Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Shoeboxed.com has taken a completely different approach to receipt scanning and filing by offering an affordable scanning service.  You simply mail in your receipts, business cards, or any other documents you would like scanned using their pre-paid postage envelopes (think Netflix!).  But what’s even cooler, instead of mailing in all that paper, you can take photos of all your documents or use their iPhone app to them in.  You can also forward your email receipts, from vendors such as Amazon directly to your account as well.

Once Shoeboxed receives your documents, they scan them, OCR extract the text human-verify it, and then categorize and organize it into your online account.  You basically do nothing, as they do all the work for you.

After your documents are processed, you can login to your account and view, print, email and download your data in a variety of formats such as Excel, CSV, PDF, Quickbooks and Quicken.

Not only is Shoeboxed useful for expense reporting, but it can also be used for tax prep, business card scanning and archiving bills.  Shoeboxed scans are IRS accepted and your documents are always online if you ever need them.  The business card feature is also very convenient.  After your cards are scanned in, they can be imported into Outlook, Google Contacts, AddressBook, or your CRM software, such as Salesforce.com.

Reviews among users and mainstream media of Shoeboxed.com have been very good.  Users feel it saves a lot of time and the free Shoebox Mobile and iPhone apps are a big hit.

Pricing starts at $9.99 a month.  If you’re tired of wasting time organizing your documents and receipts or dealing with another gadget cluttering your desk or taking up precious carry-on space, Shoeboxed is a fantastic service and we highly recommended it.

Click here for a free trial of Shoeboxed.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

NeatReceipts Review

Any NeatReceipts Mobile Scanner Review must also cover the digital filing features of this product.  The included NeatWorks custom software, marketed as user friendly, has been revamped for the latest Version 4.0.   The manufacturer bundles parsing and optical character recognition, or OCR, software with a portable scanner weighing less than one pound, designed to organize, store, and export personal and business data.  It is available in a English-only version, compatible with Mac products as well as with Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7, the latter both 32-bit and 64-bit.

The scanner converts paper into a digital format, whether the paper be a business card, various documents, or receipts.  Any legal or standard document can be converted into the ubiquitous Adobe PDF format, and business cards can be stored as contact files.  The software grabs contact information from the business card in a format exportable to Outlook, Plaxo, Vcard, or PDF, available to synch with a SmartPhone, or content management system.

The Neat Company, Inc., suggests using the export function to send the data to Quickbooks, Excel, TurboTax, Quicken, Word, Plaxo, or other CSV or HTML software.  As the IRS now accepts scanned receipts, the software allows tagging each scanned receipt with an IRS-recognized category as found in official documents.  A reporting function in NeatWorks allows organizing and printing data by category.  The manufacturer encourages using a spreadsheet in conjunction with receipts while traveling to keep on top of spending.  Similar document management for the home is promoted by the vendor, including warranties, invoices, insurance records, statements, professional certifications, newspaper clippings, recipe cards, and more, to be stored digitally in folders that have a keyword search feature.  Every item scanned is sent to the inbox, where it is sorted automatically as a business card, receipt, or document.  In addition, the new software version allows scanning documents without opening the entire application, saving time.

The database can hold up to 1.5 million receipts in JPEG, PDF, and other popular formats, with the scanner allowing resolutions up to 600 dpi.  The scanner is powered by USB, requiring no external power supply, and scans at a speed of 3 to 4 receipts a minute.  The computer hardware must include a Pentium® IV 1.3 GHz or later processor, 1 GB RAM with 2 GB highly recommended, 1 GB hard disk space to install, a CD-ROM drive, and an available USB port.

The NeatReceipts Mobile Scanner has made changes with new releases, and unfortunately has not kept earlier customers in mind by overlooking compatibility with prior versions of the software.    Receipts scanned in the classic version 1.5.9 cannot be read and the company has resolved this by offering an upgrade discount to these users, making archived documents inaccessible without running both programs.   In addition, scanned images can be very large in comparison to the size of the original, a problem recognized by the company, with a promised solution in future versions.  The positive features of NeatReceipts glow, including ease of installation, percentage of receipts read and categorized correctly, and the most gratification comes from the reduction of paper piles on desks of customers.

