<?xml version="1.0"?>

<ownershipDocument>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2003-05-14</periodOfReport>


    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000878556</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>PER SE TECHNOLOGIES INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>PSTI</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001159187</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>UBBEN JEFFREY W</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <derivativeSecurity>
        <securityTitle>
            <value>Non-Employee Director Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
            <footnoteId id="F1"/>
        </securityTitle>
        <conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <value>9.2642</value>
        </conversionOrExercisePrice>
        <transactionDate>
            <value>2003-05-14</value>
        </transactionDate>
        <transactionCoding>
            <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
            <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
            <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            <footnoteId id="F2"/>
        </transactionCoding>
        <transactionTimeliness>
            <value></value>
        </transactionTimeliness>
        <transactionAmounts>
            <transactionShares>
                <value>10000</value>
            </transactionShares>
            <transactionValue>
                <value>0</value>
            </transactionValue>
            <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                <value>A</value>
            </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
        </transactionAmounts>
        <exerciseDate>
            <value>2004-05-14</value>
        </exerciseDate>
        <expirationDate>
            <value>2013-05-14</value>
        </expirationDate>
        <underlyingSecurity>
            <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </underlyingSecurityTitle>
            <underlyingSecurityShares>
                <value>10000</value>
            </underlyingSecurityShares>
        </underlyingSecurity>
        <postTransactionAmounts>
            <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                <value>10000</value>
            </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
        </postTransactionAmounts>
        <ownershipNature>
            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
            </directOrIndirectOwnership>
        </ownershipNature>
    </derivativeSecurity>

    <derivativeSecurity>
        <securityTitle>
            <value>Non-Employee Director Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
            <footnoteId id="F1"/>
        </securityTitle>
        <conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <value>9.2642</value>
        </conversionOrExercisePrice>
        <transactionDate>
            <value>2003-05-14</value>
        </transactionDate>
        <transactionCoding>
            <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
            <transactionCode>J</transactionCode>
            <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            <footnoteId id="F3"/>
        </transactionCoding>
        <transactionTimeliness>
            <value></value>
        </transactionTimeliness>
        <transactionAmounts>
            <transactionShares>
                <value>10000</value>
            </transactionShares>
            <transactionValue>
                <value>0</value>
            </transactionValue>
            <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                <value>D</value>
            </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
        </transactionAmounts>
        <exerciseDate>
            <value>2004-05-14</value>
        </exerciseDate>
        <expirationDate>
            <value>2013-05-14</value>
        </expirationDate>
        <underlyingSecurity>
            <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </underlyingSecurityTitle>
            <underlyingSecurityShares>
                <value>10000</value>
            </underlyingSecurityShares>
        </underlyingSecurity>
        <postTransactionAmounts>
            <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                <value>10000</value>
            </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
        </postTransactionAmounts>
        <ownershipNature>
            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>I</value>
                <footnoteId id="F4"/>
            </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            <natureOfOwnership>
                <value>See footnote 3</value>
            </natureOfOwnership>
        </ownershipNature>
    </derivativeSecurity>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Non-qualified (nonstatutory) stock option granted under the Amended and Restated Per-Se Technologies, Inc. Non-Employee Director Stock Option Plan (the &quot;Plan&quot;).</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Initial grant made immediately following first appointment by the Board of Jeffrey W. Ubben to be a Director, in accordance with Section 5(b)(1) of the Plan.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Jeffrey W. Ubben transferred the reported option to ValueAct Capital Partners, L.P., ValueAct Capital Partners II, L.P. and ValueAct Capital International, Ltd.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">The reported option is owned directly by ValueAct Capital Partners, L.P., ValueAct Capital Partners II, L.P. and ValueAct Capital International, Ltd. and indirectly by VA Partners, L.L.C. as general partner of ValueAct Capital Partners, L.P. and ValueAct Capital Partners II, L.P. and as the investment adviser of ValueAct Capital International, Ltd.  Jeffrey W. Ubben is a director of Per-Se Technologies, Inc. and Managing Member of VA Partners, L.L.C., the General Partner of ValueAct Capital Partners, L.P. and ValueAct Capital Partners II, L.P. and the investment adviser of ValueAct Capital International, Ltd.  Peter H. Kamin and George F. Hamel are Managing Members of VA Partners, L.L.C., the General Partner of ValueAct Capital
Partners, L.P. and ValueAct Capital Partners II, L.P. and investment adviser of ValueAct Capital International, Ltd.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Jeffrey W. Ubben</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-05-16</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Peter H. Kamin</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-05-16</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>George F. Hamel, Jr.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-05-16</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>ValueAct Capital Partners, L.P., by VA Partners, L.L.C., Its General Partner by George F. Hamel, Jr., Managing Member</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-05-16</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>ValueAct Capital Partners II, L.P. by VA Partners, L.L.C, Its General Partner by George F. Hamel,Jr. Managing Member</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-05-16</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>ValueAct Capital International, Ltd., by VA Partners, L.L.C., Its Investment Manager by George F. Hamel, Jr. Managing Member</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-05-16</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>VA Partners, L.L.C.by George F. Hamel, Jr.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-05-16</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

</ownershipDocument>

