Receipt Bank vs Zera Books for Bookkeepers
Receipt Bank (now Dext) was built for receipt scanning with per-user fees. Bookkeepers managing client bank statements need unlimited processing and client management.
$79/month flat rate. Unlimited clients. No per-page fees. Purpose-built for bookkeeping workflows.
Monthly Cost: 30 Clients, 5 Team Members
Per-user + per-client fees add up
Flat rate, unlimited everything
Receipt Bank Was Built for Receipts, Not Bank Statements
Receipt Bank launched in 2010 as a receipt scanning app for expense management. The platform excels at photographing receipts, extracting vendor data, and pushing expenses to accounting software. But most bookkeepers spend more time on bank statement processing than receipt capture.
When Dext acquired Receipt Bank, they added bank statement capabilities as a secondary feature. However, the platform was not architected for the workflows bookkeepers need: processing statements for 20+ clients during month-end close, auto-detecting multiple accounts in a single PDF, and categorizing transactions for QuickBooks or Xero import.
The Per-User Fee Problem
Receipt Bank (Dext) charges per-user and per-client fees. This creates a scaling problem for growing bookkeeping firms:
- Adding a new team member increases monthly cost
- Adding new clients increases monthly cost
- Tax season volume spikes create unpredictable bills
Zera Books was built specifically for bookkeepers who process client bank statements. $79/month includes unlimited users, unlimited clients, and unlimited conversions. No surprises as your practice grows.
Receipt Bank vs Zera Books: Feature Comparison for Bookkeepers
See which platform fits multi-client bookkeeping workflows.
| Feature | Receipt Bank (Dext) | Zera Books |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | Receipt scanning | Bank statement conversion |
| Pricing Model | Per-user + per-client | $79/month flat |
| Document Types | Receipts, invoices, bank statements | Bank statements, financial statements, invoices, checks |
| Client Management | Yes (per-client fee) | Yes (unlimited clients) |
| Multi-Account Auto-Detection | No | Yes - separate Excel tabs |
| AI Transaction Categorization | Basic vendor matching | Full QuickBooks/Xero chart of accounts |
| Bank Format Support | Limited formats | Zera AI processes any format |
| Batch Processing | Limited | 50+ statements at once |
| QuickBooks/Xero Integration | Yes | Yes (direct API) |
| Mobile Receipt Capture | Excellent | Not primary focus |
| Expense Approval Workflows | Yes | No |
| Cost for 30 Clients | $300-500+/month | $79/month |
Receipt Bank excels at receipt capture. Zera Books excels at bank statement conversion with unlimited processing for bookkeeping firms.
Month-End Close Workflow Comparison
Processing 25 client bank statements at month-end.
Receipt Bank (Dext) Workflow
Receipt-focused platform
Upload Statements
Per clientUpload each client statement individually
Wait for Processing
VariableBank statement processing is secondary feature
Manual Account Split
10-20 min/clientNo multi-account detection - split manually
Basic Categorization
LimitedVendor matching only, not chart of accounts
Export to QuickBooks
15-25 min/clientExport data, then categorize in QuickBooks
Time per client: 30-45 minutes
25 clients: 12-18 hours of work
Monthly cost: $300-500+ (per-user + per-client)
Zera Books Workflow
Built for bookkeepers
Batch Upload
2 minutesDrag and drop all 25 statements at once
Zera AI Processing
AutomaticAll formats processed automatically
Multi-Account Detection
AutomaticChecking, savings, credit cards separated
AI Categorization
AutomaticTransactions mapped to QuickBooks categories
Review & Export
3-5 min/clientQuick review, one-click export per client
Time per client: 5-8 minutes
25 clients: 2-3 hours of work
Monthly cost: $79 (unlimited everything)
"We were drowning in bank statements from two provinces and multiple revenue streams. Zera Books cut our month-end reconciliation from three days to about four hours."
Manroop Gill
Co-Founder at Zoom Books
Context: Zoom Books processes over 3 million books monthly with operations in BC and Ontario. Managing bank statements from multiple locations and revenue streams required a solution built for scale.
3 days
Reduced to 4 hours
40+
Statements processed monthly
$79
Per month, unlimited
Why Bookkeepers Choose Zera Books Over Receipt Bank
Features built specifically for bank statement processing workflows.
Flat Rate Pricing
$79/month for unlimited clients, unlimited users, unlimited conversions. No per-user fees, no per-client fees. Receipt Bank scales with headcount and client count.
See pricingClient Management Dashboard
Organize conversions by client, track history, and access past statements instantly. Built for bookkeepers managing 10-100+ clients.
Learn about client managementMulti-Account Auto-Detection
Upload a single PDF with checking, savings, and credit card. Zera AI detects accounts and creates organized Excel tabs. Receipt Bank requires manual splitting.
See multi-account featuresAI Transaction Categorization
Automatically categorize transactions to Income, Expense, COGS, and other QuickBooks/Xero categories. Review in minutes instead of hours.
Learn about AI categorizationBatch Processing
Upload 50+ statements at once during month-end. Process all your clients simultaneously without waiting. Receipt Bank processes individually.
See month-end workflowsAny Bank Format
Zera AI dynamically processes statements from any bank. Regional credit unions, international banks, any format works automatically.
Explore Zera AIFrequently Asked Questions
Is Receipt Bank good for bookkeepers?
Receipt Bank (now Dext) is designed for receipt capture and expense management, not bank statement processing. For bookkeepers who primarily process client bank statements, Receipt Bank lacks essential features: no multi-account auto-detection, limited bank statement support, and per-user/per-client pricing that scales poorly. Zera Books is built specifically for bookkeepers with unlimited processing and client management.
How does Receipt Bank pricing compare to Zera Books for bookkeepers?
Receipt Bank (Dext) charges per-user and per-client fees, which means costs increase as you grow your bookkeeping practice. A firm with 5 team members and 30 clients can pay $300-500+/month. Zera Books is $79/month flat for unlimited users, unlimited clients, and unlimited conversions. No per-page fees, no per-client fees.
Does Receipt Bank process bank statements as well as receipts?
Receipt Bank added bank statement support as a secondary feature, but it was built for receipts first. It lacks multi-account auto-detection, AI transaction categorization for QuickBooks/Xero, and batch processing for month-end close. Zera Books processes 4 document types (bank statements, financial statements, invoices, checks) with purpose-built features for bookkeeping workflows.
Can I manage multiple clients in Receipt Bank?
Yes, Receipt Bank has multi-client capabilities, but with per-client pricing. Adding more clients increases your monthly cost. Zera Books includes a client management dashboard with unlimited clients at no additional cost. Organize conversions by client, track history, and access past statements instantly.
Which tool has better AI categorization for bookkeeping?
Zera Books includes built-in AI transaction categorization that maps directly to QuickBooks and Xero chart of accounts. Transactions are categorized as Income, Expense, COGS, and other standard accounting categories. Receipt Bank has basic vendor matching but is not optimized for bank statement categorization.
Should I use both Receipt Bank and Zera Books?
Some bookkeeping firms use both: Receipt Bank/Dext for receipt capture and employee expense workflows, and Zera Books for bank statement processing. This gives you specialized tools for each workflow. However, if bank statements are your primary focus, Zera Books alone may be sufficient at $79/month.
Related Comparisons
Explore more Receipt Bank and Dext comparisons.
Stop Paying Per User. Start Processing Unlimited.
$79/month for unlimited clients, unlimited users, and unlimited bank statement conversions. Client management, AI categorization, and batch processing included.