NeatReceipts Mobile Scanner and Digital Filing System Sale Price: $170.00

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

A great option for desktop scanning is a Fujitsu ScanSnap S300 Color Mobile Scanner. This scanner features an automatic feeder for documents; optical resolution of 600 dpi and it is compatible with Windows XP professional or home edition, Windows 2000 professional, and with Windows Vista.

A Fujitsu ScanSnap S300 Color Mobile Scanner runs on USB power so it does not need an AC adaptor. It has a thumbnail viewer and files can be easily managed with the drag and drop interface. PDF files are created instantaneously and easily from scanned documents so that they can be quickly located through a simple search. Weighing less than 6 pounds, the unit is the smallest duplex ADF scanner on the market. In the home or in the office, this small, sturdy device can take scanning to a new level. From digitizing sales receipts to turn them into expense reports, to scanning documents to create text that can be edited and saved in PDF format, to capturing information for tax purposes, the ScanSnap is able to handle the job.

This scanner, unlike some, allows the user to create and view jpeg files as well as PDF files and to arrange them, sort them, organize and securely store them. With a simple drag and drop feature, the files can then be sent to emails or to the printer.

An intuitive device, a Fujitsu ScanSnap S300 Color Mobile Scanner will wait until a computer is idle before it performs OCR work, though this is also an option to use while scanning. A menu selection conveniently yields a list of things that have been scanned and are waiting OCR.  The ScanSnap has an excellent reputation for scanning even rumpled receipts clearly and legibly. The software is lauded as some of the best in the business for user friendliness, and for performing all of the functions that a business may desire.

The design is such that when paper does jam, it is simple to fix and jams are rare. Users love the duplex scanning feature, which allows a paper to just go through once, quickly and smoothly, and accurately scan both sides of the document.  The numerous settings for adjusting things such as resolution and speed are great, as the scanner can be customized to run at an ideal rate and resolution for different types of work.

Another asset is that the consumables are relatively inexpensive. When a part does need to be replaced, the parts are easy to find and will not cost the user a fortune to replace them.

More than one owner, once they saw how well a Fujitsu ScanSnap S300 Color Mobile Scanner performed, purchased another one so that they could have this scanner in the office and at home.

The ease of installation and setup is another positive in a long list of them. It arrives, is unpacked, and is scanning in no time with simple instructions for the setup process.

The compact size, the excellent software, the ease of use, Windows and Snow Leopard compatibility and the smooth, accurate manner in which this device works makes a Fujitsu ScanSnap S300 Color Mobile Scanner a solid product and is highly recommended by the majority of users.

Fujitsu ScanSnap S300 Color Mobile Scanner Sale Price: $699.99

The Pentax DSmobile 600 Scanner offers quality scanning in a compact unit. Weighing less than a pound and measuring under a foot, this sleek little scanner sports a user-friendly design for feeding paper in and scans at a 600 dpi optical resolution.

With multiple scanning modes, a person can scan their information in a 48 bit internal system with 24-bit true color output and 8 bit gray scale capabilities. A truly versatile little scanner, Pentax DSmobile 600 Scanner is compatible with many operating systems, including Windows Vista, 2000, XP, ME SE and even with Mac OSX 10.3 and newer.

This scanner, because of its dimensions is easily portable and allows the user to scan anything from a business card to a full size document. It is powered by the USB interface, so it does not require a bulky AC adapter be attached to it. It has very few moving parts to it, which give this scanner not only a lot of reliability, but also operation that is smooth and maintenance free. It is backed by a full year warranty.

Scanning is a breeze even when a person is on the go because this system offers a simple and easy to user sheet fed design. It can be easily plugged into a laptop and deriving its power from the laptop, will quickly and accurately scan information into the computer in a format that allows for text to be edited and information to be stored safely and securely.

The Pentax DSmobile 600 Scanner received excellent reviews from those who have purchased and used it. It is considered an excellent tool for organizing, and is lauded for its small size, its quick and quiet operation, its reliability and its ease of use.

The software is not up to par with the great quality of the scanner itself, but over all, customers have been very satisfied with the whole system.

