AI-Receipt Parser for Zapier

PDF4me AI-Receipt Parser in Zapier uses AI-powered machine learning to extract structured data from receipts. Process receipt PDFs or images from your Zap triggers and actions—such as email attachments, cloud storage uploads, or form submissions—to automatically capture merchant information, transaction dates, receipt numbers, line items, financial totals, payment methods, and specialized receipt data from supported types (meal, supplies, hotel, fuel and energy, transportation, communication, subscriptions, entertainment, training, healthcare, generic). This action is ideal for receipt processing automation, expense management digitization, automated expense tracking, transaction data extraction, merchant information extraction, expense reporting automation, and receipt management workflows that require AI-powered extraction with structured output inside your Zapier automations.

Authenticating Your API Request

To access the PDF4me Web API through Zapier, every request must include proper authentication credentials. Authentication ensures secure communication and validates your identity as an authorized user, enabling seamless integration between your Zaps and PDF4me's AI-powered receipt processing services.

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Key Features

• AI-Powered Extraction: Advanced machine learning technology for accurate receipt data extraction
• Multi-Format Support: Process receipts in PDF, PNG, JPG, and JPEG formats from Zapier triggers and file actions
• Merchant Information: Extract merchant name, address, phone, website, store number, and cashier name
• Transaction Details: Extract transaction date, time, receipt number, and payment method
• Line Item Analysis: Extract detailed line items with names, quantities, prices, categories, descriptions, and item codes (when enabled)
• Financial Totals: Extract subtotal, tax amount, total amount, and payment information (when enabled)
• Specialized Receipt Types: Extract data from hotel receipts, fuel receipts, healthcare receipts, training receipts, and more
• Flexible Receipt Types: Support for supplies, retail, restaurant, hotel, fuel, healthcare, training, and generic receipt types
• Custom Field Extraction: Extract additional custom fields beyond standard receipt data
• Zapier Integration: Send extracted data to spreadsheets, accounting tools, expense systems, and databases via Zapier

Receipt Data Extraction Capabilities

Field Recognition

• Merchant and Transaction: Extract merchant name, address, phone, website, store number, cashier; transaction date, time, receipt number, payment method
• Line Items and Totals: Capture line items (when Analyze Items enabled), subtotal, tax amount, total amount, card last four
• Specialized Types: Extract type-specific fields for hotel, fuel, healthcare, training, and other receipt types

Document Support

• Multi-Format: Process receipts in PDF, PNG, JPG, and JPEG from Zapier triggers and file actions
• Receipt Type and Options: Optional receipt type for accuracy; Analyze Items, Extract Merchant Info, Calculate Totals; Custom Field Keys

Zapier Integration

• Downstream Steps: Map extracted data to spreadsheets, accounting tools, expense systems, and databases in subsequent Zap steps
• Triggers: Use files from Gmail, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, or form uploads as input

Parameters

Important: Parameters marked with an asterisk (*) are required and must be provided for the action to function correctly.

Required Parameters

Configure how receipt documents are passed into the AI-Receipt Parser action within your Zap.

Parameter	Type	Description	Example
Receipt File*	File	Source Receipt File • Map the receipt file from a previous Zap step (for example, Gmail attachment, Google Drive/OneDrive/Dropbox file, form upload) • Supports PDF, PNG, JPG, and JPEG formats • Use the file output from your trigger or file-based action	receipt_2024_03_15.pdf
Receipt Name*	String	Receipt File Name with Extension • Name of the input receipt file including the correct file extension • Used for format detection and AI processing optimization • Can be mapped dynamically from trigger or previous step data • Must include file extension (.pdf, .png, .jpg, .jpeg)	receipt_2024_03_15.pdf

Optional Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description	Example
Receipt Type	String	Optional Receipt Type • Optional receipt type for improved parsing accuracy • Supported types: meal, supplies, hotel, fuel and energy, transportation, communication, subscriptions, entertainment, training, healthcare, generic • Helps AI optimize field recognition for specific receipt formats	supplies
Analyze Items	Boolean	Line Item Analysis Enable • Enable or disable detailed line item analysis and extraction • When enabled, extracts individual line items with names, quantities, prices, descriptions, SKU, brand, size, color, and category	true
Extract Merchant Info	Boolean	Merchant Information Extraction Enable • Enable or disable merchant information extraction • When enabled, extracts merchant name, address, phone, website, store number, and cashier name	true
Calculate Totals	Boolean	Financial Totals Calculation Enable • Enable or disable financial totals calculation and extraction • When enabled, extracts subtotal, tax amount, total amount, payment method, and card details	true
Custom Field Keys	Array	Optional Custom Field Keys List • Optional list of custom field keys to extract from the receipt • Use to capture domain-specific or custom receipt fields beyond standard data • Pass as a JSON array string or mapped list depending on the Zapier field UI	["customField1", "customField2"]

Output

The PDF4me AI-Receipt Parser action returns structured receipt data that can be used in subsequent Zapier steps.

