The 5 best receipt scanners for business expenses

Successful businesses are always on the lookout for ways to optimize workflows, ensure compliance, and reduce tax burdens. Receipt scanning software can help with all three.

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These applications streamline the process of collecting, storing, and analyzing expense receipts, turning a pile of paper slips into organized, actionable data.

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But which app is the best choice for your business? Here are our picks for the best receipt scanner apps on the market today:

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• Ramp: The best overall receipt scanning software
• Expensify: Best for business travelers with simple needs
• Zoho Expense: Best for multilingual support
• Dext Prepare (formerly Receipt Bank): Best for accounting firms
• Shoeboxed: Best for businesses with lots of existing paper receipts

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We’ll review all our picks in depth below to help you make the right choice for your business expenses.

What are receipt scanner apps?

Receipt scanner apps use technology to capture, store, and organize receipt data electronically.  Unlike traditional receipt management methods, which typically require you to sort, staple, and file paper receipts manually, these apps automate the entire process.

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By automating data entry and leveraging cloud storage, receipt management apps transform expense tracking into an efficient and virtually error-free process. These apps can help your company save time, improve accuracy, and provide greater insight into your business finances.

The 5 best receipt scanners for businesses in 2024

Here’s our list of the best receipt management apps available today, based on factors like feature set, pricing, real user reviews, and more:

Ramp: The best overall receipt scanning software

G2: 4.8 out of 5 | Capterra: 4.9 out of 5

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Ramp is more than just a receipt scanner app: It’s a full-featured finance operations platform with OCR-powered receipt scanning built in. Employees can use Ramp’s mobile app to capture and upload receipts with their smartphone cameras, and Ramp handles the rest—automatically categorizing expenses and securely storing receipts in the cloud.

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With Ramp, you get a complete expense management platform that includes expense reporting automation, T&E policy enforcement, mileage tracking, spend analytics, and more. Ramp can even generate receipts for common business transactions automatically thanks to integrations with vendors like Amazon and Lyft.

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Pros:

• Modern finance platform for expense tracking, reporting, and strategic planning
• OCR-powered receipt scanning software with document management included
• Integrated corporate cards with customizable spending limits
• Automated expense approval workflows
• Integrates with major accounting systems like NetSuite, Xero, and QuickBooks
• Robust security measures protect your financial information
• Unlimited free tier with access to receipt scanning, travel booking, expense management, and more

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Cons:

• Need to use Ramp’s corporate cards
• Must have $50,000 in a US business bank account to qualify
• Auto-enforced spending limits can leave employees with a card that doesn’t work

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Pricing: Ramp offers the majority of its expense management features for free—including its receipt scanner app. If you want additional controls and customization, you can upgrade to Ramp Plus for $15 per user per month. If you’re interested in Enterprise pricing, just reach out.

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Expensify: Best for business travelers with simple needs

G2: 4.5 out of 5 | Capterra: 4.4 out of 5

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Expensify is a popular choice for businesses of all sizes thanks to its user-friendly interface and convenient mobile app. Expensify’s SmartScan receipt scanning software captures receipt details and prepares expense reports automatically to help streamline your company’s expense reimbursement process.

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Pros:

• One-click receipt scanning with SmartScan technology
• Integrations with popular HR and accounting software
• Intuitive mobile app for on-the-go expense reporting
• AI-powered receipt auditing
• Easily scales with you as your business grows

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Cons:

• No document management
• Per-user pricing can add up quickly, with some plans up to $36 per user per month
• Charges a monthly fee for some of its more advanced features
• Expensify’s free tier is aimed at individuals rather than small businesses

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Pricing: Expensify’s Collect plan starts at $5 per user per month. Its Control plan is a step up in functionality and costs $9 per user per month.

Zoho Expense: Best for multilingual support

G2: 4.5 out of 5 | Capterra: 4.6 out of 5

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Zoho Expense is another good option for business receipt scanning, particularly for companies that already user other Zoho products. Zoho Expense offers multiple methods for uploading expense receipts, including integrated receipt scanning. Its advanced autoscan can process receipts in 14 different languages.

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Pros:

• Multiple methods for uploading expense receipts
• Multi-currency and multilingual support
• Integrates with popular accounting software
• Broad app support across web, mobile, and desktop platforms

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Cons:

• No document management
• Free-tier usage limits may push small businesses into a paid plan
• Multi-entity management only available on Enterprise plans
• iPhone and Android apps lack many features available on web

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Pricing: Zoho Expense offers a limited free tier for up to three users and 20 scans a month. Its Standard plan starts at $4 per user per month, and its Premium plan will run you $7 per user per month (both billed annually).

Dext Prepare (formerly Receipt Bank): Best for accounting firms

G2: 4.5 out of 5 | Capterra: 4.2 out of 5

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Dext Prepare, formerly known as Receipt Bank, offers pre-accounting software for businesses and accounting firms. Dext’s document scanner extracts relevant financial data from receipts and invoices, and it can automatically pull bills from your suppliers directly into the platform. Dext offers multiple ways to submit receipts, including mobile app, email, and more.

