Receipt OCR & Extraction

Receipt OCR API for Developers

Turn receipts into structured JSON with a simple API. Upload a receipt file and extract fields like merchant, total, tax, date, currency, receipt ID, payment method, and line items.

Get API Key View API Docs

Start with 20 documents/month and full API access. No credit card required.

How it works

From receipt file to clean JSON

One API call replaces an entire OCR and parsing pipeline

Upload the receipt

Send a PDF, JPG, or PNG receipt file via a multipart POST request with your API key.

Extraction runs automatically

DocuParse processes the file through its extraction pipeline. Difficult scans are handled automatically.

Receive structured JSON

Get named fields — merchant, total, tax, date, receipt ID, line items — in a consistent JSON response.

Fields you can extract

Structured fields returned for every receipt — not raw text

Merchant

Store or vendor name

Total

Final charged amount

Subtotal

Pre-tax total

Tax

Tax amount applied

Tax rate

Tax percentage if present

Date

Transaction date

Currency

3-letter ISO currency code

Receipt ID

Receipt or transaction identifier

Payment method

Card, cash, etc.

Merchant email

Vendor contact email

Merchant address

Store address if present

Line items

Individual products or services

Field coverage

Field coverage per extraction

Request

curl -X POST https://docuparseapi.com/api/v1/extract \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -F "file=@receipt.pdf"

Response

{
  "success": true,
  "document_type": "receipt",
  "merchant": "Example Market",
  "date": "2026-05-10",
  "total": "42.90",
  "subtotal": "39.00",
  "tax": "3.90",
  "currency": "USD",
  "receipt_id": "R-10492",
  "payment_method": "Card",
  "line_items": [
    {
      "description": "Example item",
      "quantity": 1,
      "amount": "19.50"
    }
  ],
  "extraction_source": "rule"
}

Use cases

Built for expense, bookkeeping, and SaaS workflows

API-first, not spreadsheet-first. DocuParse API is designed for developers who need structured document data inside their product, dashboard, or automation workflow.

Expense tracking apps

Let users upload receipts and automatically populate expense fields from extracted JSON.

Bookkeeping tools

Sync receipt data into ledger entries without manual data entry by your team or clients.

SaaS document ingestion

Accept receipt uploads from your customers and store structured data in your database.

Internal admin dashboards

Process company receipts and build spend visibility tools without a custom OCR pipeline.

Finance automation

Trigger automations based on extracted totals, merchants, or payment methods.

Accounting integrations

Map extracted receipt fields to accounting software entries using structured JSON output.

Why use a receipt parsing API instead of raw OCR?

Raw OCR gives you text. DocuParse API returns useful fields your application can actually use.

Feature	Raw OCR	Manual entry	DocuParse API
Returns structured JSON
Extracts totals and dates
Extracts merchant / vendor
Supports API workflows
Useful for automation
Reduces manual review

Structured fields, not just OCR text. Totals, dates, currencies, merchants, receipt IDs, and line items — returned as JSON your app can use directly.

Frequently asked questions

What is a receipt OCR API?

A receipt OCR API accepts receipt files and returns structured data — not just raw text. Instead of plain OCR output, you get named fields like merchant, total, tax, date, and line items ready to use in your application.

Can DocuParse API extract totals and merchant names?

Yes. DocuParse API extracts merchant name, total, subtotal, tax, tax rate, date, currency, receipt ID, payment method, and line items from receipt documents.

Does it return JSON?

Yes. Every extraction response is a JSON object with structured fields. There is no raw text output to parse yourself.

Can I use it with scanned receipts?

DocuParse API processes PDF, JPG, PNG, and CSV files including scans. Difficult scans are handled automatically and return the same named fields.

Is this different from raw OCR?

Yes. Raw OCR returns a wall of text. DocuParse API returns field-level structured data — merchant, total, tax, date — that your application can use directly without additional parsing logic.

Can I process receipts in batches?

Yes. The API supports uploading multiple documents. Check the docs for batch upload details and webhook delivery options.

Start parsing receipts today