The software for Mac users, however, has drawn some criticism as being inferior to that of the software designed for the PC. Although it does claim to be Mac compatible, once the software is downloaded from the Pentax site, the scanner does not function as fully as it will on a Windows operating system. The scanner does work with other software, such as Photoshop or Word: Mac. However, for those Mac operators who want to use this scanner, they might want to consider using the image capture software that Mac computers have in the applications folder to capture the scan.

From over the road truck drivers, to account managers, to schoolteachers, to small businesses, many people are using the Pentax DSmobile 600 Scanner for their portable scanning needs. Still others use it attached to their desktop model computers due to its ease of use, quick capture and minimal space requirements.

For anyone in a job that requires them to travel extensively and send information back to corporate headquarters, or just to keep track of expenses or contacts, or other documentation while on their journey, the Pentax DSmobile 600 Scanner is an excellent choice in mobile scanning systems. Due to its ease of use, speed, flexibility and accuracy, this sleek little we consider this scanning device a solid buy.

For portable scanning, the Visioneer RoadWarrior RW120 Color Mobile gets the job done. Often compared to the NeatReceipts scanner, many users claim that the RoadWarrior is the better deal.

Weighing less than two pounds, this lightweight scanning device is easy to take on the go for portable scanning. It is ideal for traveling businesspersons, as well as for use at home or in the office. The scanner includes a travel bag since it is geared toward people on the go. It will scan documents, receipts and business cards as well as handwritten notes.

The Visioneer RoadWarrior RW120 Color Mobile scanner will produce quick and easy scans in 36-bit color at 600 dpi. It will save the information in any number of major file formats, with searchable PDF files being a popular choice.  Business cards, once scanned, can then be added to a contact list manager, from Outlook to a PDA or a smart phone.  Though it will use an AC adaptor, the unit also has the capability to run off a USB port when AC power is not available. The software included with this scanner includes ScanSoft PaperPort, which is the leading software for image management.

This portable scanner boasts the ability to scan a full page in as few as ten seconds. It is compatible with Windows 2000 and Windows XP operating systems.

The Visioneer RoadWarrior RW120 Color Mobile handles documents, receipts, notes, and even photographs well, but it can be something of an art form to get the scans straight. However, if the scan is crooked, the PaperPort software will do a good job of straightening the scan out once it is in the system. While the scans run quickly, it can take several seconds longer for the file conversion to take place, depending on what format a person is scanning. The PaperPort software is also reportedly a preferred scanning destination when creating PDF files, even beating out Acrobat Reader, as it allows editing to be done more easily.

Appreciated for its simplicity of use, the Visioneer RoadWarrior RW120 Color Mobile is popular for people on the go. It will run well on a computer that does not provide enormous amounts of power. It is simple to scan without having to maneuver files around in a convoluted software process that other scanners seem to use.

While many feel that Warrior may be too strong of a title for this handy little scanning device to wear, overall, it gets rated well by those who use it regularly. The software is praised frequently as being very easy to use and more than adequate to get the job done. Though it will not give the great quality straight scans that one can expect from a full size flatbed scanner, the RoadWarrior does what it is expected to do and does it well. It is a great little on-the-go scanning device.

For the person on the go who is looking for a quality, simple scanner with which to scan in receipts, business cards, documents, handwritten notes or any other paperwork, the Visioneer RoadWarrior RW120 Color Mobile is a great product that will get the job done quickly and with surprisingly good quality.

The NeatDesk Desktop Scanner is a desktop ADF scanner that has a one-of-a-kind tray for paper input. It offers fast scanning and sports a proprietary industrial design.

The NeatDesk Desktop Scanner allows a user to scan such things as receipts and business cards as well as documents, and all in the same batch. This scanner has the technology to identify the information that is important, extract it and organize it. In a flash, a receipt can become an expense report, a business card can be added to an address book and documents can transform into an organized database of searchable files in PDF format. Moreover, information can then be exported to many programs such as TurboTax, QuickBooks, Excel and Quicken. This scanner can make finances considerably less complicated and organization of paperwork a breeze.

Eliminating clutter, the NeatDesk Desktop Scanner can clean up a workspace by providing a single port where all papers can be scanned into the computer and tossed out. It will store and organize information as a digitized filing system with the intelligence to put information where it belongs.

