Financial Data Extraction API FAQ

A financial data extraction API is a programmatic interface that automates the extraction of structured data from financial documents (bank statements, invoices, financial statements, checks) and returns it in a machine-readable format like JSON or CSV. Instead of manually parsing PDFs or using desktop converters, developers can integrate extraction capabilities directly into their applications, enabling automated workflows at scale.

Zera Books API is purpose-built for financial documents using Zera AI, trained on 3.2+ million financial documents. Unlike generic extraction APIs (like Google Cloud Vision or AWS Textract), Zera AI understands financial document structure—transaction tables, running balances, multi-account statements, and accounting terminology. This specialized training delivers 99.6% accuracy for financial data versus 70-85% for generic tools. Plus, Zera Books requires zero template training—it dynamically adapts to any bank or financial format.

Zera Books API supports four core financial document types: (1) Bank Statements from any institution worldwide, including checking, savings, and credit cards, (2) Financial Statements including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements, (3) Invoices with line-item extraction and tax amounts, and (4) Checks with MICR line extraction. All document types work with both native PDFs and scanned/image-based documents via Zera OCR.

Zera Books API returns structured JSON with transaction-level data including dates, descriptions, debit/credit amounts, running balances, and metadata (account numbers, institution names, statement periods). You can also request CSV, Excel, QBO, or OFX formats. The API response includes confidence scores for each extracted field, allowing you to programmatically flag low-confidence extractions for human review. Multi-account statements return separate arrays for each detected account.

Yes, Zera Books API includes proprietary Zera OCR technology specifically trained on financial documents. It processes scanned PDFs, photographed bank statements, faxed copies, and low-quality images with 95%+ accuracy. This is critical since 30-40% of real-world bank statements are scanned or image-based. Generic OCR APIs struggle with financial document layouts, while Zera OCR is optimized for transaction tables, currency symbols, and accounting-specific formatting.

Zera Books API uses API key authentication with secure key rotation support. All API traffic is encrypted with TLS 1.3, and documents are processed in isolated environments with automatic deletion after processing (or 30 days maximum retention if you enable archiving). We maintain SOC 2 compliance and bank-level encryption (AES-256) for data at rest. API keys can be scoped to specific operations (read-only, write, admin) for granular access control.

Zera Books API pricing is usage-based with volume discounts. The standard tier includes 1,000 API calls/month with rate limits of 10 requests/second. Enterprise plans offer higher limits, dedicated infrastructure, and SLA guarantees. Unlike competitors who charge per-page ($0.05-0.20/page), Zera Books charges per API call regardless of document length, making costs predictable even for lengthy multi-page statements.

Yes, Zera Books API supports direct integration with major accounting platforms. You can request output in accounting-specific formats: QBO for QuickBooks Online, IIF for QuickBooks Desktop, OFX for Xero/Sage, or CSV for universal compatibility. The API also supports webhook notifications, allowing real-time updates when documents are processed—perfect for building automated workflows that push extracted data directly into accounting systems without manual intervention.

No template training required. Zera AI dynamically adapts to any bank format, financial institution, or document layout without configuration. This is a major advantage over template-based extraction APIs (like Docsumo, Klippa, Nanonets) that require uploading sample documents and mapping fields for each new format. With Zera Books, your API integration works across all banks immediately, and continues working even when banks change their statement layouts.

Zera Books API includes comprehensive error handling with detailed error codes for common issues (invalid PDF, encrypted document, unsupported format, rate limit exceeded, authentication failure). Each extracted field includes a confidence score (0-100%) allowing you to programmatically validate results. The API also returns validation flags for common data integrity issues like balance mismatches, duplicate transactions, or formatting anomalies, enabling automated quality checks before importing to accounting systems.