Receipt Parsing

Extract store information, line items, totals, and payment details from receipts. Parse works with printed receipts, digital receipts, and photographed thermal paper.

Receipt Schema

Define a schema that captures the key fields from a receipt:

{
  "name": "receipt",
  "description": "Extract data from receipts",
  "fields": [
    { "name": "store_name", "type": "string", "description": "Name of the store or business" },
    { "name": "store_address", "type": "string", "description": "Store location or address" },
    { "name": "date", "type": "date", "description": "Date of purchase" },
    { "name": "items", "type": "array", "description": "List of purchased items", "items": {
      "type": "object",
      "fields": [
        { "name": "name", "type": "string" },
        { "name": "quantity", "type": "number" },
        { "name": "price", "type": "number" }
      ]
    }},
    { "name": "subtotal", "type": "number", "description": "Subtotal before tax" },
    { "name": "tax", "type": "number", "description": "Tax amount" },
    { "name": "total", "type": "number", "description": "Total amount paid" },
    { "name": "payment_method", "type": "string", "description": "Payment method used (e.g. Cash, Visa, Mastercard)" }
  ]
}

Code Examples

cURL

curl -X POST https://api-parse.conversiontools.io/v1/extract \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -F "file=@receipt.jpg" \
  -F "schema_id=YOUR_RECEIPT_SCHEMA_ID"

Python

import requests

API_KEY = "YOUR_API_KEY"
headers = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {API_KEY}"}

with open("receipt.jpg", "rb") as f:
    response = requests.post(
        "https://api-parse.conversiontools.io/v1/extract",
        headers=headers,
        files={"file": f},
        data={"schema_id": "YOUR_RECEIPT_SCHEMA_ID"},
    )

data = response.json()
print(f"Store: {data['data']['store_name']}")
print(f"Total: {data['data']['total']}")
print(f"Paid with: {data['data']['payment_method']}")
for item in data["data"]["items"]:
    print(f"  - {item['name']}: {item['price']}")

Node.js

const fs = require("fs");

const API_KEY = "YOUR_API_KEY";
const headers = { Authorization: `Bearer ${API_KEY}` };

const form = new FormData();
form.append("file", fs.createReadStream("receipt.jpg"));
form.append("schema_id", "YOUR_RECEIPT_SCHEMA_ID");

const response = await fetch("https://api-parse.conversiontools.io/v1/extract", {
  method: "POST",
  headers,
  body: form,
});

const data = await response.json();
console.log(`Store: ${data.data.store_name}`);
console.log(`Total: ${data.data.total}`);
console.log(`Paid with: ${data.data.payment_method}`);
data.data.items.forEach((item) => {
  console.log(`  - ${item.name}: ${item.price}`);
});

Sample Output

{
  "success": true,
  "id": "ext_rcp_001",
  "data": {
    "store_name": "Fresh Market Grocery",
    "store_address": "456 Oak Street, Portland, OR 97201",
    "date": "2024-01-20",
    "items": [
      {
        "name": "Organic Bananas",
        "quantity": 1,
        "price": 2.49
      },
      {
        "name": "Whole Wheat Bread",
        "quantity": 1,
        "price": 4.99
      },
      {
        "name": "Almond Milk 64oz",
        "quantity": 2,
        "price": 7.98
      },
      {
        "name": "Free Range Eggs (12ct)",
        "quantity": 1,
        "price": 5.49
      }
    ],
    "subtotal": 20.95,
    "tax": 1.68,
    "total": 22.63,
    "payment_method": "Visa ending in 4242"
  },
  "pages_used": 1
}

Export to CSV or Excel

Prefer a spreadsheet? Export any completed extraction as CSV or Excel, ready to import into your expense or bookkeeping tools. Exports are free.

# Start the export, then download when ready
curl -X POST https://api-parse.conversiontools.io/v1/extractions/ext_rcp_001/export \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"format": "csv"}'

curl -L -o receipt.csv \
  "https://api-parse.conversiontools.io/v1/extractions/ext_rcp_001/export?format=csv" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Tips for Receipt Parsing

Thermal paper receipts fade over time - scan or photograph them promptly for best results
For photographed receipts, ensure even lighting and avoid shadows for best accuracy
Handwritten receipts are supported but may produce more validation warnings
All common image formats are supported (JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP, TIFF, BMP, HEIC, AVIF) - use PNG for the highest-quality scans