Shoeboxed—the best alternative to a desktop scanner with multiple benefits for small businesses
Why choose a receipt scanning service over a desktop scanner?
After conducting several case study interviews, we have calculated that the average Shoeboxed customer saves approximately 15 hours a month on the low end.
On the high end, small business owners have completely eliminated the data entry role in-house by outsourcing scanning receipts to the Shoeboxed team, saving up to $50,000 per year.
Additionally, because Shoeboxed is able to pull receipt line items and convert them to digital data—expense tracking and expense reporting become “stupid simple,” according to PCMag.com.
We compared the top 5 document scanners on Amazon. And even the best receipt scanners take up an average of 9.968 x 6.154 x 5.186 in. (LxWxH) of desktop space.
For example, a portable scanner like the Brother DS-640 Compact Mobile Document Scanner weighs 1.85 pounds and is 12 inches, the size of a 2-liter soda bottle.
A study by Dao et. al surveyed 290 US adults to determine the emotional and psychological effects of a cluttered workspace.
The results, which were published by the APA, revealed that stress and emotional weariness were indeed predicted by workplace clutter.
Scanned documents and scanned receipts eliminate paper—the primary culprit of office clutter.
Audited by the IRS, this firm used Shoeboxed to validate transactions
“[Shoeboxed] actually saved me during my IRS audit because they would look at the bank statements and then see a transaction and then ask me for the receipt. And I could go and type in the amount or whatever it was, and it would pull up on Shoeboxed.”... Read more
Brooklynn Chandler Willy is CEO and President of Texas Financial Advisory, a wealth management firm. Founded in 2008, the firm works with pre-retirees and retirees to help build financial plans to get them to and through retirement.
At the wealth management firm she runs, Brooklynn was using Earth Class Mail to handle the financial statements that her clients would mail to her. However, it wasn’t a good fit for what she needed it to do.
“I was using Earth Class Mail, where they would take the mail and scan it, but it was not working well. All the mail was 100 pages all scanned into 1 PDF, and it was taking up too much time to break up the PDF based on the individual. Which could be for 48 different accounts.”
Brooklynn found Shoeboxed, a receipt scanning service, provided a better way to generate individual PDF scans per client, which her team then transferred to the firm’s CRM.
Meanwhile, she was still keeping business receipts in Ziplock bags. “I had been paying for Shoeboxed, but not really using it [in that way]. I was pregnant, and I let some things slip.”
Read the full case study here.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, each account automatically comes with unlimited users. Additionally, we can create sub-accounts for internal departments or any member(s) of your team if you’d prefer to keep their receipts separate for any reason.
Shoeboxed’s receipt scanning app and service and receipt management software integrate with a wide range of accounting software, including Quickbooks Online. For a full list of accounting software integrations, go here.
The best receipt management software will include OCR data extraction, automatic tagging of expense receipts for easy tax reports, cloud-based storage of your digital files, and the ability to create expense reports with receipts attached. Some, but not all, business receipt scanners will include mileage and expense tracking.
The best receipt scanners and receipt scanning software will have a number of established scanner features. Here are 10 questions to help you determine the best receipt scanner machine options, electronic receipt scanner options, receipt and document scanners, receipt scanner apps, and receipt scanning features:
- Does the receipt scanner include optical character recognition?
- Does the receipt scanner include the ability to create expense reports?
- Does the receipt scanner include receipt tracking software?
- Does the receipt scanning app track mileage?
- Does the receipt scanner provide categorization for managing receipts?
- Does the receipt scanner allow for customizable tags/categories?
- Does the receipt scanner include the option to outsource receipt scanning?
- Does the expense reporting feature include the ability to attach receipts?
- Does the receipt scanner include the ability to categorize digital or smart receipts?
- Does the receipt scanner integrate with popular accounting software?
Our standout receipt scanner feature is that we will scan physical receipts on your behalf. Simply send your receipts to our processing facility in a prepaid envelope, and we do the rest. Your receipts will be OCR (optical character recognition) scanned and uploaded to your account—without you having to do any of the data entry.
