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What are e-receipts (electronic receipts)? Definition and how they work
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What is an electronic receipt?
Electronic receipts (e-receipts) are revolutionizing the way businesses handle transactions. E-receipts are a more organized, secure, and eco-friendly method for tracking business expenses. You can store them neatly on a cloud service or directly integrate them into your financial software.
Businesses that have transitioned to this digital method often discover advantages that stretch well beyond convenience, including significant operational cost reductions and enhanced accuracy in financial reporting. E-receipts make it easier to keep tabs on spending, streamline audits, and simplify expense reporting.
How do e-receipts work?
E-receipts compile all the details of your transactions into a user-friendly digital file that's at your fingertips whenever you need it.
Generation
When you finalize a transaction—whether by swiping your card in a brick-and-mortar store or confirming an online order—the system collects various data points, such as the vendor's identity, list of purchased items, costs, and taxes. Rather than being printed onto thermal paper, this information is compiled into a digital framework and delivered electronically.
This should include details like:
- Vendor’s identity and contact info
- Date and time of the transaction
- Name/CPU of the product or service
- Quantity of the products or services purchased
- Price of each product or service
- Total amount without tax
- Tax rate and tax amount
- Total price with tax
- Payment method
Formats
E-receipts are versatile. While email-friendly PDFs are among the most popular formats, electronic receipts can also be delivered as plaintext, HTML, or image files. This flexibility is designed to match varying business requirements around data storage, accessibility, and operational handling.
Data capture
For organizations that process a lot of business expenses, data capture is where e-receipts show their real potential. Advanced algorithms automatically sort the receipts into the correct expense categories—tagging them as “Office Supplies” or “Business Lunch,” for example. Automating this process minimizes human error and speeds up expense reporting.
Technology
The lifeline of e-receipts is the technology that powers them. For instance, email-based e-receipts use APIs to integrate directly with accounting software. The customer's smartphone, on the other hand, scans QR code-based e-receipts, making them more interactive and easily stored on mobile devices.
Real-world example
Imagine a business traveler dining at an airport restaurant. She pays her bill, and instead of receiving a paper receipt, she gets an email with a PDF attachment.
The digital receipt is automatically forwarded to her company's expense management system, where the built-in AI categorizes it under “Travel Expenses.” There’s no manual entry or scope for error, and she doesn't have to worry about losing the receipt before returning to the office.
To summarize, e-receipts are more than just digital twins of their paper counterparts. They’re smarter, faster, and built to integrate seamlessly into the digital infrastructure of modern businesses.
Business advantages of using e-receipts
1. Cost savings
One of the most immediate benefits of e-receipts is cost savings. Businesses can realize significant operational savings by eliminating the need for thermal paper, ink, and additional labor costs associated with manual receipt handling.
2. Improved accuracy
Think of expense management as a row of dominoes. A single mistake can trigger a cascade of errors, leading to incorrect financial reports, compliance issues, or failed audits.
By digitally capturing accurate transaction data from the outset, e-receipts prevent the first domino from tipping over. With the ability to automatically categorize expenses or integrate seamlessly into accounting software, e-receipts provide a level of precision and automation that paper receipts can’t match.
3. Eco-friendly
While their practical advantages are clear, e-receipts also offer an eco-friendly alternative to paper receipts, many of which are coated with substances that make them non-recyclable. In an increasingly eco-conscious world, the shift to e-receipts can be part of your organization's broader environmental initiatives.
4. Easier retrieval
E-receipts solve the problem of how to store receipts digitally. This makes it easier to find specific receipts when needed, whether it's for a routine review or an unexpected audit, streamlining your overall business operations.
E-receipts for compliance and simplified reporting
E-receipts help businesses untangle the complexities of compliance and make reporting more straightforward.
Easily searchable
Picture a vault where every receipt is organized, searchable, and secure. Whether they’re in a cloud storage solution or integrated directly into your accounting system, the ability to retrieve e-receipts via search quickly and easily is a huge benefit to your business’s reporting and compliance operations.
Streamlined audit trails
For most businesses, audits are like unannounced guests—you never really want them, but you have to be prepared just in case. E-receipts make these surprise visits less daunting. Their digital nature allows for straightforward audit trails, making it much easier for auditors to verify transactions and trace any irregularities.
Centralized reporting
No one enjoys the scavenger hunt for crumpled paper receipts come tax season. E-receipts change the game by enabling centralized reporting. You can pull up all your transaction records on a single dashboard, allowing for effortless compilation and analysis. This not only speeds up reporting, but also makes it more accurate and comprehensive.
Automated tax calculations
Errors in tax calculations can lead to penalties or even legal repercussions. E-receipts eliminate this concern by allowing for automated tax calculations. You can integrate them with your accounting automation software, automatically categorizing and calculating tax obligations based on the data captured during transactions.
