Convert a Receipt to Text — Free OCR for Expenses

Pull merchant, date, and totals off a receipt photo as editable text.

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Drag & drop Receipt files here, or

JPG, PNG, TIFF, GIF, BMP, HEIC, WEBP, PDF — up to 10 files

    Keeping receipts for expenses, taxes, or reimbursement usually means a pile of crumpled paper and a lot of manual typing. This free receipt-to-text converter speeds that up. Snap or upload a photo of a receipt and optical character recognition (OCR) reads the words and numbers — merchant name, date, line items, and total — handing them back as editable text you can paste into a spreadsheet or expense report. It runs in your browser with no software to install and no account to create.

    The tool uses the open-source Tesseract OCR engine and supports roughly 12 languages. Receipts can be tricky: thermal paper fades, ink smudges, and the slips are often creased or curled. A flat, well-lit, in-focus photo makes a big difference, and you should always sanity-check the extracted totals before relying on them.

    How to convert a receipt to text

    1. Lay the receipt flat and take a clear, well-lit photo, or upload an existing image.
    2. Click the upload area and choose the file.
    3. Optionally select the language that matches the receipt.
    4. Press Convert and wait while the OCR engine reads it.
    5. Review the extracted text, correct anything misread, then copy it or download a .txt file.

    Tips for readable receipts

    Thermal receipts fade and curl, so capture them soon and keep them flat. Smooth out creases, place the slip on a contrasting surface, and use bright, even light with no shadow across the print. Fill the frame and keep the camera parallel to the paper so lines stay straight. Faint or partly faded receipts may need a couple of tries. Always double-check the date and total against the original.

    Why use this tool

    It is completely free with no sign-up, no watermark, and no hidden limits. Privacy is built in: your uploaded image is processed and then automatically deleted afterward — useful when receipts carry personal or payment details. The output is plain text you can drop into any sheet; if you'd rather aim straight for a table, see the Image to Excel tool. Any other receipt photo also works through the general Photo to Text or Image to Text tools. For a workflow walkthrough, read our guide on using OCR to digitize receipts for expense tracking.

    Frequently asked questions

    Is the receipt-to-text converter free?

    Yes. There is no charge, no subscription, and no sign-up required. Convert as many receipts as you need.

    Will it organize the receipt into columns automatically?

    No. It returns the words and numbers as text in reading order. You can then arrange them in a spreadsheet, or try the Image to Excel tool for a table-oriented result.

    Why are some numbers wrong on faded receipts?

    Thermal receipts fade and smudge, which makes characters hard to read. A clearer, flatter, well-lit photo helps, but always verify totals against the original.

    What happens to my uploaded receipt?

    The file is processed to extract the text and then automatically deleted afterward. It is not stored or shared.

    Which languages are supported?

    The tool supports roughly 12 languages through the Tesseract engine. Selecting the correct language before converting improves accuracy.

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