How to Scan Receipts
Each purchase comes with a document that services as proof of the transaction. These can be in the form of credit card statements, invoices, and receipts. However, receipts tend to be the most popular documents.
Many businesses print out your receipt at the time of purchase. Others may send them in an email. As a result, you end up with countless paper and digital receipts all over the place. In fact, it can be a challenge to keep track of them all. You must maintain them, however.
Whether you are a freelance writer or restaurateur, you should develop a system for tracking and storing receipts. Not only do they play an important role in your taxes, but they also impact your expense management processes. To better help you organize all of your paper and digital receipts, we recommend a receipt scanner.
There are many different options on the market, but the best receipt scanning tool for you may not be the best for another person. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about receipt scanner apps and software. We’ll even go over how to use them! By the end, you should be able to find the best receipt scanning software for your company.
What is a Receipt Scanner?
As the name would imply, it is a tool that businesses use to scan and keep track of receipts. The device uploads a photo of the receipt to your computer or mobile device. From there, you can upload it to a program like Google Drive or Dropbox. You can even export the document to your favorite expense management program to create expense reports.
Prior to the popularity of apps and cell phones, most businesses used physical receipt scanners to digitize their paper receipts. The paper receipts were collected and run through the scanner. The scanner uploaded them directly to your computer as a digital file. While many offices still have desktop scanners, many small businesses now use receipt tracking apps and software. They are convenient, affordable, and easy to use on the go.
Today, there are even some scanners that even look for your digital expenses. With the software, you can quickly scan through all of your company emails to find any records for invoices, purchases, and more. Most of these programs allow you to easily combine your paper and digital receipts so that you can keep track of them in one place.
How Do You Scan a Receipt with Your Phone?
Since almost everyone has a camera on their phone, scanning apps have become more popular. We love them because they are easy for everyone to use—no matter where they are! Even if your employee is traveling, he or she can efficiently track their expenses with their app. To do so, the user has to:
- Take a Picture: The app uses your phone’s camera to take a picture of your paper receipt.
- Convert the File: From there, the photo gets converted into a .pdf or similar file.
- Store the Document: Next, you can upload the document to Google drive or the cloud service of your choice. You can even share it with your expense management software.
What is a Receipt Scanner App for 2023?
Now that you know more about how to scan your receipts with your phone, it’s time to find a mobile app to use. Though there are many receipt scanner apps for iOS and Android, QuickBooks continues to be a great choice for many small businesses.
Why?
QuickBooks continues to be one of the most popular accounting software for businesses of all sizes. If you happen to use QuickBooks for your business, it makes sense to utilize their app as well. Unlike some receipt scanning applications that only take a photo of your documents, QuickBooks takes it a step further. With optical character recognition technology, the app is able to scan and understand the data in your receipts. For example, you can upload a paper receipt from a toner purchase, and QuickBooks will automatically import the amount, date, and location for the transaction.
That’s not all!
The app can even integrate with other accounts to import any bank statements, credit card transactions, and PayPal activity. The powerful app then has the technology to organize each transaction. When you place each purchase into the proper category, you can better prepare for tax season!
What is the Best App for Storing Receipts?
Once you have your receipts uploaded, you need to think about where to store them. Depending on your country’s laws, you may be required to keep business receipts for several years. Fortunately, there are plenty of storage options available. With so many options, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get the best cloud services.
We highly recommend Google Drive to freelancers and small businesses. Not only is it completely free with a Google account, but it also makes it easy to share the receipts with others. For businesses that need more than 15 GB of storage, Google offers an upgrade to Google One. With this plan you get 100GB or more.
The cost isn’t the only reason we love Google Drive. It is the best receipt storage because it offers several benefits, including:
- Offline Mode
- Collaboration with Other Drive Apps
- Easy Search Bar
- Seamless Gmail Attachments
- And More!
Why Do You Need a Receipt Scanner App in 2023?
We think that convenience is the best reason to use a receipt scanner. If you need some more convincing though, we’ve got you covered. Since we are approaching more and more advances in technology, there are plenty of other reasons to use an app. Your small business could enjoy the following benefits of a receipt scanner app in 2023.
Remote Record Keeping
More employees work remotely than ever before. Therefore, it could be days, weeks, or months before they can scan their paper receipts at the office. If each of your employees had access to mobile devices and scanning apps, they could scan from home. They can then create expense reports more efficiently.
Affordable Software
Receipt scanning apps tend to be more affordable as well. If you chose a desktop scanner, you should expect to pay more than $100. The cost can add up even more if you need multiple scanners in different locations throughout your office. On the other hand, many apps are often free with the purchase of a software subscription. However, there are many totally free receipt scanning options available as well.
Easy Search
If you file paper receipts in a drawer, you could accidentally misplace them. It might take hours to relate them. In some cases, you could even lose the documents all together. Fortunately, receipt scanning apps make it easy to search for a specific document right at your fingertips. All you have to do is search by location or date to find the receipt you need.
The Best Way to Scan Receipts with WellyBox
Are you finally sold on using a scanner, but you need a free receipt scanning software? If so, you’ve come to the right place. At WellyBox, we strive to make receipt and expense management as simple as possible. Though our initial focus was on digital receipts, we recognized a growing need for tracking both digital and paper records. Now, we include paper receipt scanning as part of our services.
There are currently two methods for scanner your paper receipts and uploading them to WellyBox. You can either download our app and instantly upload them, or you can use the WhatsApp chatbot. Both of these methods are effective, so you can choose which option works best for you and your employees. Regardless of how you prefer to scan your receipts, you can enjoy the seamless integration into:
- Our Expense Management Software
- Google Drive & Dropbox
- Your Accounting Software
How to Digitize Receipts with WellyBox Receipt Scanner App?
In an effort to simplify the process of digitizing your paper receipts, we have created thorough step-by-step instructions for our customers. Upon signing up for WellyBox expense management, follow the next steps:
- Connect your mailbox: After you connect your email, you can organize and scan receipts when the need arises.
- Open the Application and Sign In: Once you connect your mailbox, you will be prompted to sign in with your Wellybox account.
- Open Camera & Grant Permission: As soon as you have access to your account, click on the camera icon. You will be asked to grant permission to Wellybox to use your camera. After you agree, you are finally ready to scan your receipts.
- Prepare Document & Take a Picture: Whether you have a paper invoice or a wrinkled receipt, you should take care to neatly display the document. Once it is clear and in line with the camera, take the photo.
- Upload Directly to Account: Check that the photo displays all necessary information before you upload the scanned document. Lastly, you can share it to your WellyBox account or Google Drive.
Start Scanning Your Businesses Receipts
With all of the convenient and affordable receipt scanning products available, there’s no excuse for disorganization any longer. Whether you get tens or hundreds of receipts a month, you will thank yourself at tax season for organizing them. Take the first step towards a clutter-free desk by signing up for the best receipt scanner for you.
If you are looking for a free receipt scanner app, we highly recommend that you sign up for our entry-level account. Wellybox is free for life for customers that don’t need to scan many receipts a month. However, we also offer affordable upgrades for customers who need more power. Our basic plan starts at just $5.99, and for $15.99, our advanced users can enjoy our Pro plan.
No matter which plan you sign up for, we guarantee your customer satisfaction. If you have any difficulties with uploading your receipts, simply contact WellyBox. We have several friendly and helpful professionals ready to resolve your issues. To learn more about why you should keep track of your receipts, take a look at some of our related articles.
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