Use the browser demo to test a real invoice, then move to the live developer plan or API when the workflow needs batch runs, repeated extraction, or production access.
browser demo · production key right after checkout · excel-first workflow for finance ops
Start in the browser demo, then move to the live developer plan or API when the spreadsheet job turns into a real workflow.
Drag and drop any invoice PDF into the browser demo - supplier invoices, purchase orders, receipts. If the workflow fits, the developer plan and API take it further.
Useful Patch identifies supplier details, invoice number, line items, quantities, unit prices, VAT, and totals automatically. The API adds repeatable production access and mapping options.
Click download and get a clean CSV file. Double-click to open in Excel - data lands in the right columns, ready for your accounts payable workflow.
There are several ways to get invoice data into a spreadsheet. Here's an honest look at what each involves.
| Method | Useful Patch | Manual Typing | Template Tools | Generic AI Tools |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time per invoice | ✓ ~10 seconds | 5–20 minutes | Fast (after setup) | Varies |
| Setup required | ✓ None | ✓ None | ✗ Template per supplier | Prompt engineering |
| Error risk | ✓ Low (AI + QA) | ✗ High (human fatigue) | Medium (breaks on layout changes) | Medium (hallucination risk) |
| Account required | ✓ No | ✓ No | ✗ Yes | ✗ Usually |
| Works on new supplier formats | ✓ Automatically | ✓ Yes (but slowly) | ✗ Need new template | Usually |
| Data privacy (browser demo) | ✓ Stays in browser | ✓ Stays local | ✗ Uploaded to servers | ✗ Uploaded to servers |
| Output format | ✓ Clean CSV / JSON | Whatever you type | CSV (with correct template) | Varies, often messy |
| Scanned PDFs | ✓ Developer plan + API | ✓ Yes (type from screen) | Some tools | Some tools |
| Batch processing | ✓ Developer plan + API | ✗ Very slow | ✓ Usually | Varies |
Useful Patch captures the fields your accounts payable team actually needs - no reformatting, no copy-paste, no manual column alignment.
Supplier name, address, email, and phone number extracted from the invoice header - no manual lookup required.
Invoice number, invoice date, due date, and purchase order number parsed into separate, clean columns.
Each line item extracted as its own row: description, quantity, unit price, and line total - exactly as it appears in the invoice.
Subtotal, VAT/tax amount, tax rate, and invoice total captured accurately. Numbers are formatted as numbers - not text that Excel misreads.
Output columns are consistent across invoices - so you can concatenate multiple CSVs into one master spreadsheet without reformatting.
Sensitive supplier invoices stay on your device in the browser demo. Processing happens locally in your browser, while the developer plan and API cover the heavier production workflow.
With Useful Patch: open the browser demo, drop in a real invoice, wait a few seconds for extraction, then download the CSV and open it in Excel. If the workflow sticks, the live developer plan and API are there for repeat runs.
Copy-pasting from PDFs breaks table formatting. You end up with merged cells, split rows, missing columns, and numbers formatted as text. You then spend more time fixing the spreadsheet than you would have spent typing manually. AI extraction preserves the table structure - all fields land in the right columns automatically.
Yes. The CSV uses standard formatting that Excel opens natively. On Windows, double-click the file and it opens in Excel automatically. On Mac, open Excel and use File → Import. Numbers, dates, and text fields are formatted cleanly - no reformatting needed.
Not in the browser demo. Useful Patch's browser demo processes your PDF entirely on your device, so you can test the workflow without sending the file anywhere. The developer plan and API handle production extraction securely for repeated or batch work.
Supplier name and address, invoice number, invoice date, due date, purchase order number, line item descriptions, quantities, unit prices, line totals, VAT/tax amounts, and invoice totals. The developer plan and API also support custom field mapping.
The browser demo handles one invoice at a time. The developer plan starts at £29/month, and the API is the route for batch invoice runs, repeat extraction, and month-end accounts payable workflows.
Check a real invoice in the demo, then use the live developer plan or API docs when this turns into repeat finance work.
Related tools and comparisons:
Parseur Alternative · DocuClipper Alternative · Docparser Alternative · Rossum Alternative · Nanonets Alternative · Mindee Alternative · Tabula Alternative · Free PDF to CSV · PO to CSV · Invoice to Excel · Bank Statement to CSV
In-depth comparisons:
Done-for-you option
If you have a real batch and do not want to compare OCR tools all day, Useful Patch has a fixed-price setup for invoices and purchase orders.