Introduction
If you are shopping around for a receipt scanner, then you’ve come to the right place. Recordkeeping can become so daunting, especially if you have a pile of receipts that you need to track. Most people who often travel for business or those who own a business can tell you how agonizing it can be trying to keep piles of receipts for expense tracking.
However, with a receipt scanner, you can reduce the time and effort spent trying to organize and track your expenses as well as eliminate paper clutter. This is because they eliminate the need to constantly carry paper receipts everywhere as well as cut back on any paper that’s lying around and occupying space that can be used to put other things.
The best receipt scanners are therefore able to read your receipts and scan the most important details such as date, payment method, the amount spent, and merchant. In addition, such scanners also make it easy to access your receipts regardless of your location and ability to create expense reports that you can share with anyone even when you are on the move.
The best part about receipt scanners is that they come in small sizes and have the ability to scan in high fidelity and high resolution and are a life saver for people with the habit of constantly misplacing important documents. Given that there are different brands and models of scanners in the market, choosing a suitable scanner can be an uphill task. To help save you the agony, we have reviewed some of the best receipt scanners that you can consider. Take a look.
1. NeatDesk Desktop Scanner
Intro
The NeatDesk Desktop scanner is equally a good receipt scanner from the Neat Company that can help you organize your receipts. One drawback with this scanner, however, is the fact that the application that you need to use has not been updated.
Pros
- Ability to sync your scanned receipts and documents between different devices
- Securely backs up all your scanned documents on the NeatDesk servers for one year before it reverts to being a paid for service
- With this scanner, you have peace of mind that your scans won’t get lost in the event something was to happen to your phone or computer thanks to the backup service
- Easily scan your receipts, business cards, and documents thanks to the special trays that the scanner has for scanning different kinds of materials
- Saves you time as the input tray can hold up to 15 receipts at a go
- With a touch of a button, all documents that you scan can be automatically exported to Excel, PDF, QuickBooks, etc.
- The OCR feature on the scanner lets you easily search and edit the data on the scanned and exported receipts
- Works with several financial programs and cloud services
- Compatible with both PC and Macs
Cons
- The backup service is only free for a year after which you will start paying to use it
- The application for this scanner hasn’t undergone any update which can lead to issues with your computer’s operating system
2. Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i Scanner
Intro
Fujitsu is considered one of the best brands when it comes to scanners and other IT equipment. It is no doubt that we have their S1300i scanner featured in our review as it helps make your scanning easier hence simplifying your life.
Pros
- One of the smallest double-sided scanners that is portable
Replicates receipts and documents in high quality as well as organizes them - Works with several cloud services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and Evernote
- Easily create searchable PDFs with the touch of a button and scan to editable Excel and Word files
- Has a ten-page automatic document feeder
- Supports different file sharing platforms
- Storing it is easy because of its compact design
- You can scan receipts, business cards and other types of documents using this Fujitsu printer
- Compatible with Mac and PCs
- Boasts of automated image processing functions such as Auto Skew correction, automatic color detection and auto orientation that help straighten a document if you scan it the wrong way
- Supports both USB and AC charging
- It has the OCR technology that lets you sort your files using relevant keywords
- It’s affordable
Cons
- Sometimes the orientation software doesn’t work as intended
- Some users report that papers tend to jam quite a bit when scanning
3. Doxie Go SE Scanner
Intro
If you’re searching for a portable and affordable receipt scanner, you’ve definitely got to give the Doxie Go SE scanner some attention. It’s not just portable, but it also scans documents pretty well.
Pros
- It has a small and lightweight design that makes it suitable for traveling
- Given the size, this scanner doesn’t occupy a lot of space; thus you have a lot of free space to place other things on
- The scanner can easily be kept away in a drawer when not in use thanks to the size
- Has a rechargeable battery that has the ability to scan up to 400 receipts with a single charge
- Despite the small size, this Doxie scanner is reliable and can scan just as well as other large scanners
- Easily send your scanned documents to the Doxie app for storage or cloud services such as Dropbox, Evernote, OneNote, etc.
- The scanner has an SD card memory that can store up to 4000 pages of scanned documents
- Features the OCR technology that enables you to search and edit your receipts
- It’s a fully wireless scanner that is easy to use
- Excellent customer support and great value for money
- Comes with a one-year warranty
Cons
- Can’t scan both front and back pages automatically
- The feeder can only hold eight receipts or documents at once
4. Epson Workforce DS-30 Scanner
Intro
When it comes to scanner reviews, an Epson scanner always never misses the list. While they are known for making great photo scanners, the Epson Workforce DS-30 scanner is an excellent choice for a receipt scanner.
Pros
- Comes from a brand that is well trusted and well-known for creating solid scanners
- It’s a lot more affordable than most receipt scanners available in the market today
- It’s a small and lightweight scanner which means its easily portable
- Comes with a storage pouch which is excellent for dust prevention when the scanner isn’t in use as well as makes it easier to carry in a bag
- Compatible with both Macs and PCs and easily connects via a USB cable
- Easily scan and upload your documents to the cloud or to financial software such as QuickBooks
- You can easily scan editable and searchable documents thanks to the OCR technology that’s featured in this scanner
- Very affordable and easy to use
Cons
- It’s not powered by a battery hence you need power in order to use it
- You’ll need to adjust the settings as the out-of-the-box settings don’t offer super high resolution which can cause issues with accurate OCR
- Not as reliable when compared to other high-end Epson models
5. Brother DS-720 Mobile Scanner
Intro
Another affordable scanner for scanning receipts is the Brother DS-720 scanner. This scanner does a good job of scanning receipts while providing a ton of value thanks to the receipt management software that’s included.
Pros
- Comes bundled with a suite of software that makes scanning a lot more seamless and easier
- It has different programs for managing receipts, documents as well as business cards
- The receipt management software makes it easy for you to organize your receipts in a way that suits your needs
- This scanner’s receipt management software is compatible with QuickBooks and Quicken
- Pretty small and portable scanner even though it’s slightly bigger than other options in our review
- Compatible with all major operating systems
- Multiple options where you can send your scans, i.e. you can send your documents to be saved on your machine or by FTP or email to a different location
- Ability to send scans directly to the printer for printing
- One-year limited warranty and a lifetime phone support
- The most affordable laptop in our review
- This Brother scanner is chargeable via a USB cable
Cons
- Scanning of long receipts can be a bit tricky
- You must have the software for you to scan
Final Thoughts
These days, it’s pretty easy to scan your documents using your smartphone. There are various apps for both Android and iOS smartphones that can help you scan your receipts. However, none of these can scan as well as a stand-alone scanner. For one, they are a bit more labor intensive as you can’t scan multiple receipts at the same time.
In addition, they don’t have the OCR technology that’s found in most, if not all, scanners. The best receipt scanners not only make your life easy and save you from paper clutter, but they also help you save time. Besides, a lot of these scanners come with organizing software that makes it easy to scan and organize your documents as well as a plethora of other functions