Receipt Bank vs Zera Books for CPAs
Receipt Bank (now Dext) was designed for receipt capture and expense management. CPAs processing bank statements need AI categorization, multi-account detection, and direct QuickBooks/Xero integration.
See which platform actually fits the workflows of modern CPA practices.
What CPAs Actually Need
Receipt Bank Was Built for Expense Management, Not Bank Statements
Receipt Bank (now Dext) launched in 2010 as a receipt scanning app. The platform excels at photographing receipts, extracting vendor data, and pushing expenses to accounting software. For CPAs managing employee expense reports, it works well.
But most CPA practices spend more time on bank statement processing than receipt capture. Monthly bookkeeping, tax preparation, and month-end close all depend on converting bank statements into clean, categorized data for QuickBooks or Xero.
Receipt Bank added bank statement support as a secondary feature, but it lacks the depth CPAs need: no multi-account auto-detection, basic categorization, and per-client pricing that scales poorly for growing practices.
The CPA Reality
If you process 20+ clients' bank statements monthly, you need a tool built specifically for that workflow. Zera Books processes 4 document types (bank statements, financial statements, invoices, checks) with AI categorization mapped to your chart of accounts.
Feature Comparison for CPA Practices
See how each platform handles the features CPAs need most.
| Feature | Receipt Bank (Dext) | Zera Books |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | Receipt & invoice capture | Bank statement conversion |
| Document Types | Receipts, invoices, bank statements | Bank statements, financial statements, invoices, checks |
| AI Transaction Categorization | Basic vendor matching | Full QuickBooks/Xero chart of accounts mapping |
| Multi-Account Auto-Detection | No | Yes - separate Excel tabs |
| Bank Format Support | Limited formats | Zera AI processes any format |
| Batch Processing | Individual uploads | 50+ statements at once |
| Client Management | Yes (per-client fees) | Yes (unlimited clients) |
| Pricing Model | Per-client/per-user tiers | $79/month unlimited |
| Mobile Receipt Capture | Excellent | Not primary focus |
| Expense Approval Workflows | Yes | No |
Receipt Bank excels at receipt capture. Zera Books excels at bank statement conversion with the AI features CPAs need for efficient bookkeeping.
What Zera Books Offers CPAs That Receipt Bank Lacks
Purpose-built features for bank statement workflows.
AI Transaction Categorization
Automatically categorize transactions to Income, Expense, COGS, and other QuickBooks/Xero categories. Review and adjust in 3-5 minutes instead of 20-30 minutes of manual work.
Learn about AI categorizationMulti-Account Auto-Detection
Upload a single PDF with checking, savings, and credit card accounts. Zera AI detects each account and creates organized Excel files with separate tabs.
See multi-account featuresAny Bank Format
Zera AI dynamically processes statements from any bank without templates. Regional credit unions, international banks, any format works automatically.
Explore Zera AIBatch Processing
Upload 50+ statements at once during month-end close or tax season. Process multiple clients simultaneously without waiting.
See month-end workflowsClient Management Dashboard
Organize conversions by client, track history, and access past statements instantly. Built for CPA firms managing 10-100+ clients.
View client managementUnlimited Pricing
$79/month for unlimited conversions, unlimited clients, no per-page fees. Predictable costs whether you have 10 clients or 100.
See pricing details
"My clients send me all kinds of messy PDFs from different banks. This tool handles them all and saves me probably 10 hours a week that I used to spend on manual entry."
Ashish Josan
Manager, CPA at Manning Elliott
Context: Ashish manages bookkeeping for multiple small business clients with statements from different banks. The multi-format support and time savings are critical for CPA workflows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Receipt Bank good for CPA practices?
Receipt Bank (now Dext) is excellent for practices focused on receipt capture and expense management. However, if bank statement processing is your primary workflow, Receipt Bank lacks the depth CPAs need: multi-account auto-detection, AI transaction categorization mapped to chart of accounts, and batch processing for month-end close.
What document types does Zera Books process?
Zera Books processes 4 document types: bank statements, financial statements (income statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements), invoices (line item extraction), and checks. This covers the full range of documents CPAs handle during bookkeeping and tax preparation.
How does AI categorization work for CPAs?
Zera AI automatically categorizes each transaction to standard accounting categories (Income, Expense, Cost of Goods Sold, etc.) mapped to your QuickBooks or Xero chart of accounts. You review and adjust in 3-5 minutes instead of 20-30 minutes of manual categorization per client.
Can I use both Receipt Bank and Zera Books?
Yes. Many CPA firms use Receipt Bank/Dext for receipt capture and employee expense management, then use Zera Books for bank statement conversion. This gives you specialized tools for each workflow without paying for overlapping features.
How much does Zera Books cost compared to Receipt Bank?
Zera Books is $79/month unlimited - no per-client fees, no per-page fees, no per-user fees. Receipt Bank (Dext) uses per-client pricing that scales with your practice. At 20+ clients, Zera Books typically saves $4,000-8,000+ annually.
Does Zera Books integrate with QuickBooks and Xero?
Yes. Zera Books has direct API integration with QuickBooks Online and Xero. Export formats are pre-mapped so transactions import with categories already assigned. QuickBooks Desktop users get QBO/IIF export formats.
Related Comparisons
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Ready to Streamline Your CPA Practice?
$79/month unlimited bank statement conversions. AI categorization, multi-account detection, and batch processing built specifically for CPAs and accountants.