There are multiple ways for users to scan receipts into their Shoeboxed account.
- Stuff your receipts in a pre-paid envelope—Clear piles of paper receipts by mailing them to our processing facility for free with a postage-paid envelope from us. Then we’ll scan receipts into your Shoeboxed account.
- Send receipt images from your phone—Use our mobile app for quick and easy uploads while on the go. Our receipt scanner app is available on the Apple store and Google Play.
- Email receipts to your Shoeboxed account—Forward receipts to a designated Shoeboxed email address provided when you sign up. Any receipts that you forward will automatically appear in your Shoeboxed account.
- Use a Gmail plugin to auto-import receipts—Install our custom Gmail plugin to auto-import digital receipts to the Shoeboxed dashboard. The plugin automatically sends new e-receipts from your inbox to your Shoeboxed account.
- Drag and drop receipts into the cloud—Upload receipts to your Shoeboxed account from your laptop or desktop. With the drag-and-drop method, you can submit multiple receipts at one time.
Yes! Please book a demo call so we can better understand your needs.
Don’t want to outsource receipt scanning? Looking for traditional receipt scanners? We got you. For anyone interested in a receipt scanner machine, we’ve selected the best document scanners on the market that have made a number of bestseller lists. Note: These document scanners can serve as receipt scanners, too.
1. Fujitsu ScanSnap iX1600
The Fujitsu ScanSnap iX1600 does single or duplex scanning and can scan up to 6,000 documents per day and up to 50 sheets at one time. It also has built-in optical character recognition (OCR), which transcribes all the text on your documents so you can search the digital versions. The colored control touchscreen panel is customizable for up to four user profiles. It connects via USB or Wi-Fi and comes with a dedicated ScanSnap app. Price: $449.99.
2. Raven Pro Document Scanner
The Raven Pro Document Scanner doesn’t require a device connection. The duplex scanning option allows you to scan two sided documents at one time. An 8-inch touchscreen control panel allows you to edit and manage your documents without needing to plug in your PC. A 100-sheet automatic document feeder (ADF) boasts “anti-jam” technology. You can scan to a USB flash drive. Raven Pro owners are given access to free, unlimited cloud storage. Price: $599.85.
3. Brother DS-640 Compact Mobile Document Scanner
Brother DS-640 Compact Mobile Document Scanner is less than 1 foot in length and 1.5 pounds in weight. While this doesn’t have the same ADF capabilities as its larger counterparts, its dedicated software suite still has comparable OCR and document management features. Be warned, it only connects via USB and relies on USB connection for power. Price: $110.
4. Canon CanoScan LiDE400 Document Scanner
Canon CanoScan LiDE400 Document Scanner has an auto scan feature that detects document type. This flatbed scanner is designed to be slim and space-saving at 1.7 by 14.5 by 9.9 inches (HWD). It also has a great Auto Scan feature that detects the document type and adjusts its settings accordingly. This scanner operates entirely on USB power, so you’ll need a regular PC connection to use it. Price: $90.
4. Visioneer Patriot H60 Duplex Scanner
The Visioneer Patriot H60 Duplex Scanner supports larger teams and offices, with a 120-page ADF and a 10,000-scan daily duty cycle. Scan multiple pages, then digitize them by converting them to searchable PDFs with its exceptional OCR capabilities. It also offers up to nine OneTouch custom “scan-to” location profiles and customizable workflow profiles for all your employees. Price: $1,400.
Here are 3 different ways to manage business receipts.
- Paper receipts—Your employees attach the paper receipt to their expense report and send it to you or the accounting team.
- A receipt app on your phone that digitizes your receipts—For example, with the Shoeboxed app, you take pictures of your receipts to keep track of business expenses.
- A receipt scanning service that scans and inputs your business’s receipt data—Shoeboxed’s Magic EnvelopeTM service is a prepaid envelope that users fill with physical receipts and mail to Shoeboxed’s office. The receipts are then scanned, human-verified, logged into users’ accounts, and safely stored.