Veryfi's API-First Approach
Veryfi offers a powerful OCR API capable of real-time data extraction from financial documents. Their technology is accurate, fast, and well-documented for developers building custom document processing pipelines.
The key word there is "developers." Veryfi is built as an API-first platform, meaning the core product is a set of endpoints that your development team calls programmatically. There's no standalone interface designed for accountants who need to process bank statements and import them into Sage.
Veryfi's documentation focuses on API authentication, endpoint configuration, webhook setup, and JSON response parsing — tasks that require software engineering expertise, not accounting knowledge.
For firms with in-house developers, this flexibility is valuable. For the majority of accounting practices that need a tool they can use today, the API-first model creates a significant barrier to adoption.
Why API Requirements Are a Barrier for Sage Users
Accounting firms using Sage need bank statement data in a specific CSV format that maps to Sage's import schema. Getting from a PDF bank statement to a Sage-ready file using Veryfi involves multiple steps that each require technical implementation:
- No development team on staff. Most accounting firms don't employ software engineers. Hiring a contractor to build and maintain an API integration adds cost and complexity.
- Integration takes weeks. Building a reliable pipeline from Veryfi's API to Sage-formatted output requires authentication setup, response parsing, error handling, and output formatting.
- Ongoing maintenance. APIs change, endpoints get deprecated, and authentication tokens expire. Someone has to maintain the integration long-term.
- Custom error handling. When API calls fail or return unexpected data, you need retry logic, fallback processing, and alerting — all custom-built.
The result is that firms either spend thousands building a custom solution, or they continue processing bank statements manually. Neither option is efficient.
How Zera Books Works with Sage
Zera Books eliminates the API integration problem entirely. The platform is designed for accountants, not developers, and produces Sage-formatted exports without any custom configuration.
Upload PDF Bank Statements
Drag and drop one or fifty PDFs. Zera AI processes any bank format — digital, scanned, or image-based — without template training.
AI Extracts and Categorizes
Zera AI extracts dates, descriptions, amounts, and running balances at 99.6% accuracy. Transactions are auto-categorized using GAAP-trained models.
Export Sage-Formatted CSV
Download a pre-formatted CSV that maps directly to Sage's import schema. Columns, date formats, and data types are already configured.
Import to Sage
Open Sage, import the CSV. Zero column mapping required, zero reformatting, zero troubleshooting.
The entire process from PDF upload to Sage import takes minutes, not weeks of development time.
Feature Comparison for Sage Workflows
Veryfi delivers strong extraction accuracy through its API, but it lacks the accounting-specific features that Sage users need for daily workflows. There's no client management dashboard, no multi-account auto-detection, and no pre-formatted Sage exports.
Zera Books is built as a complete workflow platform for accounting professionals. Beyond extraction, it handles categorization, client organization, batch processing, and direct exports to Sage and other accounting software — all without writing a single line of code.
For Sage users who want bank statement automation they can use today, the difference is fundamental: Veryfi is a tool for building solutions, while Zera Books is the solution itself.
When Veryfi Makes Sense for Sage
Veryfi is a strong choice if you have a development team building a custom document processing pipeline with Sage API integration. If your firm is creating proprietary software that needs OCR capabilities embedded via API, Veryfi's developer tools are well-suited for that use case.
For accounting firms that want a ready-to-use bank statement automation tool with Sage-formatted exports, client management, and AI categorization — without hiring developers or maintaining custom integrations — Zera Books is the answer.
