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REST API · JSON output · 100 free pages/mo

Receipt Parsing API

Automate receipt data capture for expense management, bookkeeping, and financial workflows. Extract store names, items, totals, tax, and payment methods from any receipt or POS printout. No templates, no training data.

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One API Call to Parse Any Receipt

Send a receipt photo or scan to the extraction endpoint and receive structured JSON with store details, itemized purchases, totals, and payment information.

request.sh
curl -X POST \
  https://api-parse.conversiontools.io/v1/extract \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -F "file=@receipt.jpg" \
  -F 'schema={
    "store_name": "string",
    "date": "string",
    "items": [{
      "name": "string",
      "quantity": "number",
      "price": "number"
    }],
    "subtotal": "number",
    "tax": "number",
    "total": "number",
    "payment_method": "string"
  }'
response.json
{
  "status": "completed",
  "data": {
    "store_name": "Fresh Mart Grocery",
    "date": "2026-03-08",
    "items": [
      {
        "name": "Organic Whole Milk 1L",
        "quantity": 2,
        "price": 4.99
      },
      {
        "name": "Sourdough Bread",
        "quantity": 1,
        "price": 5.49
      },
      {
        "name": "Avocado Hass",
        "quantity": 3,
        "price": 1.29
      }
    ],
    "subtotal": 19.34,
    "tax": 1.55,
    "total": 20.89,
    "payment_method": "Visa *4821"
  }
}

How Receipt Parsing Works

Three steps to go from a receipt photo to structured data. No training, no templates — the API understands receipts from any store automatically.

1

Upload Your Receipt

Send a photo, scan, or PDF of any receipt to the API endpoint. Supports smartphone photos, scanned images, and digital receipts.

2

AI Reads the Receipt

The API identifies the store, reads each line item, calculates totals, and detects the payment method — all based on your schema.

3

Get Structured JSON

Receive clean, typed JSON with store name, items, totals, and payment details. Ready for your expense tracker, accounting system, or database.

Why Developers Choose Parse for Receipt Parsing

Built for developers who need reliable receipt data extraction without building custom OCR pipelines for every store format.

Photos & Scans

Works with smartphone photos, flatbed scans, and digital receipts. Handles skew, shadows, and creases from real-world receipt capture.

Thermal Paper Ready

AI-powered recognition handles faded thermal paper receipts that traditional OCR struggles with. Extracts data even from partially degraded printouts.

Itemized Line Items

Extract every item on the receipt with name, quantity, and price. The API parses complex itemized lists including discounts, weight-based items, and modifiers.

Multiple Currencies

Recognizes currency symbols and number formats from around the world. Handles USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, and any other currency without configuration.

Payment Method Detection

Detects whether payment was made by cash, credit card, debit card, or digital wallet. Extracts card type and last four digits when available.

Expense Categorization

Add category fields to your schema and the API will classify purchases automatically. Group receipts by groceries, dining, travel, office supplies, and more.

More Document Parsing Use Cases

The same API works across all your document processing needs. Define a schema once, extract data from thousands of documents.

Data Extraction API

Extract structured JSON data from any document type with a single API call.

Invoice Extraction

Extract vendor, amounts, line items, dates, and tax details from invoices automatically.

Form Processing

Extract fields from applications, surveys, tax forms, and government documents.

PDF Parsing API

Convert any PDF into structured data. Works with digital and scanned PDFs across all languages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the receipt parsing API.

What photo quality is required for receipt parsing?

Parse works with most smartphone photos, scanned images, and digital receipts. For best results, ensure the receipt is well-lit, flat, and fully visible in the image. The API handles slight skew, shadows, and creases automatically.

Can the API read faded thermal paper receipts?

Yes. Parse uses AI to interpret document content even when text is partially faded, which is common with thermal paper receipts. While heavily degraded receipts may have lower accuracy, most thermal paper receipts — even older ones — are processed successfully.

Does the API extract individual line items from receipts?

Yes. Define an items array in your schema with fields like name, quantity, and price. The API will extract each line item separately, giving you a structured list of everything on the receipt.

Can I use receipt parsing for automated expense reports?

Absolutely. Extract store name, date, total, tax, and payment method from each receipt, then feed the structured JSON directly into your expense management system. The API handles receipts from any store or restaurant without per-vendor configuration.

What languages and currencies are supported?

Parse supports receipts in any language and currency. The AI model understands multilingual text and recognizes currency symbols, formats, and conventions from around the world. No language-specific configuration is needed.

Start Parsing Receipts Today

Get your API key and extract data from your first receipt in minutes. 100 pages per month free — no credit card required.

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