Receipt scanning software: what actually works today
Quick answer
Most people searching for receipt scanning software are trying to get expense data out of purchases they already made - and those purchases are usually sitting on a credit card statement already. StatementTidy converts a credit card statement PDF to reconciled CSV, Excel, QBO, or QIF for free, in your browser, today. What we do not have is OCR for photographed or scanned paper receipts - if that is specifically what you need, tools like Expensify, Dext, or Ramp are built for it.
The fastest path: skip the receipts, use the statement
Every purchase on a paper receipt also shows up as a line item on your credit card statement - same merchant, same amount, same date, without the OCR problem of a crumpled photo. If your goal is expense data in a spreadsheet or your accounting software, converting the statement directly is almost always faster and more accurate than scanning receipts one at a time.
What StatementTidy does today
Drop a digital credit card statement PDF on the credit card statement converter and it extracts every transaction, reconciles the total against the statement balance, and exports to CSV, Excel, QuickBooks-ready QBO, or QIF. It runs entirely in your browser - the PDF is never uploaded to a server, so you can convert it with the network disconnected after the page loads.
What we don't do: OCR on photographed or scanned receipts
To be direct about it: StatementTidy does not currently read photos or scans of paper receipts. We are not going to claim otherwise. Receipt OCR - pulling merchant, date, and amount off an image of a crumpled slip of paper - is a different, harder problem than parsing a digital statement PDF, and we have not built it yet.
Why a receipt can't just go through our converter
Our converter reconciles every statement against its own math: opening balance plus every transaction has to equal the closing balance, or the flagged rows tell you exactly where it does not add up. A single receipt has no opening balance, no closing balance, and no running ledger to check against - there is nothing to reconcile it to. Rather than bolt on a fake reconciliation step or silently guess at numbers, we simply don't put a receipt through this converter. That constraint is what keeps every export trustworthy.
If you specifically need photo-receipt capture
If your workflow genuinely requires photographing paper receipts on the go - for expense reports, mileage, or reimbursements - dedicated tools like Expensify, Dext, and Ramp are built for exactly that and do it well, with mobile capture, approval workflows, and card integrations. We are not trying to compete with them for that use case; we would rather point you to the right tool than pretend we cover it.
StatementTidy vs. receipt-capture tools
| Capability | StatementTidy | Expensify / Dext / Ramp |
|---|---|---|
| Credit card statement → spreadsheet | Yes, free, in-browser | No |
| Bank statement → spreadsheet | Yes, free, in-browser | No |
| Photographed paper receipts (OCR) | Not yet - early access list | Yes |
| Expense report workflows / approvals | No | Yes |
| Statement or receipt leaves your device | No - parsed in your browser | Varies by vendor |
| Price | Free | Paid plans |
The short version: for statement-based expense data, StatementTidy is free and does it today. For photographed paper receipts and expense report workflows, use a tool built for that - we're not it yet.
Convert the statement instead
Converted in your browser - your statement never leaves your device.
Doing this monthly or across clients?
Batch multi-file conversion and direct QuickBooks/Xero sync — join the early-access list. We only collect your email, never your statement.
Frequently asked questions
Does StatementTidy scan or photograph receipts?
No. StatementTidy does not currently have OCR for photographed or scanned paper receipts. It converts digital PDF bank and credit card statements - files with selectable text - to CSV, Excel, QBO, and QIF.
How do I get my receipt purchases into a spreadsheet without OCR?
Convert the credit card statement that the purchases appear on. Every receipt's transaction - merchant, amount, date - is already a line item there, and StatementTidy extracts and reconciles it in your browser for free.
What's the difference between this and a scanned bank statement?
A scanned bank statement is still a statement: it has an opening balance, a closing balance, and a list of transactions between them, so once the text is extracted the same reconciliation logic applies. A receipt has none of that - no running balance to check against - so it's a fundamentally different document, not just a scan-vs-digital difference.
What should I use for photo-receipt capture and expense reports?
Expensify, Dext, and Ramp are built specifically for photographing receipts and routing them through expense report and approval workflows. StatementTidy does not do this today.
Will StatementTidy ever support receipt OCR?
It's on our early-access list. Join it through the button below and we'll email you if and when in-browser receipt OCR ships - same privacy model as the rest of the site, nothing uploaded.
Is converting a credit card statement really free?
Yes. No signup, no page limits, no subscription. The credit card statement converter runs entirely in your browser.