This is how efile-it works: you have a desk full of paper and you have decided that you can't live with the chaos anymore. You find our website and want eFILE-it to revolutionize your filing system. Once you have either called us or filled in the online form , you will receive an eFILE-it mailbag in the post.

You then place the paperwork in the mailbag, and briefly tell us how you want it indexed. Give us a ring and we’ll arrange for the collection via a next day courier. Once we have your documents, we will sort them, scan them, index and upload them to our secure website for you to retrieve. All you’ll need to do is login, type a keyword… et voilà! You’ll have the file you need in front of you.

We guarantee a turnaround of two working days from the receipt of the mailbag. Once the contents have been scanned and uploaded we’ll e-mail you to let you know your files are ready for viewing.  We’ll then send you another mailbag for you to fill up again.


That’s it! Much easier than doing the filing yourself, isn’t it?

Frequently Asked Questions

We’ve put together a list of answers to questions we often get. If you can’t find the answer to your question, please do give us a ring on 01733 394269. We’re always happy to help out.

1-How long will it take to scan my files?
We aim to have them online within 2 working days from the receipt of your files to our office.

2-How much does it cost?
Anything from £25 per month. Please look at our pricing matrix for details.

3-How often will I get a mailbag?
It’s up to you. We can set you up with a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly or even annual service. Every time you fill up a mailbag and send it in to us we will send you another one immediately.

4-How often can I send my paperwork?
Although we will ask you to choose between a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, six-monthly or annual service, you will be able to send documents in more often if you wish. As soon as we receive your mailbag full of documents, we will send you a new one immediately. A direct debit will be set up according to the frequency of service you’ve chosen (i.e. weekly, monthly, etc). If you choose to send us more than one bag in a particular period, then your direct debit will be adjusted accordingly for that period.

5-Will I be able to search for a specific keyword?
You’ll be able to search for a keyword within the indexes you’ve asked us to use. If you’ve chosen a package that includes Optical Character Recognition (OCR), you’ll also be able to do full-text searches within documents once opened. We are currently working on the next version of the eFILE-it retrieval system and full-text searches across all documents will soon be possible.

6-Will I get my original documents back?
If you wish to. But do you really need to have them back? Please have a look at the question below regarding secure destruction. If you still want originals back, there is a minimum £10 charge for returning them. This charge will cover up to 10kg. Anything heavier will be quoted for separately. Please note that we keep original documents for 3 months before destroying them, so you have plenty of time to make sure you’re happy with the work we’ve done for you.

7-Are we allowed to destroy the original paperwork?
In 99% of cases, yes you can destroy your original paperwork. However if you at all unsure please refer to our factsheet on Compliance (this is a PDF file)

8-Will you let me know when the files are ready for viewing?
Yes we will email you.

9-How will you know what I want the files to be called?
We’ll ask you to group your files in categories and place an extra sheet bearing the category name on top of each pile. The six categories are Clients, Suppliers, Purchase invoices, Sales Invoices, Admin and Personal. Use a bulldog clip, elastic band or manila folder to make sure that the categories are still clearly identified once the documents get to us.

If you want us to use specific information for indexing, indicate it on the cover sheet on top of each pile. For example, if you want us to use your client number, or client name, you need to let us know. If you want particular files to have particular titles then please make sure they are labelled clearly.

If you don’t specify what you want us to use, we will make an educated guess as to what the indexes should be.

10-I see from the demo that documents are sorted by date: which date do you use?
You’ll notice from our demo that in addition to the categories, files are presented in a calendar view. This means that we will need to enter a date for each file scanned. By default, we will use the date present on the first page of a file (e.g. letter date, invoice date, etc). If there is no date on the first page, we will use the scan date. If you want us to use a specific date, a handwritten date in the top left corner of the top page will take precedence.

11-Can I mix all sorts of paperwork in the same mail bag (e.g. sales invoices and supplier files)?
Yes you can as long as they are clearly marked with what you want us to do with them (see question 9 above).

12-Can you scan cheque stubs and paying-in books?
Yes we can.

13-Can you scan any size paperwork?
We can scan any size up to a maximum of A3 as part of the eFILE-it service.  But we are capable of scanning large formats as well.  Prices for those are quoted separately. 

14-Do I need to remove staples, paper clips, plastic wallets, etc before sending you my files?
No. It’s all part of the service.

15-How many fields can you index for each file?
It depends on the package you choose. Please see our pricing matrix for details.

16-How will I get the mailbag over to you?
Depends on the level of service you require. If you chose bronze you send it to us yourself. If you chose silver, gold or platinum then all you need to do is call us. We’ll arrange the collection using our next day courier. If you call us before 10.30am, we can arrange collection on the same day.

17-How do you destroy the documents?
By default we will keep all documents on site for three months free of charge. All documents are then securely destroyed on our premises. Paperwork is shredded into small round particles (approx. 0.5cm diameter), making it impossible to reconstruct the originals. Shreddings are then recycled in the manufacturing of tissues and toilet paper.

18-What happens with the paper shreddings?
All paperwork destroyed goes on to become recycled tissues and toilet paper.

19-What file format will you scan my documents to?
Generally, small receipts will be done in colour at 150dpi while everything else will be scanned in black and white at a resolution of 200dpi. Unless you tell us otherwise, we’ll scan to an Adobe Acrobat pdf format.

We’ve chosen the Adobe pdf format because it’s now become a generic format and can be viewed with the free Acrobat Reader, which you probably already have installed on your PC. If not, you can download the latest version from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html. Please note that you will need version 5.0 or above to view the files properly.


20-Do I have to use your retrieval system?
No you dont. We can set you up with an FTP account on our server which will allow you to dowload your files into whatever retrieval system you use. E.G INVU or DocHaven; or you can even download your files straight into a folder structure onto your PC.

21-Can I use my own document management system?
Yes you can if you let us know in advance what file format and indexing your system requires.

22-Do I have to leave the files online?
No. It’s up to you.

23-Do I have to leave the files online?
No.  It's up to you.


24-How do I access my scanned files?
The first email we will send you once your files are online will contain your unique username and password. You then use these to log in and view your files online.