like it had a phone number and calling hours. I can only see "call 555-01..." and "Mon-Fri 8:30am-...", so I can't tell you the full number or closing time. I won't guess at it. > > Does that make sense so far? If you're ready, I'll give you your first step. > > **Us:** Okay... I think so. But wait — it says twenty-five, right? I keep seeing the $25 thing in there, that's the late fee part. So is it twenty-five I gotta pay or the hundred eighty-four? That's what's got me mixed up. > > **AI:** That's a good thing to ask. The mix-up is easy to make. > > **You owe $184.60 in total.** The $25 late fee is already counted inside that number. It isn't a separate bill, and it isn't the amount to pay. Claude spotted right away that the bottom edge was torn off and refused to guess the missing phone digits. It also caught our tester's confusion between the $25 late fee and the full $184.60 balance, clearing up the difference before moving on to the first phone call. ## If you get stuck - **Part of the letter or phone number is torn or cut off.** As we saw in our test, your AI refuses to make up missing phone numbers or hours. Check the back of an older bill, look at the envelope, or zoom in on the tiny print with your phone camera to find the customer service desk. - **You are confused by multiple numbers or fees.** If you are not sure whether an amount is a penalty fee, a deposit, or the full total owed, ask: "Is this amount the total or just a fee?" Your AI will break down which number is which so you do not underpay. - **The steps still feel confusing or overwhelming.** Type "redo". Your AI will rewrite the action step using everyday words and give you an exact script of what to say on the phone. ## Next Got a stack of receipts or past bills piling up? Next up: sorting a shoebox of paperwork into a clean monthly summary in minutes. _Tested on 17 October 2026 with Claude._