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17 Best Receipt Document Scanners With Ocr We've Tested 2024

Brandon Forder
  Apr 19, 2024 5:38 PM

A scanner is an essential piece of equipment for any modern business or government agency. Every paper file can be scanned and converted to a digital format that can be edited.

However, there's a catch. Since a scanner is an expensive long-term investment, you shouldn't just buy the first one you see. However, your scanning experience might be impacted by a wide variety of things.

We've got your back, so chill down. The top reciept document scanners that support optical character recognition can be found on the list we've compiled after countless hours of research.


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Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images, Product Titles, and Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API


Buying Guide

Usability

You won't make good use of your scanner if you have a negative attitude about it. The hardware interface must be intuitive, and the desktop and mobile applications must be robust enough to accomplish the task at hand without being a hindrance when time is of the essence.

OCR

A quality handheld document scanner will employ optical character recognition (OCR) to convert scanned paper documents into searchable PDFs. The best portable document scanners will also allow you to save the scanned text in an editable format like Word, Rich Text Format, or plain text. Ideal character recognition would be 100%, but we'd settle for an accuracy rate of at least 90%.

Resolution

Before anything else, you should think about the scanner's resolution. Scanning documents in their original form is a breeze with this program. Thankfully, most current scanners won't let you down in this regard.

Even so, before purchasing a scanner, it's always wise to check out user reviews. Also, check if the scanner can produce scans with a resolution of 300 dots per inch (DPI).

Speed 

There are varying scan speeds available from various scanners. This, of course, depends on the specific needs you have for a scanner.

A high-end scanner, for instance, will be far faster than any standalone portable scanners. Both are necessary, but in different ways.

Even if you're always swamped, you shouldn't settle for a scanning speed of less than 30 pages per minute. The majority of bulky scanners can easily reach that rate.

However, you should expect a rate of between 5 and 15 pages per minute with portable scanners.

Feeder

The scanner's feeder is responsible for keeping several documents in one place for speedy scanning. However, the feeder is optional. In spite of that, it will be quite helpful and save you a great deal of time when you have a lot of work to do.

Because of this, it is an essential function for scanners intended for intensive use. Similar scanners in the list have feeders that can hold at least 50 pages at once.

It's also important to check that the feeder can handle all common document types. In this way, you can rest assured that switching between different document types will be a breeze.

Software

Standard scanning software is included with the majority of scanners. Optical character recognition (OCR), text indexing, photo editing, and the capacity to create searchable PDF documents are just some of the capabilities to look for depending on what you intend to scan. All modern scanners are fully compatible with both macOS and Windows, and many can also scan to your mobile device or cloud storage.

Unique capabilities are provided by the software installed on specialized scanners. Accounting software is included with most receipt scanners to help you keep track of your financial transactions. If the business cards aren't too intricately made, OCR software can usually read the information off the cards and import it into a contact database.

Search for a scanner that has TWAIN drivers so that you can scan directly into your image editing software like Adobe Photoshop.

Duplex scanning

When scanning huge papers, it is helpful to be able to scan both sides of a two-sided document in a single pass. Additionally, the feature helps preserve both the original papers and the scanner itself.

Automatic document feeder

When dealing with lengthy files, you probably don't want to manually feed each page into the scanner one by one. You can simply feed the entire stack of paper into the machine at once using the ADF.

Special-Purpose Scanner

Last but not least, think about whether or not you'll require a specialized scanner. Receipt scanners and business card readers are two of the most popular single-use devices (small and equipped with specialized software). Although dedicated slide scanners are typically more compact than their flatbed counterparts, they do not improve upon the scanning quality of standard scanners in any way.

A handheld scanner that you can carry in your lap or a portable scanner that can fit in your laptop bag are both viable options for frequent fliers. Scanners have come a long way, and some of the more portable types can even function without a connected computer. Document scanners that can be used in either a mobile or stationary capacity can be found by combining a mobile scanner with a docking station that features an automatic document feeder (ADF).

Any of them could be an excellent choice as your primary scanner or as a supplementary scanner in addition to your all-purpose scanner, depending on your specific scanning needs. In the selections above, we've highlighted some of the special scanners that we find to be the most useful and enjoyable.


FAQS

Is it better to just scan documents using your phone or tablet?

Apps for mobile devices make it possible to perform a scan by snapping a picture, but this is a time-consuming manual operation. That is especially the case if your receipts are lengthy. Feed the sheets (or stacks of papers) into the scanner and let it do the scanning for you.

What’s the difference between a receipt scanner and a regular scanner?

In contrast to a flatbed scanner or the scanner on a multifunction printer, a receipt scanner allows you to feed the paper through so that the hardware can swiftly capture the image. In some cases, a flatbed may be preferable to a feeder, such as when transporting a picture frame or other fragile item. However, a receipt scanner is the best option for firms that regularly scan customers' purchases.


Conclusion

We hope you found this guide helpful in deciding which receipt scanner is best for you. Any and all requirements are met by the items specified above. So, you'll have less to think about, which is a good thing.

Is there a great product that we failed to purchase? Feel free to share your thoughts in the space provided below. Do ask questions about the Scanners in the comments if you have any lingering uncertainties. We promise to get back to you as soon as possible.


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