Receipts are inevitable, whether for personal expenses or even business expenses. However, keeping track of these physical receipts can be difficult and tedious, whether for tax reasons or budget control. Enter the receipt scanner. The receipt scanner is a god sent as it reduces clutter and enables you to retrieve digital copies of your receipts faster.

In addition, some receipt scanners and receipt scanning apps allow you to integrate with your accounting software or spreadsheets simplifying book-keeping. Scanning your receipts also enhances security (no physical receipts lying around), and you are covered in case anything happens to your hard copies.

As you look to embrace technology and get yourself a receipt scanner, it would help if you keep the following in mind.

Size

You may need to keep track of expenses for your employees or vendors at different locations; you will therefore need a stand-alone portable receipt scanner. As you window-shop for a receipt scanner, make sure you get a model that you can easily stow away in your briefcase or bag without any hassles. Avoid bulky receipt scanners that will give you a headache to tote around.

Online connectivity

The digital files from your receipt scanner should be accessible online. This accessibility will expedite workflow and enable integration with your existing accounting software. It is best to get models that connect directly to the internet without any intermediate steps.

Speeds

There is no joy in scanning receipts, so ideally, you should use the least possible time to do it, availing more time for more productive activities. Some models claim to complete scans in exactly seven seconds and are ready to scan the subsequent receipt immediately. The scanner should also have decent file transfer speeds of scanned receipts, particularly for large batches of scanned receipts.

Flexible file formats

The receipt scanner should give you different options for saving your receipts. This is crucial if the receipts are integrated into other software, which may be restrictive in the file types it accepts. For example, you might need to furnish your tax professional with PDFs of your receipt, while your accounting software will only process JPEG images of the same receipts. Your scanner should allow you to save in the required format without manually converting the scanned document.

Exportability

Your receipt scanner or receipt scanning app should have flexible export capabilities in line with flexible file formats. Whether it is for uploading to the cloud or sending scanned receipts to colleagues or other professionals, your device or app should give you export options that are convenient for the recipient. This feature is critical for streamlining workflow and avoiding the compatibility headaches of dealing with different entities.

Storage capacity

Lastly, make sure that the receipt scanner you intend to acquire has sufficient onboard storage to store several receipts before becoming full. You should consider storage capacity, especially for portable scanners, to avoid the inconvenience of having to move files to create more space continually. It is also prudent to consider the space you require for receipt scanning apps or software and the generated resultant files.

One last tip: Ensure you get a suitable scanner or app; there is no need to pay extra for scanners with proprietary accounting software while you are only scanning your receipts for storage purposes.