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Receipt scanners are a necessity for all business owners and managers, who have to keep track of their expenses. With smartphones being common these days, receipt scanning apps have been developed to make this task easier and more efficient. We’ve compiled six of the best receipt scanning apps available now on the market.
The best receipt scanner software can save time by automatically recording costs and providing expense verification in the event of an IRS audit. Receipt scanner applications enable users to snap a photo of a receipt with their smartphone, transcribe it using text recognition software, and then record the transaction into their accounting software. Many cloud-based accounting packages have excellent mobile accounting applications that incorporate a receipt scanner, but there are also a number of excellent specialty apps to consider.
Here are our top six receipt scanning app recommendations:
- Overall, the best receipt scanning app is Neat.
- The best receipt scanner app for organizing employee expenditure reimbursements is Zoho.
- ReceiptBank: The Best Receipt Scanner App for Bookkeepers and Accountants
- For QuickBooks Online members, the best receipt scanning app is QuickBooks Online.
- The best receipt scanner software for scanning paper documents is Shoeboxed.
- Wave Receipts is the best free receipt scanning app on the market.
What to Look for in a Receipt Scanner App
A decent receipt scanner software should save you time, enhance your record-keeping accuracy, and give you evidence of your costs. Consider the following factors when purchasing a receipt scanner:
- Integration with accounting software: Your receipt scanner should be integrated with your accounting software so that transactions for scanned costs are automatically produced and recorded. Receipt scanners are included in many reputable bookkeeping applications’ mobile accounting apps at no extra charge. You are not, however, restricted to the built-in scanner; many third-party scanners will work with popular applications as well.
- Multiple receipt capture options: Most receipt scanners are designed to take receipts using your smartphone. However, submitting receipts that have been scanned on your computer or received through email is also a viable option. Some receipt scanners provide you with a separate email address to which you may submit your receipts.
- Capture line items: Some receipts include several items that may or may not be charged to the same expense account. If your receipt scanner app scans the receipt line by line and allocates each line to an expense account, that’s ideal.
- Easy to examine and alter: Before recording transactions in your accounting system, the receipt scanner software should enable you to review and modify all transactions. The software should, in theory, learn from your modifications and provide better recommendations the next time a comparable transaction is processed.
- Compatibility with Apple and Android devices: Because your workers are likely to use a mix of Apple and Android smartphones, it’s critical that your receipt scanner software work with both.
- Cost: A receipt scanner is included in many accounting systems at no extra cost. If you’re going to spend money on a third-party receipt scanner, be sure it’s worth it.
Neat
Neat can reconcile tracked expenses to bank statements without the need for a full-blown accounting system. This is ideal for freelance or self-employed people. At tax time, Neat can export tagged transactions to either H&R Block or TurboTax to help complete your return. For small businesses, Neat can export transactions to QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop. New subscribers can get started with a free 15-day trial.
Pricing
The Basic and Complete versions of Neat are available. To access advanced features like bank reconciliations and divide receipts by line items, you’ll need to upgrade to the Complete version. A 15-day free trial is included with both versions.
- Basic:
- For 100 papers, it costs $15 per month.
- A maximum of one user is allowed.
- QuickBooks Online is supported, but not QuickBooks Desktop.
- Complete:
- For 100 papers, it costs $35 per month.
- For 250 papers, it costs $75 each month.
- Pricing for more than 250 documents may be customized.
- There are a maximum of five users.
- QuickBooks Online and Desktop are both supported.
Features
- Receipts may be uploaded via the mobile app, a desktop computer, or an email.
- Connect your banks: Easily match receipts and reconcile accounts by connecting your banks.
- Export tax information: Tag expenses with tax categories and export to either H&R Block or TurboTax
- Connect to accounting software: QuickBooks Online or Desktop, as well as Quicken, may be integrated.
Zoho
Employee expenditure reimbursements are managed via Expenses in Zoho, a receipt scanning software. Employees may use the smartphone app to scan receipts and track company miles. Businesses may create complex multistage approval procedures to ensure that costs are thoroughly scrutinized and refunded as soon as possible. No credit card is necessary for a 28-day free trial for new customers.
Pricing
Expenses in Zoho is one of several fully integrated Zoho tools that can help you manage practically every aspect of your organization. Expenses in Zoho is available as a standalone product, as part of the Zoho Finance Plus package, or as a component of Zoho One.
- Expenses in Zoho
- Three users and 5GB of receipt storage are included in the free plan.
- Premium plan: $3 per month per user, with a minimum of ten members.
- Scans and storage of receipts are unlimited.
- $149 per month for 10 users in the Zoho Finance Plus Bundle
- Zoho Invoice, Books, Inventory, Subscriptions, Expense, and Checkout are all included in the bundle.
- All Zoho applications are included with Zoho One.
- All employee cost is $35 per month per employee.
- All workers must acquire a license.
- User cost is flexible: $90 per month per user.
- All employee cost is $35 per month per employee.
Features
- Detail on the line item: In ten languages, receipt scans extract line item information.
- Employees scan all receipts, produce an expense report, and submit it to the company for approval and payment.
- Credit cards: Use corporate credit cards to reconcile accounts and match receipts.
- Set restrictions, such as expenditure limitations, to simply enforce policy compliance.
- Expense accounting: Automatically sync reimbursed employee costs with your accounting software.