Businesses can really benefit from using the NeatDesk Desktop Scanner  to organize financial documents, scanning records and receipts and managing their expenses through the handy software. It makes tax time go more smoothly, as well. A Rolodex can be digitized easily by scanning business cards or the index cards, as it will create a contact database that can be searched easily to allow easy access to clients or other businesses contact information. Scanning documents is simple and allows the user to make PDF files of any scanned information so that it can be edited, organized and easily found again.

Customers who have used the NeatDesk Desktop Scanner have rated it well, overall, with the majority of the comments being positive. It got great ratings for being easily installed and user friendly. It allows the user to scan as many things as they want before they have to go into the programs and file the scans away. It is great at recognizing credit card usage, sales tax, dates, and subtotals. It also searches through documents very swiftly. This scanner can quickly read two sided documents, scanning both sides, and do it quickly. The search feature is lauded as being easy and convenient as any scanned document is searchable.

On the other hand, there are a few complaints about the NeatDesk Desktop Scanner as well. It does not come with an adjustable paper guide and it can be difficult to keep the scanned documents from being crooked. Furthermore, it does not auto rotate in order to fix this. This scanner also does not include automatic color detection and makes the user choose between black and white and color. It is also lacking in paper support.

For a small business or a home user who wants to eliminate paper clutter from their lives, the NeatDesk Desktop Scanner  is a good choice. Although it is not perfect, it does provide the user with a convenient and easy to manage means of scanning documents, receipts and business cards to efficiently organize information.

The Xerox XTravel-Scan Travel Scanner is the perfect product for the frequent business traveler.  This product will free travelers from their reliance on expensive pay per use equipment in hotel business centers and will enable you to scan documents to your laptop as you need them.  The small size and lightweight design means that no bulk will be added when carrying the scanner and many will find that the Xerox XTravel Scanner fits well within most roomy laptop bags.  If you are frustrated by the lack of amenities available when you travel, or if you are outfitting a small home office, the Xerox XTravel Scanner may be for you.

Of course, the biggest draw for this scanner is its size.  The dimensions, 9 X 3.3X 12 inches, make it one of the most compact scanner options on the market, taking up little room on a small desk or stowed away in luggage.  At 1.8 pounds, it will be one of the lightest pieces of equipment that you carry.  In spite of the light weight and small size, it is surprisingly user friendly and durable, and its USB connection makes it simple to quickly hook up to any laptop or desktop.

Another great design feature is the fact that the unit is powered through the USB.  This means that one will not need to carry an extra power cord and the scanner may be used even when an outlet is not available.  With this feature, the scanner may be used literally anywhere, allowing business travelers to maximize time in transit by adding business cards to their contacts database even while in the air.

While its size is its best asset, it can also make use of the Xerox XTravel scanner a bit more difficult.  If your previous experience has been confined to flatbed scanners, you may find the manner in which paper is fed through the scanner difficult to navigate.  These feeding problems can lead to PDFs that are poorly centered vertically or crooked, though a quick adjustment of the settings or a little practice is usually all it takes to rectify the problem.

The software that accompanies the Xerox XTravel Scanner is generally good, and is compatible with the newest version of Windows 7.  Even if you are not yet running this operating system, it means that your scanner will be ready for use even after you update your laptop.  The documents are scanned directly into PDF format, great for contacts and contracts.  However, it does make it more difficult to manipulate documents after they have been scanned.

The XTravel's size and functionality are perfect for the business traveler and it fills a need that few other products can.  The only downside to the Xerox XTravel Scanner is the slight difficulty in loading papers to be scanned, but with a little practice, this difficulty can be overcome.

Designed exclusively for the Mac owner, the NeatReceipts Mobile Scanner and Digital Filing System allows Mac owners to get even more organized.

The NeatReceipts Scanner has an industrial design and software that ensures that it will work with the Mac systems. It can automatically gain information from receipts that are scanned into it and export the information to Quickbooks, (but apparently not Quicken) Excel, TaxCut and other programs that a user may employ for their financial planning. It is portable, weighing in at less than a pound, and provides USB interface without needing an AC adapter, making it very versatile for use in the office and at home.