Instant access for external parties
In many industries, compliance isn't just about internal management; it involves external scrutiny as well. Tax authorities like the IRS treat e-receipts exactly like traditional paper receipts for tax and audit purposes. If anything, they’re even more convenient for this purpose, too, enabling instant access for third parties.
How e-receipts integrate with Ramp to streamline expense management
Imagine if your expense management system could function like a self-cleaning oven, tidying up after each use, requiring minimal oversight, and performing efficiently. That's what you get when you combine e-receipts with Ramp's modern expense management software.
With Ramp, e-receipts find their own home. The software grabs e-receipts from platforms like Gmail, Uber, and Amazon Business and automatically sorts them into the correct expense categories. It's like having a self-organizing filing cabinet that never goes out of order.
Businesses that use Ramp can look forward to fewer errors, less time spent on tedious accounting tasks, greater financial productivity, and overall employee satisfaction—saving companies an average of 5% each year.
FAQs
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How 8VC resolved accounting coding challenges, increased spend visibility, and cut time to close with Ramp
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- Higher credit limit than traditional business credit cards
- Spend management tools
- Give an unlimited number of physical and virtual cards to employees
- Spending controls and limits for employees
- Average savings of 5% from rewards and expense-reducing features
- More than $350,000 in offers from Ramp’s partners
- No annual fees, foreign transaction fees, or card replacement fees
- No credit check or personal guarantee is required
- No interest accumulation on your balance
- Seamless integration with numerous accounting software
- You must pay back the balance in full at the end of each month
- No elevated cashback rewards for specific categories
- You need $50,000 in your business bank account to qualify
- Cashback rewards
- Issue an unlimited number of employee cards
- Access to over $350,000 in offers from multiple partners
- Automated expense management software
- Track vendors and receive pricing insights from one dashboard
- Automated accounts payable
- Zero fees or interest
- No interest or fees
- Cashback rewards
- No personal guarantee
- Balances do not carry over, so you must pay them by the end of each month
- Your business must be incorporated to qualify for a card
- You need at least $50,000 in a business bank account to qualify
- Average net savings of 5% due to cost-reducing features
- Unlimited physical and virtual employee cards
- Access to $350,000 in deals from various partners
- Automated expense management software
- View vendor information and pricing on a single dashboard
- Automate accounts payable
- No fees or interest
- Cashback rewards with flexible redemption options
- Built-in expense management software
- No credit check or personal guarantee required
- Must be a registered business to qualify
- Must have most of your business spend in the US
- Get cashback on purchases
- Provide unlimited physical and virtual employee card
- Access more than $350,000 in deals from various partner
- Use automated software for expense management
- View vendor information and pricing on a single dashboard
- Automate accounts payable
- No fees or interest
- Cashback rewards on purchases
- Built-in expense management software
- No personal guarantee or credit check required
- Must be a registered business to qualify
- Must have most of your business spend in the US
- The Ramp Card is ideal for incorporated businesses
- Comes with automated expense management tools
- Provides 5% net savings on average
- Features AI-powered tools for detailed spending insights and cost-cutting recommendations
- Integrates seamlessly with accounting software to aid financial tracking and reporting
- No annual fees, foreign transaction fees, or card replacement fees
- Best for businesses aiming to streamline financial operations and enhance savings
- Offers 5% net savings on average through expense-cutting features
- No personal guarantee or credit check required for eligibility
- Automated expense management features like spending limits and receipt-matching
- Integration with accounting platforms including NetSuite, Quickbooks, and Xero
- Offers AI-powered cost-saving insights
- Unlimited physical and virtual employee cards
- Not available to sole proprietors or unregistered small businesses
- Requires $50,000 in a business bank account to qualify
Card Details
The Ramp Card is an innovative corporate card, particularly suited for LLCs, that combines automated expense management features with cashback rewards. It offers detailed spending insights with AI-powered recommendations for cutting costs, and integrates seamlessly with accounting software to simplify financial tracking and reporting. Cards come with no annual fees, foreign transaction fees, or card replacement fees. Ramp is an excellent choice for businesses that want to streamline their financial operations while saving money.
Pros
- Cashback rewards
- No personal guarantee or credit check required for eligibility
- Automated expense management features like spending limits and receipt-matching
- Integration with accounting platforms including NetSuite, Quickbooks, and Xero
- Offers AI-powered cost-saving insights
- Unlimited physical and virtual employee cards
Cons
- Primarily focused on cost-cutting, which might not suit all business needs
- Geared mainly towards U.S. businesses, which may limit its appeal for international transactions
Ramp’s charge card program comes with the additional perk of tools designed to help your business track and reduce its spending.