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Pros:

• Competitive receipt scanning features
• Extensive bank integrations
• Document management system with file storage integrations
• Automatic expense categorization

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Cons:

• Pricing structure can be confusing

• Seat and usage limits across plans can be restrictive and costly
• No free plan available
• Users report lengthy processing times for document scans
• Geared more towards accounting firms than small businesses

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Pricing: Dext’s pricing model varies by business type, seat number, and usage, making this one of the more confusing receipt scanner apps to purchase:

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• Business plans start at $24 per month for up to 5 users and 250 documents, billed annually. As you add users and documents, the price increases commensurately—up to $450 per month for 500 users, billed annually.
• For accounting firms, Dext Essentials starts at $199.99 per month for up to 10 clients, and Dext Advanced starts at $214.99 for up to 10 clients, both billed annually.

Shoeboxed: Best for businesses with lots of existing paper receipts

G2: 4.4 out of 5 | Capterra: 4.4 out of 5

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Shoeboxed is a unique option for freelancers, entrepreneurs, and small businesses. Its key feature is the ability to turn a stack of business receipts into digitized, categorized, IRS-compliant data. Simply ship your paper receipts to Shoeboxed via post, and they’ll digitize them all for you. Shoeboxed also offers a traditional receipt scanner app for iOS, iPad, and Android.

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Pros:

• Convert paper receipts into digital records in bulk
• Offers the option to shred and recycle submitted paper documents
• Unlimited file storage even on lowest-tier paid plan
• Integrates with popular accounting software
• Mobile app that double as a mileage tracker

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Cons:

• Can’t scan anything other than receipts and business cards
• Not great for businesses with more complicated accounting needs
• Lacks modern expense management features
• No expense reporting automation
• Pricing model based on the number of physical and digital receipt scans

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Pricing: If you choose annual billing, Shoeboxed starts at $23 per month for its Startup tier. Its Professional plan costs $47 per month, and its Business plan will run you $71 per month.

Features to look for in a receipt scanner app

So what exactly makes a business receipt app “the best”? Here are some essential features to look for when choosing business receipt scanning software:

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• Optical character recognition (OCR) technology
• Automatic expense categorization
• Accurate extraction of individual expenses from itemized receipts
• Unlimited document storage for business receipts
• Multi-currency support
• Automation features for expense reporting and approvals
• Integrations with accounting software
• Spend analytics and reporting capabilities
• Strong security and user privacy

Benefits of using receipt scanning software

Receipt scanners are an essential tool for finance teams and small business owners alike because they save time, reduce errors, and improve compliance. Here are the full benefits you can expect from using receipt scanning software for your business expenses:

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1. Time and cost savings: Receipt scanners save time and money. Based on Ramp’s own research, the average 200-person company spends 330 hours per year processing expense reports—including the time it takes to track down, attach, and review receipts. A receipt scanner with integrated expense management features can save your company weeks of wasted time every year.
2. Improved accuracy and compliance: Business receipt apps minimize human error and improve compliance with company policies, accounting standards, and tax filing regulations. For example, you’re required to keep records of your tax-deductible business expenses for at least three years. Digitizing your receipts keeps these essential tax documents safe in the cloud, where they’re easily accessible and searchable during tax season.
3. Real-time visibility into spending: Automating receipt tracking helps provide real-time insights into business expenses. Manual expense reporting processes can take months from start to finish. Receipt scanning gets you closer to real-time expense tracking, and access to current data helps you make more informed financial decisions.

How to use a receipt scanner app

Following these steps will help you get the most out of your receipt scanning app’s features:

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1. Download and install the app: Find the mobile app of your choice on your device’s app store and install it. Sign up or log in to create an account.
2. Set up account preferences: Configure the app to match your business needs and workflows. This might include setting currency preferences, approval guidelines, or defining expense categories.
3. Capture receipts: Use the app’s camera function to take a photo of each receipt. Ensuring the receipt is flat, clear, and well-lit helps the app accurately capture all necessary information.
4. Receive and edit details: After the app processes the receipt, review the captured details to ensure the vendor name, date, amount, and category are correct
5. Submit for approval (if applicable): If your organization requires expense approval, submit itemized receipts through the app’s built-in workflow
6. Sync with your accounting software: If the app integrates with your accounting software, this automation updates your records and frees you from manual data entry

An alternative to receipt scanners: Your smartphone camera

If one of our picks for the best receipt scanner isn’t within your budget—or you simply don’t want to add another app to your growing tech stack—you can use the camera on your smartphone to take a photo of your receipt and store it on your device or in the cloud.

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You’ll miss out on the obvious benefits you’d get with a dedicated receipt scanning app—especially the massive time savings you get with OCR technology—but with an organized system, you’ll be able to satisfy IRS requirements for digital receipt copies. It’s not a real expense tracker app, but it’s certainly better than nothing.

Ramp: The best receipt scanner and then some

Ramp’s modern finance platform gives you everything you need from a receipt tracking app and then some. Our integrated corporate cards help you curb overspending with custom controls at the card, vendor, department, or employee level.

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Ramp seamlessly integrates with your accounting software, automatically logging and categorizing every transaction. With real-time reporting and analytics, you can optimize your spending and set more accurate budgets based on historical trends.

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Ready to say goodbye to that file cabinet full of paper receipts? Try Ramp’s interactive demo and see why our customers save an average of 5% a year.