Mac users will be delighted to be able to scan receipts and organize them in an interface that is familiar to them. The NeatReceipts Mobile Scanner and Digital Filing System will let the user generate expense reports, create a queue of PDF format documents that are searchable, and to easily track of their spending. It has technology that allows it to extract the important information and automatically categorize it. Receipts can be transformed immediately into expense reports. This scanner can also scan documents to create PDFs in searchable format, capture text for editing, and create organized collections of documents. It eliminates the need for keeping track of a multitude of papers, and turns those papers into information that can be organized and stored easily.

Users who have worked with this scanner have high regard for it, overall. They state that it is top-notch quality that it has great software and they appear to really appreciate the portability of the scanner as well. It got high ratings for being easy to use and for working seamlessly with the operating system that Mac uses.  There are users that insist that it is the best scanner they have used, after trying several types. It is said to be quick and effective, and a great tool for use in small businesses. Many people laud the new releases that update the software and keep this scanner working at peak performance.

However, on the flip side, the scanner does not read business cards, and has a few places that it could stand improvement. For instance, it seems lacking in the sales tax category. A couple of users felt that it needed improvement there, as it often recognized a total price but not the sales tax. Some users have stated that it does not always get OCR correct all of the time, but that it actually will pick up a lot and editing is easily done.  Sometimes the scanner does not recognize names of stores when they are printed in a different type style, as if often the case. It lacks the rather basic feature of scanning an item as a jpeg file, or of exporting scans in the jpeg format.  Although it quickly goes through receipts and enters the information, care is still needed to double check all of the numbers, as it can, on occasion, scan a receipt at $32 even when the receipt was actually for $32.12. However, editing is easily done, so when it does misread, an alert user easily corrects it.

As the with the desktop scanner, the software needs a serious update and does not work as well as the PC edition.

The NeatDesk Desktop Scanner for MAC is a scanner system that allows a user to trade that pile of paper for digital information that is easy to store, access and edit. It will automatically find the important information on receipts that are scanned and can export them to PDF format files, as well as to Quicken and Excel. Taxes are easily done when receipts are scanned and turned into digital copies accepted by the IRS.

This system can handle up to ten documents at a time, or ten business cards, or ten receipts. It can handle up to a fifty-page document. Because it was specifically developed for the Mac, it will appear in a format that Mac users will find comfortably familiar.

A digital filing system such as the NeatDesk Desktop Scanner for MAC is great for creating a clutter free, paperless work site. It offers a digital version of a filing cabinet to store information safely and in an organized way so that it can be easily called up when needed. The NeatDesk has a convenient input tray with which a user can scan both sides of a document at once. The software for this device works seamlessly with Mac operating systems and features drag and drop functionality as well as Smart Collections. It works perfectly with Spotlight as well, so any file can be found with a simple search.

Business cards can be scanned to create a digital contact list with all of the information on the card. Receipts can be scanned to create expense reports, or to save digitalized copies of them for tax purposes. This offers an excellent way to keep track of dates, total expenditures, sales tax and different vendors. Documents can also be scanned and turned into PDF files. The text files can be edited after scanning.

However, when it comes down to actually working with the device, a lot of people have been rather disappointed in the function of the NeatDesk Desktop Scanner for MAC. It scored very low for ease of user and the software that came with it did not receive very good reviews from those people who used the scanner. On the plus side, the scanner itself is rated very well. It is quality workmanship and looks smart and scans quickly in black and white. However, when scanning in color, it scans very slowly and does not come close to the advertised speed.  Attractive shell aside, the NeatDesk Desktop Scanner for MAC did not perform up to par. Users complain that the scan, once complete, is then saved as a nearly illegible copy by the inferior software.  Another users lament having lost important documents to this scanner when a file became corrupted and all of the information scanned in was lost. Although all users seem to like the looks and design of the scanner itself, the software is a major disappointment. There is a lot of manual editing that will need to be done because the OCR is often poor. It misreads numbers on receipts and for one user, it only got about fifty percent correct when analyzing business cards.

Until the NeatDesk Company reworks the software and comes up with a software package worthy of their scanner, the NeatDesk Desktop Scanner for MAC does not rate very well.