- No personal guarantee
- No annual fee
- Valuable cash back
- Additional tools to track spending
- Unlimited physical and virtual employee cards with custom limits
- Not available to sole proprietors
- Must have $50,000 in liquid assets
- Unlimited free virtual and physical employee cards
- Cashback rewards on purchases
- Customizable spending limits for employees
- Real-time transaction visibility
- Connects with accounting systems like QuickBooks and NetSuite
- Automates bill payments and invoice processing
- Provides a comprehensive audit trail and expert support for negotiations
- Unlimited virtual cards
- Real-time expense tracking
- Integration with accounting software
- Automated bill payments and invoice processing
- Requires full balance payments monthly
- Limited to businesses with most of their operations in the U.S.
- Corporate card and spend management platform
- Free employee cards with custom spending limits
- Cashback rewards on all purchases with no fees
- Built-in fraud protection ensures that your organization's finances are always secure
- Offers an average savings of 5% by identifying cost-saving opportunities
- No annual fees or interest
- Custom spend and vendor controls
- High credit limits
- Automatic receipt matching and expense categorization
- Not available to sole proprietors
- As a corporate charge card, balance can't be carried monthly
- Must have $50,000 in a business bank account to qualify
- Corporate card and spend management platform
- Unlimited employee cards with custom spending limits
- Cashback rewards on purchases
- Offers an average savings of 5% by identifying cost-saving opportunities
- Assists with software price negiotations
- No annual fees or interest
- Custom spend and vendor controls
- High credit limits
- Automatic receipt matching and expense categorization
- Not available to sole proprietors
- As a corporate charge card, balance can't be carried monthly
- Must have $50,000 in a business bank account to qualify
- Corporate card and spend management platform
- Cashback rewards on purchases
- Unlimited employee cards with custom spending limits
- Accounts payable software
- Uses business revenue to determine eligibility and credit limit
- No annual fees or interest
- Custom spend and vendor controls
- High credit limits
- Automatic receipt matching and expense categorization
- Only available to corporations, LLCs, and LPs
- As a charge card, balance can't be carried monthly
- Must have $50,000 in a business bank account to qualify
- Corporate card and spend management platform
- Cashback rewards on purchases
- Unlimited employee cards with custom spending limits
- Automated receipt matching
- Accounts payable software
- Must have $50,000 in a business bank account to qualify
- Balance must be paid in full each month
- Integrates with accounting platforms like NetSuite, Quickbooks, and Xero
- No credit check or personal guarantee required
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
- Must be a corporation, LLC, or LP to qualify
- Must have most of your operations and business spending in the US to qualify
- Corporate card with built-in spend management
- Cashback rewards on purchases
- Automated expense reports on fuel spending
- Advanced financial management features
- Unlimited free employee cards
- Requires a registered business and $50,000 in a U.S. business bank account to qualify
- Balance must be paid in full monthly
- Corporate card with customizable spending controls
- Cashback rewards on purchases
- Unlimited free physical and virtual employee cards
- Must have $50,000 in a business bank account to qualify
- Balance must be paid in full each month
- No personal guarantee or credit check required to qualify
- Advanced expense management automations and accounting integrations
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
- Must be a corporation, limited liability company, or LP to qualify
- Must have most of your operations and corporate spend in the US (though international purchases are supported with no foreign transaction fees)
- Corporate card with customizable spending controls
- Cashback rewards on purchases
- Unlimited free physical and virtual employee cards
- Must have $50,000 in a business bank account to qualify
- Balance must be paid in full each month
- Credit limits up to 30 times higher than traditional credit cards
- Sales-based underwriting makes for an easier qualification process
- Advanced expense management automations and accounting integrations
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
- Must be a corporation, limited liability company, or LP to qualify
- Must have most of your operations and corporate spend in the US (though international purchases are supported with no foreign transaction fees)
- Corporate card with customizable spending controls
- Cashback rewards on purchases
- Unlimited free physical and virtual employee cards
- Must have $50,000 in a business bank account to qualify
- Balance must be paid in full each month
- No credit check or personal guarantee required for eligibility
- Advanced expense management automations and accounting integrations
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
- Must be a corporation, limited liability company, or LP to qualify
- Must have most of your operations and corporate spend in the US (though international purchases are supported with no foreign transaction fees)
- Corporate card with customizable spending controls
- Cashback rewards on purchases
- Unlimited free physical and virtual employee cards
- Must have $50,000 in a business bank account to qualify
- Balance must be paid in full each month
- Advanced expense management automations and accounting integrations
- No personal guarantee or credit check required for eligibility
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
- Must be a corporation, limited liability company, or LP to qualify
- Must have most of your operations and corporate spend in the US (though international purchases are supported with no foreign transaction fees)
- Corporate card with customizable spending controls
- Cashback rewards on purchases
- Unlimited free physical and virtual employee cards
- Must have $50,000 in a business bank account to qualify
- Balance must be paid in full each month
- Advanced expense management automations and accounting integrations
- No personal guarantee or credit check required for eligibility
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
- Must be a corporation, limited liability company, or LP to qualify
- Must have most of your operations and corporate spend in the US (though international purchases are supported with no foreign transaction fees)
The Ramp Corporate Card is ideal for startups without a credit history. You just need an EIN number and $50,000 in a business bank account to qualify, and there's no credit check or personal guarantee required. Ramp's corporate card offers cashback on purchases and built-in expense management software to streamline your business finances.
