Frequently Asked Questions

What is ScanToExcel?

An AI-powered document converter. Upload a receipt, bank statement, invoice, paystub, credit card statement, or any table — ScanToExcel extracts the structured data into Excel, CSV, Word, or JSON. No manual data entry.

How is ScanToExcel different from traditional OCR?

Traditional OCR reads characters from images. ScanToExcel uses generative AI to understand the full document — recognizing fields, table structures, line items, and relationships between data points. The result is a structured spreadsheet, not a raw text dump.

The website is in 8 languages — does the AI only work in those?

No. The website is available in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, and Portuguese for a localized browsing experience. But the AI extraction works with documents in virtually any language — Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Thai, and many more. Your document's language does not need to match the website language.

Is my data secure?

Yes. All documents are processed in-memory and permanently discarded after conversion — typically within 3 seconds. ScanToExcel never stores your uploaded files, extracted data, or generated output. No financial information is ever retained. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Is ScanToExcel GDPR compliant?

Yes, fully. ScanToExcel is developed and hosted entirely within the European Union, so your data never leaves EU jurisdiction. We collect only the minimum data required to operate, use no advertising or tracking cookies, and fully support your data rights including access, rectification, erasure, and portability.

Do you use my documents to train AI models?

No. Your documents are used solely for the requested conversion and discarded immediately. They are never used for AI training, analytics, or any secondary purpose.

What is the document counter on your website?

An anonymous aggregate count. It shows the total number of conversions processed by ScanToExcel. No personal information, file names, or document content is stored or associated with this counter.

What plans are available and what are the limits?

ScanToExcel offers three tiers to fit your volume and workflow. Extraction quality is the same on every plan — the differences are about volume, batch size, file size, speed, and delivery.

Can I batch-process multiple documents at once?

Yes. Upload multiple files simultaneously based on your tier: 5 for Free+, 50 for Premium. You can mix document types and export formats in a single batch. Premium users can download the entire finished batch as a single ZIP file. Free+ and Premium can also have the batch emailed directly to them.

Can I cancel my Premium subscription at any time?

Yes. There are no lock-in contracts. You can cancel your Premium subscription at any time from your account dashboard, and you will retain Premium features until the end of your current billing cycle.

Do the tiers differ in extraction quality?

No. We recently upgraded all tiers to our improved-accuracy extraction model — every plan now uses the same high-quality AI. The differences between tiers are about volume, batch size, file size, speed, and delivery — not extraction quality.

What does '10× faster' mean on Premium?

Free and Free+ process files one at a time (sequentially). Premium processes multiple files in parallel — so a batch of documents finishes faster overall. The difference is most noticeable with larger batches; single-file conversions take about the same time on any tier.

What exactly does the AI extract from my documents?

The AI reads the whole document — fields, line items, table structure, dates, totals, taxes, and the relationships between them. What actually lands in your file depends on the output format you pick:

• JSON — full ground truth: every field and relationship the model captured, plus metadata like detected currency and document type. Best for developers and automation.
• Excel / Word / CSV (non-flat) — the document's faithful structure preserved, including grouped sections, sub-totals, and multi-level headers where they exist.
• Excel / Word / CSV (flat) — one clean single-sheet table with consistent columns, no merged cells or nested headers. Best for pasting straight into spreadsheets, databases, or accounting tools.

What input file formats are accepted?

Seven formats: JPG, PNG, HEIC, HEIF, TIFF, WebP, and PDF. Multi-page PDFs are fully supported.

What output formats can I export to?

All tiers export to Excel (.xlsx), CSV, Word (.docx), and JSON. Premium adds Xero CSV (for receipts, invoices, bank statements, and credit card statements) and QuickBooks CSV (for bank and credit card statements only). QuickBooks Online runs its own OCR for receipts and invoices and doesn't accept CSV import for those, so we don't generate those files.

• Excel (.xlsx) — for spreadsheets and accounting software.
• CSV — for databases and universal import.
• Word (.docx) — for editable documents.
• JSON — for developers and automation workflows.
• Xero CSV (Premium) — direct import into Xero accounting.
• QuickBooks CSV (Premium) — direct import into QuickBooks Online for bank and credit card statements (QuickBooks handles receipts and invoices with its own OCR).

How accurate is the AI extraction?

State-of-the-art. Our internal benchmark across receipts, invoices, bank and credit card statements, and paystubs is approximately 98% field-level accuracy on clear, well-lit documents. The model handles diverse bank formats worldwide, multi-language documents, and both tabular and list-style layouts. For optimal results, use sharp, well-lit scans or photos. See our performance page for the full, continuously-updated benchmark.

Does ScanToExcel support non-English documents and foreign currencies?

Yes — virtually any language and currency. The extraction model is language-agnostic and reads documents in any language, including Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Thai, and most others, even when a single document mixes languages. It supports all G20 currencies plus most other world currencies, with the currency detected automatically from the document. Local date conventions and region-specific tax terminology are handled out of the box. The ScanToExcel website itself is available in 8 languages for a localized browsing experience.

Can the AI read handwritten text or crumpled receipts?

Yes. Our machine learning models are trained on real-world documents. They can accurately extract data from faded thermal paper, crumpled receipts, and handwritten tables or restaurant tips.

Is there a mobile app?

No dedicated app required. ScanToExcel is fully mobile-responsive and works in any mobile browser. Tap "Choose files" and select your camera to capture documents directly with your phone.

Do you guarantee 100% extraction accuracy?

No. ScanToExcel uses a probabilistic AI model, not rule-based parsing. Accuracy is typically very high — especially on clean, well-lit documents — but no AI extraction tool can guarantee 100% accuracy on every document. We recommend reviewing the output for critical data. The service is provided as-is.