Let’s say you want to digitize a paper receipt or invoice document. What’s the easiest way to do this, or, moreover, can this even be done? Well, the answer to the second question is yes. The answer to the first is yes – but you’ll need to use an OCR receipt scanner.

Unsure, exactly what the technology is and how it works? You’re probably not alone. Here’s a simple explanation of OCR and OCR technology. You might want to read on as, given the enormous growth of the technology, it’s sure to become an integral part of your life sooner rather than later.

What is OCR for Receipts?

OCR, or optical character recognition, is the technology that allows you to convert different types of documents, including bills and invoices, pdf files or images captured digitally into editable and searchable data.

Imagine your scanning a paper document for a moment. A scanned document is merely an image or snapshot of a document. It’s nothing more than a series of black and white dots that appear on a computer screen. This is called a raster image.

To extract and repurpose data from scanned documents or images, you need to have access to an OCR scanner API that scans the document individually and, in its entirety, translating the content into a single editable file.

The Technology Behind OCR

Humans do not yet have knowledge of the mechanisms that allow us to recognize objects. However, the three fundamental principles are known to scientists. These are integrity, purposefulness, and adaptability, or IPA. These principals are reconstituted in OCR technology, allowing it to replicate natural, human-like recognition.

The software will use an OCR check scanner to analyze the structure of the document image, dividing the page into elements, such as blocks of text, tables, and images. Individual elements are then divided into characters. Once the characters have been identified, the program compares them with a set of pattern images. Using a multitude of probabilistic hypotheses, OCR check scanner API will then present you with the recognized text.

OCR receipt scanner API, receipt data extraction

The Benefits of OCR Technology for Receipts

Advanced, powerful OCR technology allows you to save mountains of time when creating, processing and re-purposing a wealth of documents. The OCR receipt scanner is perfect for capturing, storing and categorizing billing expenses, with the scanned bill being easily saved to the Cloud.

Not only that, OCR isn’t just conversant to financial records, documents of all descriptions can be converted into digital files, making the possibilities of safe data storage seemingly endless. There is no need to manually retype anything!

Perhaps most impressively, the process can be completed in a matter of seconds. There’s no need to labor for hours at a time inputting data. With an OCR check scanner API, you can instantly capture, transfer and store even the most data-sensitive information. You can even use OCR software to create searchable pdf files!

So, simply put, OCR is the best way to create a digital version of the important documentation. However, it’s much more than that, OCR streamline workflows and saves a wealth of time. If you haven’t considered using an OCR receipt scanner, what are you waiting for?