Table

Table View

Response data in a structured table format:

Parameter	Type	Description
receiptType	String	The type of receipt extracted (e.g., supplies, retail, restaurant, hotel, fuel, healthcare, training, generic)
transactionDateStr	String	The transaction date extracted and formatted in ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD)
transactionTime	String	The transaction time extracted from the receipt (HH:MM:SS format)
receiptNumber	String	The receipt number or transaction identifier extracted from the receipt
analyzeItems	Array	Array of receipt item objects with name, quantity, unit price, total price, category, description, item code, brand, size, color, and SKU
merchantInfoList	Array	Array of merchant information objects with merchant name, address, phone, website, cashier name, and store number
financialInfoList	Array	Array of financial information objects with subtotal, tax amount, total amount, payment method, and card last four digits
merchantName	String	The name of the merchant extracted from the receipt
merchantAddress	String	The address of the merchant extracted from the receipt
merchantPhone	String	The phone number of the merchant extracted from the receipt
merchantWebsite	String	The website URL of the merchant extracted from the receipt
storeNumber	String	The store number or location identifier extracted from the receipt
cashierName	String	The name of the cashier extracted from the receipt
subtotal	Number	The subtotal amount before taxes, with precise decimal handling
taxAmount	Number	The tax amount charged, with precise decimal handling
totalAmount	Number	The total amount after taxes, with precise decimal handling
paymentMethod	String	The payment method used (e.g., Cash, Credit Card, Debit Card)
cardLastFour	String	The last four digits of the payment card, if applicable
roomNumber	String	The room number for hotel receipts
checkInDate	String	The check-in date for hotel receipts, formatted in ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD)
checkOutDate	String	The check-out date for hotel receipts, formatted in ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD)
fuelType	String	The type of fuel for fuel receipts (e.g., Regular, Premium, Diesel)
fuelQuantity	Number	The quantity of fuel purchased, with precise decimal handling
fuelUnit	String	The unit of fuel measurement (e.g., Gallons, Liters)
vehicleNumber	String	The vehicle number or license plate for fuel receipts
serviceType	String	The type of service for service receipts
subscriptionPeriod	String	The subscription period for subscription receipts
trainingProvider	String	The training provider name for training receipts
courseName	String	The course name for training receipts
healthcareProvider	String	The healthcare provider name for healthcare receipts
patientName	String	The patient name for healthcare receipts
insuranceInfo	String	The insurance information for healthcare receipts
additionalInfo	Object	Dictionary containing additional extracted fields beyond standard receipt data
warnings	Array	Array of warning messages indicating potential data quality issues or extraction challenges
fallbackUsed	Boolean	Indicates whether fallback extraction methods were used during processing
rawOcrText	String	The raw OCR text extracted from the receipt document
jobId	String	Unique identifier for the AI processing job, useful for tracking and debugging
jobIdExt	String	External job identifier for integration with third-party systems, if applicable
success	Boolean	Indicates whether the AI-powered receipt data extraction completed successfully
message	String	Descriptive message indicating the result of the receipt data extraction process

JSON

JSON Response Format

The raw JSON response from the action (representative example):