Some of its features include receipt matching, subscription management, and AI-powered spending insights. Ramp is an excellent choice for startups that are aiming to earn rewards on business purchases while managing expenses.
- Ramp Corporate Card includes built-in spend management and travel-specific features
- Ability to set and enforce your company's travel spending policy on employee cards
- Features a travel dashboard displaying complete trip itineraries and flight information for each employee
- Offers cashback on purchases, including those made through travel booking platforms
- Provides AI-powered finance automation and insights
- Real-time expense reporting, customizable spending controls, and card templates for efficient financial management
- Seamless integration with over 100 applications, including travel management platforms
- No annual, application, or late payment fees
- Universal cashback reward applicable to all types of travel expenses
- Advanced financial management features suitable for tracking travel spending
- Compatibility with 100+ applications for streamlined travel expense management
- Requires a registered business and $50,000 in a U.S. business bank account to qualify
- Balance must be paid in full monthly
The Ramp Card is an innovative corporate card, particularly suited for LLCs, that combines automated expense management features with cashback rewards on purchases. It offers detailed spending insights with AI-powered recommendations for cutting costs, and integrates seamlessly with accounting software to simplify financial tracking and reporting. Cards come with no annual fees, foreign transaction fees, or card replacement fees. Ramp is an excellent choice for businesses that want to streamline their financial operations while saving money.
- Cashback rewards on purchases
- No personal guarantee or credit check required for eligibility
- Automated expense management features like spending limits and receipt-matching
- Integration with accounting platforms including NetSuite, Quickbooks, and Xero
- Offers AI-powered cost-saving insights
- Unlimited physical and virtual employee cards
- Primarily focused on cost-cutting, which might not suit all business needs
- Geared mainly towards U.S. businesses, which may limit its appeal for international transactions
- Corporate card particularly suited for LLCs
- Combines automated expense management features with cashback rewards on purchases
- Offers detailed spending insights with AI-powered recommendations for cutting costs
- Integrates seamlessly with accounting software to simplify financial tracking and reporting
- No annual fees, foreign transaction fees, or card replacement fees
- Excellent choice for businesses that want to streamline their financial operations while saving money
- Cashback rewards on purchases
- No personal guarantee or credit check required for eligibility
- Automated expense management features like spending limits and receipt-matching
- Integration with accounting platforms including NetSuite, Quickbooks, and Xero
- Offers AI-powered cost-saving insights
- Unlimited physical and virtual employee cards
- Primarily focused on cost-cutting, which might not suit all business needs
- Geared mainly towards U.S. businesses, which may limit its appeal for international transactions
Card Details
The Ramp Card is an innovative corporate card, particularly suited for LLCs, that combines automated expense management features with cashback rewards. It offers detailed spending insights with AI-powered recommendations for cutting costs, and integrates seamlessly with accounting software to simplify financial tracking and reporting. Cards come with no annual fees, foreign transaction fees, or card replacement fees. Ramp is an excellent choice for businesses that want to streamline their financial operations while saving money.
Pros
- Cashback rewards
- No personal guarantee or credit check required for eligibility
- Automated expense management features like spending limits and receipt-matching
- Integration with accounting platforms including NetSuite, Quickbooks, and Xero
- Offers AI-powered cost-saving insights
- Unlimited physical and virtual employee cards
Cons
- Primarily focused on cost-cutting, which might not suit all business needs
- Geared mainly towards U.S. businesses, which may limit its appeal for international transactions
- No annual fee
- Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $5,000 within the first three months of card membership
- Introductory rate of 0% APR for the first 12 months
- 2% cashback for the first $50,000 in purchases each year. Then, unlimited 1% cashback
- Expanding Buying Power lets you exceed your credit limit while still receiving rewards
- 3% balance transfer fee
- No overlimit fees
- 0% intro APR for the first 12 months
- Access to more capital
- No annual fees
- You only get 2% cashback for the first $50,000 before going down to unlimited 1% cashback
- No elevated cashback rewards for specific categories
- $39 penalty fee for late payments and returned payments