- Accounting software integration: Expenses in Zoho integrates with Zoho Books, QuickBooks Desktop, QuickBooks Online, and Xero
Zoho Books Receipt Scanner: Zoho Books also has a receipt scanning function for submitting receipts and creating transactions. However, you will need Expenses in Zohos to allow employees to submit business receipts and expense reports for reimbursement.
ReceiptBank
ReceiptBank is a terrific partner program for accountants and bookkeepers, and it is accessible to small company owners. Dedicated account management, marketing assistance, best practice seminars, and exclusive networking events are all part of the company’s partner program, which helps professionals recruit and keep customers.
Pricing
ReceiptBank comes in three different packages. The Business Plus package is the only one that offers a 14-day free trial.
- $12.50 per month for 50 receipt and invoice scans for businesses
- Business Plus costs $25 per month and includes 300 receipt and invoice scans as well as five pages of bank statements.
- There are a maximum of five users.
- 14-day free trial
- Premium: $50 each month includes 3,000 receipts and invoice scans, as well as 25 pages of bank statements.
Features
- Receipts may be submitted via a mobile device, a computer, or email.
- Connect your online merchants, PayPal, and Dropbox accounts to your account to send receipts immediately.
- Create a bank feed: Connect your bank account and get notifications for bank transactions that lack documentation, as well as matching uploaded receipts to bank transactions.
- Integrate your receipts with QuickBooks Online, Xero, Sage, and other accounting software.
- Upload bank statements and export transactions to a spreadsheet or a comma-separated values (CSV) file by scanning them.
- Keeping track of employee spending: Create employee expenditure reports and designate team members to automatically approve costs.
- Add customers and projects: Transactions should be based on project and customer information.
QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks Online members have access to a receipt scanner incorporated into the program, which eliminates the need to purchase a third-party receipt scanner. QuickBooks Online is our top-rated small company accounting software, so after you’ve imported your receipts, you’ll be able to manage your books with industry-leading features. If you haven’t used QuickBooks Online yet, you may get started with a 50 percent discount or a 30-day free trial.
Pricing
The receipt scanner is included in all QuickBooks Online membership options at no additional charge. Self-employed plans start at $25 per month and go up to $180 per month for Advanced. New customers may pick between a free 30-day trial or a three-month subscription at a 50% discount. Read our QuickBooks Online Comparison for a detailed overview of each subscription level.
Features
- Scanning receipts using the mobile app, uploading them from a PC, or sending them to a specific address are all options for importing receipts into your QuickBooks Online accounts.
- Manage transactions: Uploaded receipts may be matched to current transactions or utilized to generate new ones.
- Classify transactions: Depending on your QuickBooks Online membership level, classify transactions not only by basic categories, but also by class, customer, project, and region.
- Customers should be billed for spending. Mark transactions as chargeable so they may be readily included in a customer invoice.
Shoeboxed
Shoeboxed is the only receipt service we’ve seen that can scan paper receipts for you. Send your papers to them in the pre-paid Magic EnvelopeTM, and they’ll handle the rest. You may, of course, scan and email your receipts, just as with other services. Shoeboxed is presently offering a 30-day free trial that does not involve the use of a credit card.
Pricing
Shoeboxed comes in three different packages. There is a 30-day free trial on all three levels, as well as unlimited users.
- $22 per month for the first six months, then $29 per month
- Each month, 25 paper papers are submitted in one envelope.
- 50 images of digital documents every month
- Professional: $45/month for the first six months, then $59/month
- Each month, 150 paper documents in different envelopes may be sent.
- 150 images of digital documents every month
- $67 per month for the first six months, then $89 per month
- Each month, 300 paper documents in different envelopes may be sent.
- 3,000 scans of digital documents every month
Features
- Paper documents should be sent in order to have them scanned and crucial information retrieved.
- Receipts may be instantly emailed or posted from a mobile device or transferred from your Gmail account.
- Create expenditure reports by following these steps: Create and email expenditure reports that include photographs of receipts.
- Integrate your receipts with QuickBooks Online, Xero, Wave, and other services.
- Scannable papers, such as business cards, will be turned into contact lists.
- Track your miles using the smartphone app’s mileage tracker.
Wave Receipts
Wave Receipts is a free online receipt scanner that comes with the Wave Accounting online accounting software. The smartphone app is used to upload receipts. Wave then utilizes the gathered information to produce transactions in the corporate financials, which users may examine and authorize. To get the Wave Receipts app, you’ll need to create a free Wave account.
Pricing
Wave Accounting and Wave Receipts will always be free. You may even use the same email address to establish many free corporations.
Features
- Upload receipts: Users may either scan or email receipts using the mobile app.
- Users must authorize receipts before the retrieved data may be used.
- Wave automatically builds transactions from receipts and registers them in Wave Accounting after they’ve been authorized.
- Wave Accounting allows you to match receipts to bank account transactions you’ve imported.
Conclusion
Receipt scanning is included in many of the leading accounting and bookkeeping software packages. This is often all you’ll need. Third-party receipt scanner programs, on the other hand, provide further features like bank statement scanning, document scanning help, and staff spending reporting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best receipt scanner app?
The best receipt scanner app would be Scanbot.
What is the best app to scan receipts and get money back?
The best app to scan receipts and get money back is the Receipt Hog. It has a free version that allows you to save up to 5 items for later use, but if you need more than that then there is also a paid subscription option available as well.
How can I keep track of receipts for free?
There are many free apps that exist today to help users keep track of their receipts.