{
  "receiptType": "supplies",
  "transactionDateStr": "2024-03-15",
  "transactionTime": "14:30:00",
  "receiptNumber": "REC-12345",
  "analyzeItems": [
    {
      "name": "Office Supplies",
      "quantity": 2,
      "unitPrice": 25.00,
      "totalPrice": 50.00,
      "category": "Office Supplies",
      "description": "Notebooks and pens",
      "itemCode": "OS-001",
      "brand": "BrandName",
      "size": "Standard",
      "color": "Blue",
      "sku": "SKU123456"
    }
  ],
  "merchantInfoList": [
    {
      "merchantName": "Office Supply Store",
      "merchantAddress": "123 Main Street, New York, NY 10001",
      "merchantPhone": "+1-555-123-4567",
      "merchantWebsite": "www.officesupply.com",
      "cashierName": "John Doe",
      "storeNumber": "STORE-001"
    }
  ],
  "financialInfoList": [
    {
      "subtotal": 65.00,
      "taxAmount": 5.20,
      "totalAmount": 70.20,
      "paymentMethod": "Credit Card",
      "cardLastFour": "1234"
    }
  ],
  "merchantName": "Office Supply Store",
  "merchantAddress": "123 Main Street, New York, NY 10001",
  "subtotal": 65.00,
  "taxAmount": 5.20,
  "totalAmount": 70.20,
  "paymentMethod": "Credit Card",
  "cardLastFour": "1234",
  "additionalInfo": {},
  "warnings": [],
  "fallbackUsed": false,
  "rawOcrText": "RECEIPT...",
  "jobId": "12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789012",
  "jobIdExt": "REC-2024-001",
  "success": true,
  "message": "Receipt data extracted successfully using AI technology"
}

Workflow Usage

Advanced Workflow Integration

The extracted receipt data can be seamlessly integrated with other Zapier apps:

• Accounting Platforms: Create expense records in QuickBooks, Xero, or other accounting tools
• Spreadsheets & Databases: Store extracted receipt data in Google Sheets, Airtable, or SQL databases
• Expense Management: Feed receipt data into expense management and reimbursement apps
• Approval Workflows: Route receipts based on amount or category using Zapier filters and approval steps
• Email Notifications: Send receipt processing confirmations via Gmail, Outlook, or Slack
• Tax Reporting: Aggregate receipt data for tax reporting and compliance
• Document Storage: Link extracted receipt data with original receipt images in Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox

Workflow Examples

The PDF4me AI-Receipt Parser action in Zapier provides comprehensive workflow templates designed for real-world business scenarios. These proven automation patterns help you implement receipt data extraction seamlessly into your existing processes:

Expense Management Automation

Automated Expense Management Workflow

Streamline expense management with AI-powered receipt data extraction:

Complete Workflow Steps:

1. Trigger: Receipt uploaded to cloud storage (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox) or received via email
2. AI-Receipt Parser: Extract merchant, transaction, line items, and financial totals using PDF4me AI
3. Receipt Type Detection: Identify receipt type for appropriate processing workflow
4. Expense Categorization: Categorize expenses using extracted merchant and item information
5. Data Validation: Validate extracted totals and payment information with Zapier filters or paths
6. Create Expense Record: Insert receipt data into QuickBooks, Xero, or another expense management system
7. Update Sheet/Database: Store extracted receipt data in Google Sheets or Airtable with metadata
8. Approval Workflow: Route high-value expenses for manager approval via Zapier
9. Email Notification: Notify finance team with expense processing summary
10. Archive: Move processed receipt to archive folder with extracted metadata

Business Benefits:

• Automates expense data entry from receipts
• Reduces manual data entry time and errors
• Accelerates expense approval cycles
• Maintains complete audit trail of all processed receipts

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Expense Tracking & Reporting

Automated Expense Tracking Workflow

Automate expense tracking and reporting using extracted receipt data:

Complete Workflow Steps:

1. Trigger: Receipt uploaded to expense tracking folder in cloud storage
2. AI-Receipt Parser: Extract merchant, items, totals, and payment information with line item analysis enabled
3. Expense Categorization: Categorize expenses using extracted merchant and item categories
4. Budget Comparison: Compare extracted expenses against budget limits using Zapier
5. Excel/Sheets Export: Append categorized expenses to Google Sheets or Excel via Zapier
6. Dashboard Update: Send extracted data to Airtable or another database for expense analytics
7. Approval Routing: Route expenses over threshold to manager for approval
8. Tax Reporting: Generate tax reports from extracted receipt data
9. Expense Summary: Generate expense summary reports from categorized receipt data
10. Notification: Send expense summary email to finance team

Business Benefits:

• Real-time expense tracking and budget monitoring
• Automatic expense categorization based on receipt data
• Instant visibility into spending patterns
• Proactive budget alerts before overspending
• Comprehensive expense analytics and reporting

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Tax Reporting Automation

Automated Tax Reporting Workflow

Generate tax reports using extracted receipt data:

Complete Workflow Steps:

1. Trigger: Receipt uploaded to tax reporting folder in cloud storage
2. AI-Receipt Parser: Extract financial totals, tax amounts, and merchant information with totals calculation enabled
3. Tax Data Aggregation: Aggregate tax data from multiple receipts in a Zap or downstream app
4. Tax Report Generation: Generate tax reports from extracted receipt data
5. Spreadsheet Export: Export tax data to Google Sheets or Excel for tax reporting
6. Compliance Check: Verify tax compliance using extracted tax information
7. Tax Filing: Prepare tax filing data from aggregated receipt information
8. Reporting: Generate quarterly and annual tax reports from extracted data
9. Archive: Store processed receipts with tax reporting metadata in cloud storage
10. Notification: Notify tax or finance team when batches are processed

Business Benefits:

• Automated tax reporting from receipt data
• Real-time tax data aggregation and reporting
• Improved tax compliance and accuracy
• Faster tax reporting processes
• Comprehensive tax analytics and insights

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Specialized Receipt Processing

Automated Specialized Receipt Processing Workflow

Process specialized receipts (hotel, fuel, healthcare, training) with intelligent data extraction:

Complete Workflow Steps:

1. Trigger: Specialized receipt (hotel, fuel, healthcare, training) uploaded to cloud storage or received via email
2. AI-Receipt Parser: Extract type-specific fields (room number, check-in/out, fuel type/quantity, patient name, course name) using optional Receipt Type
3. Type Classification: Use extracted receipt type or Receipt Type parameter for routing
4. Record Creation: Add receipt data to travel, fleet, healthcare, or training system via Zapier
5. Sheet or Database Update: Store specialized receipt data in Google Sheets, Airtable, or database
6. Integration: Map extracted data to downstream apps (travel booking, fleet management, LMS, etc.)
7. Reporting: Generate specialized reports from extracted receipt data
8. Notification: Notify relevant team when specialized receipts are processed
9. Archive: Store processed receipts with type-specific metadata

Business Benefits:

• Automated processing of hotel, fuel, healthcare, and training receipts
• Type-specific extraction improves accuracy and downstream use
• Single Zap handles multiple receipt types with optional Receipt Type
• Better visibility and reporting for travel, fleet, and training spend

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Industry Use Cases & Applications

Finance & Accounting

• Expense Processing: Automate expense processing using extracted receipt data
• Tax Reporting: Generate tax reports from extracted receipt information
• Financial Reporting: Generate financial reports from extracted receipt data
• Audit Compliance: Maintain audit trails using extracted receipt data
• Budget Management: Track expenses using extracted receipt information

Retail & E-commerce

• Transaction Processing: Process retail transactions using extracted receipt data
• Inventory Management: Track inventory using extracted receipt line items
• Customer Analytics: Analyze customer behavior using extracted merchant information
• Sales Reporting: Generate sales reports from extracted receipt data
• Returns Processing: Process returns using extracted receipt information

Hospitality & Travel

• Hotel Receipt Processing: Process hotel receipts with room numbers and check-in/out dates
• Travel Expense Management: Manage travel expenses using extracted receipt data
• Travel Reporting: Generate travel reports from extracted receipt information
• Expense Reimbursement: Process expense reimbursements using extracted receipt data
• Travel Analytics: Analyze travel spending using extracted receipt information

Healthcare & Medical

• Healthcare Receipt Processing: Process healthcare receipts with patient and insurance information
• Medical Expense Tracking: Track medical expenses using extracted receipt data
• Insurance Claims: Process insurance claims using extracted healthcare receipt information
• Medical Reporting: Generate medical expense reports from extracted receipt data
• Compliance Tracking: Track compliance with healthcare regulations using receipt data

Logistics & Transportation

• Fuel Receipt Processing: Process fuel receipts with fuel type, quantity, and vehicle information
• Fleet Management: Manage fleet expenses using extracted fuel receipt data
• Vehicle Expense Tracking: Track vehicle expenses using extracted receipt information
• Fleet Reporting: Generate fleet expense reports from extracted receipt data
• Fuel Analytics: Analyze fuel consumption using extracted receipt information

Receipt Parser Best Practices

Document Quality

• Clear Documents: Use clear, readable receipt PDFs or images for best extraction accuracy
• File Formats: Prefer PDF or high-resolution PNG/JPG; include file extension in the file name
• Single Document: Pass one receipt per action run for consistent field mapping in Zapier

Zapier Integration Tips

• Map Required Fields: Always map Receipt File and Receipt Name from the previous step
• Optional Parameters: Use Receipt Type when known; enable Analyze Items, Extract Merchant Info, or Calculate Totals as needed
• Custom Field Keys: Pass optional Custom Field Keys when you need extra receipt fields beyond the standard set

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