The Neat Company....receipt scanner.

cdonovan

Has anyone used one...seems like a pretty useful and helpful toy, I mean tool....

Just looking for some feedback!

http://www.neatco.com/home.aspx

ChatKat

cdonovan wrote:

Has anyone used one...seems like a pretty useful and helpful toy, I mean tool....

Just looking for some feedback!

http://www.neatco.com/home.aspx

I have not heard any good things about them - I am a QuickBooks advisor and the couple clients that tried them returned them because of errors in the scanning.

BradfordBenn

I use one for tracking my work expenses, and have been very happy with it. I do have to proof the scans but with version 3 the OCR got much better. I travel a lot for work and I was constantly losing receipts or worse, having the thermal paper fade away... so I got in the habit of scanning all the stuff as soon as I got to the hotel room on a trip while my e-mail was downloading. In the almost four years of using that system I have not missed a receipt or lost one. I also then have a copy when the accounts payable person lost my receipt package, I simply hit print and off it went.

Also there are a couple of other uses that I have used it for while traveling such as if the hotel wants to charge $5/page for faxing I simply scan the document and e-mail it. We can be in a meeting and making sketches on paper and I can scan it and then have an electronic easily distributable copy right there.

I do not use the direct import into quicken, but I do use it to scan in business cards and it works pretty well. You still have to verify the contact but it is still faster than typing for me.

If you get one, get the scanner carrier/case. It gives you a way to protect it better and keep the cables neater.

I have also been very satisfied with their tech support the few times I have had problems. Also if I remember correctly they have a return policy if you don't like it.

ChatKat

Import was the big issue
the bigger issue was doing the accounting. It scanned okay but then the import wouldn't work properly. It was actually faster to enter the receipt/cost/expense right into Quicken or QuickBooks.

For scanning business cards, I have used CarnScan for years and it is great. Goes right into Outlook and then syncronizes with my PDA.

BradfordBenn wrote:

I use one for tracking my work expenses, and have been very happy with it. I do have to proof the scans but with version 3 the OCR got much better. I travel a lot for work and I was constantly losing receipts or worse, having the thermal paper fade away... so I got in the habit of scanning all the stuff as soon as I got to the hotel room on a trip while my e-mail was downloading. In the almost four years of using that system I have not missed a receipt or lost one. I also then have a copy when the accounts payable person lost my receipt package, I simply hit print and off it went.

Also there are a couple of other uses that I have used it for while traveling such as if the hotel wants to charge $5/page for faxing I simply scan the document and e-mail it. We can be in a meeting and making sketches on paper and I can scan it and then have an electronic easily distributable copy right there.

I do not use the direct import into quicken, but I do use it to scan in business cards and it works pretty well. You still have to verify the contact but it is still faster than typing for me.

If you get one, get the scanner carrier/case. It gives you a way to protect it better and keep the cables neater.

I have also been very satisfied with their tech support the few times I have had problems. Also if I remember correctly they have a return policy if you don't like it.

Shootin1st

I have one and rarely use it myself. I often rent it to clients though:D.

I agree with Kathy that if your use is to be strictly an accounting tool then it is not worth it. But from that perspective, neither is QuickBooks (as most people just butcher it anyway!)

But, if you're a road warrier having to submit expense reports, this tool will pay for itself within a couple of months.

And, like BradfordBenn shows, scanners are extremely handy tools.

Live in an apartment and don't want to keep years worh of paper receipts? The cost of this scanner is barely more than one month's storage locker rental.

ChatKat

Shootin1st wrote:

I But from that perspective, neither is QuickBooks (as most people just butcher it anyway!)

Actually, if they've been trained to use it, then QuickBooks is a very useful tool. But to disclose, I am a Certified QuickBooks Advisor and train and set it up for people - entrepreneurs and small businesses - every day for 15 years. Just like with photography, if someone shows you, the learning curve is much smaller and you can actually produce reports with very useful information.

Snowgirl

Accounting software for MAC?

ChatKat wrote:

Actually, if they've been trained to use it, then QuickBooks is a very useful tool. But to disclose, I am a Certified QuickBooks Advisor and train and set it up for people - entrepreneurs and small businesses - every day for 15 years. Just like with photography, if someone shows you, the learning curve is much smaller and you can actually produce reports with very useful information.

Oh where were you when I was trying to set up MY Quickbooks? sigh.

Not to hijack - but any suggestions for an accounting program for MAC? I just migrated a few months ago and will have to buy a new program. Sorry, but I am not hearing good things about QB for MAC - particularly if you need to handle Canadian taxes etc (which i do).

Shootin1st

ChatKat wrote:

Actually, if they've been trained to use it, then QuickBooks is a very useful tool. But to disclose, I am a Certified QuickBooks Advisor and train and set it up for people - entrepreneurs and small businesses - every day for 15 years. Just like with photography, if someone shows you, the learning curve is much smaller and you can actually produce reports with very useful information.

I am a CPA and a Certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor. In all my years I have only seen 1 client (other than those I do myself) that came to me with a QuickBooks file that was both accurate and complete. Sometimes it's the bookkeeper, sometimes it's the business owner and sometimes it's both :cry

But, the response is the same. Most people would be better off just sorting their receipts and adding them up. Cheaper, faster, more accurate.

If you can use the scanner for other things, this one is actually pretty good. It's not the fastest, but it's much better than a flat bed and the requisite opening/closing/waiting. Don't even try to do receipts on a sheet fed flatbed/multipurpose type machine.

ChatKat

Maybe it's the mile high altitude or the clients but my experience is different. My partner is also a CPA and we really don't have that as an issue with our clients at all.

As for MAC the newer versions are quite decent.

Shootin1st wrote:

I am a CPA and a Certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor. In all my years I have only seen 1 client (other than those I do myself) that came to me with a QuickBooks file that was both accurate and complete. Sometimes it's the bookkeeper, sometimes it's the business owner and sometimes it's both :cry

But, the response is the same. Most people would be better off just sorting their receipts and adding them up. Cheaper, faster, more accurate.

If you can use the scanner for other things, this one is actually pretty good. It's not the fastest, but it's much better than a flat bed and the requisite opening/closing/waiting. Don't even try to do receipts on a sheet fed flatbed/multipurpose type machine.

Shootin1st

Snowgirl wrote:

Not to hijack - but any suggestions for an accounting program for MAC? I just migrated a few months ago and will have to buy a new program. Sorry, but I am not hearing good things about QB for MAC - particularly if you need to handle Canadian taxes etc (which i do).

QuickBooks for Mac 2009 does not directly handle multiple currencies the way the PC versions can. The new Mac version is OK, but is still not as good as the PC versions. The Mac version is not compatible with the Canadian PC version of QuickBooks. The Mac version is English only. The Mac version can't to the image ready checks. The Canadian versions don't have all of the enhancements that the US versions have. For example, the Canadian multi currency platform is really still the 2007 version. If you have specific questions, open another thread and you'll get plenty of advice .

Snowgirl

Shootin1st wrote:

QuickBooks for Mac 2009 does not directly handle multiple currencies the way the PC versions can. The new Mac version is OK, but is still not as good as the PC versions. The Mac version is not compatible with the Canadian PC version of QuickBooks. The Mac version is English only. The Mac version can't to the image ready checks. The Canadian versions don't have all of the enhancements that the US versions have. For example, the Canadian multi currency platform is really still the 2007 version. If you have specific questions, open another thread and you'll get plenty of advice .

Thanks, will do.