PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Neat®, a leader in Digital Filing Systems for the home and small business, today released research detailing the difficulties and problems that consumers have with managing electronic and paper receipts when they do not have a system in place.

More than 300 smartphone users were surveyed on how they manage receipts, budgets and spending during the holiday shopping season and beyond.  The survey found that:

• Nearly one-third manage 11-15 receipts per week (54-60 per month);
• Over 50 percent report sometimes having difficulty finding paper and electronic receipts they want to reference from in-store, online, and over the phone purchases;
• Over 83 percent of respondents manage more receipts during the holidays that any other time of year;
• Three-quarters report managing holiday shopping receipts by saving the hardcopies;
• 81 percent would find it helpful to have a quick and easy solution to track gift buying budgets.

"This research clearly demonstrates that consumers want to leverage cloud and mobile solutions to help manage their receipts, budgets and spending information," said Kevin Garton, chief marketing officer, for Neat.  "By using Neat, tech-savvy shoppers can address their receipt management issues before the holidays and track their budget. Neat's Digital Filing System provides users with a way to access, share, activate and store their important information." 

Respondents Have Difficulty Locating Paper and Electronic Receipts

Respondents were asked how they save and manage paper and electronic receipts from items they purchase in-store, online, or over the phone.  The survey indicates that consumers who do not have a consistent way of managing paper and electronic receipts are more likely to have difficulty finding them:

• Of the 35 percent of respondents who save electronic receipts in an email account, 48 percent sometimes have difficulty finding electronic receipts;
• Of the 25 percent  of respondents who save electronic receipts on the computer, over half sometimes have difficulty finding electronic receipts;
• Of the 68 percent of respondents who save the hardcopy of paper receipts, over 54 percent sometimes have difficulty finding paper receipts;
• An additional 15 percent do not have a consistent way of managing paper and electronic receipts – they can be anywhere.

Further, over half of respondents sometimes have difficulty finding paper receipts they want to reference.  An additional 47 percent sometimes experienced difficulty finding the receipt for an item they wanted to return.

Receipt Management for the Holiday Season

Survey participants were also asked how they manage receipts, budgets and spending during the holiday season:

• 35 percent of respondents use  paper and/or pen, and 19 percent leverage  online banking tools for managing their holiday budgets;
• 66 percent of respondents would find it helpful to use a mobile device and/or mobile application to manage spending during the holidays;
• 63 percent would find it helpful to manage holiday spending with a personal cloud-based solution.

Additionally, over 80 percent of respondents sometimes and frequently exceed holiday budgets. The survey also revealed that half of consumers share holiday budget information and receipts with their spouses, friends, and family members.

"It's interesting to note that managing a master budget in an environment with paper, pen, or email can lead to overspending and disorganization," said Kevin Garton, chief marketing officer, Neat. "Additionally, 83 percent of surveyed smartphone users report that they manage more receipts during the holidays than any other time of year. It's apparent that having a tool to manage receipts and create budget reports for the holidays is essential."

 About Digital Filing Systems

A Digital Filing System is a desktop and cloud-based repository where important documents and information can be safely stored, organized, accessed and shared.   The information can originate from analog (paper) or digital formats (PDF, JPEG, etc.) and be placed in the Digital Filing System by scanning, emailing, mobile device image capture or uploading.

About Neat®

Neat® is the leading manufacturer of Digital Filing Systems for the small business and home markets.  Neat's unique combination of cloud, mobile, desktop software and hardware scanning solutions transform important documents into usable digital information.  Neat's comprehensive digital filing system helps you organize, access and share both paper and digital documents simplifying everyday tasks so you have more time to do what matters.  Neat's solutions consist of NeatDesk®, NeatReceipts®, NeatCloud®, NeatMobile®, NeatVerify® and NeatScan®.  Learn more at www.neat.com.

Media Contact:
Amber Lutz
215-867-8600 x26
neat@garfieldgroup.com

SOURCE Neat