The best AP automation software for busy controllers in 2024

Ken Boyd is a guest contributor. The views expressed are theirs and do not necessarily reflect the views of Rho.

Seeking efficiency gains and cost reduction, more businesses are turning to accounts payable (AP) automation to reduce their processing expenses.

This practical guide helps businesses compare and understand the leading AP automation solutions available today.

Let's dive in.

The best AP automation software for 2024 in summary

Here's a quick look at the list of AP automation tools we'll be covering in this round-up. You can click to jump to each section:

• Rho
• Brex
• Ramp
• Airbase
• Corpay
• Bill
• Tipalti
• AvidXchange
• Stampli
• Quadient Beanworks
• SAP Concur
• QuickBooks
• Netsuite
• Sage Intacct
• Acumatica

What is AP automation software?

AP automation software digitizes and automates the end-to-end accounts payable process, allowing businesses to capture, code, match, and approve accounts payable data using fewer manual tasks.

The AP software platforms and solutions available today vary by feature set, capability scope, costs, and integrations.

Tip: Generally, the best AP automation solution is one that will help you eliminate nearly all manual tasks and streamline the end-to-end process with the least financial investment, minimal implementation complexity, and a short learning curve for users.

What are the benefits of AP automation?

In short, accounts payable is time-consuming. Every step, from receiving and coding invoices to navigating approval bottlenecks and processing payments translates to minutes that your finance staff is not dedicating to higher-value work.  

This is a major reason why more businesses are automating the AP process: AP automation software equips the business to process invoices at scale and transactions in less time and with more accuracy.

With automation, you can manage complex AP processes, including multiple locations and general ledger accounts. AP automation can also flag unusual transactions and sharply reduce the risk of fraud and theft.

As a result, businesses can close the books faster and free up the AP staff’s time to work on more valuable tasks, such as cash flow management. Managers get timely and accurate information to make informed decisions.

What Does The Best Accounts Payable Automation Software Include?

Here are key payables processes you should evaluate as you map out your current processes:

Invoice capture and coding

Once vendor invoices are received – either physically or digitally – data must be processed and synced to your accounting software or ERP system with the corresponding general ledger account assigned.

Invoice matching

Invoice data is then matched with a purchase order (PO) to verify that the invoice matches the customer’s instructions on the PO. This process is commonly referred to as two-way matching and helps ensure that data is consistent to mitigate the risks of costly errors.

Some businesses elect to add an additional step to the verification process, matching invoice and purchase order data to shipping receipts (or sales receipts), which is known as three-way matching. There are benefits and trade-offs to adding this additional step.

Adding this additional step provides supplementary oversight that further enhances error spotting. However, it can add time to the entire process and, in certain cases where companies work with the same vendors and have recurring purchases, this trade-off isn’t worth the additional time lost.

Approvals

The AP department then sends the invoice, PO (if applicable), and shipping receipt to the appropriate approvers who are authorized to review and approve the payment. This is typically a CFO, business owner, or head of finance depending on the size of the organization.

Many businesses require multiple approvers for large dollar purchases.

Payment scheduling

All of the documentation and proof of approval is given to a manager, possibly the CFO, who approves payment by check, wire, ACH, credit card, or other methods.

Dedicated AP staff or a process lead then processes each payment, and the vendor then receives a copy of the invoice paid.

General ledger activity

When a payment is processed, the accounts payable account and the cash account in your general ledger are then both reduced by the payment amount(s).

The general ledger entries for credit card payments are slightly different. When a business pays by credit card, the company increases an expense account and increases a credit card payable account.

When the credit card balance is paid, the credit card payable account is reduced, along with the cash account.

Accounting reconciliations

At the end of each month, all general ledger accounts are reconciled, in order to generate the financial statements. Credit card activity and other payments must be reconciled with the bank account.

Recordkeeping

Companies must file all general ledger activity and the AP supporting documentation to establish an audit trail. The records may be reviewed during a financial statement audit, or by various regulatory agencies.

To get the most out of accounts payable automation solutions, the platform needs these features and tools:

• ‍Customized AP workflows: Users must be able to set up workflows based on their current AP processes so that work can be processed without changes to operations.‍
• Invoice automation: The solution should automatically capture invoices, enable invoice data extraction, and store the data for processing.‍
• Matching: Invoices, POs, and shipping receipts should be matched automatically, and the AP team must be alerted if there are exceptions.‍
• Posting to general ledger: Many firms have a chart of accounts that includes subcategories for divisions, departments, or subsidiaries. AP automation must be able to post transactions using a complex account list.‍
• Centralized communications: The AP platform needs a single site where users can access documents and communicate regarding each invoice approval status.‍
• Approval workflows: The system must alert approvers that an invoice must be reviewed, and provide a link to review the supporting documentation. The AP team should be alerted when an invoice is approved.‍
• Additional data: AP automation should provide other useful data, including vendor credit memo information, and potential invoice discounts for timely payment processing.‍
• Reconciliations: The best AP software platforms offer automated bank reconciliations, and integrate credit card activity and other transactions with the bank account.‍
• ERP integrations: Your automation solution should provide a sync with your ERP system, so that the ERP remains the source of truth for accounting system data.‍
• Data visibility and reporting: Managers need access to useful reports, including AP aging schedules, and reports that list invoices by dollar amount or due date. These reports help with cash management.

These features and tools make life easier for the team that processes AP, and for the manager who must monitor transactions. Automation also helps the business to pay invoices on time, and to maintain strong vendor relationships.

Best AP automation software in 2024: a deep dive

1. Rho

Rho has AP automation built into its all-in-one finance platform.

In seconds, the Rho platform executes the entire payable lifecycle, processing thousands of supplier invoices at scale – all in the same fee-free platform where you can manage your expenses and banking.

Pros

• ‍End-to-end finance: Streamlined, unified payments, banking, and expenses in one platform‍
• Free: The Rho platform, including AP, is free to use‍
• Banking-powered AP: Bank integration enables faster payment settlement times and accurate payment status reporting‍
• Scalable: Designed to support 10-person growth-stage startups and 200-plus employee, multi-entity businesses‍
• Customer support: Available 24H Mon-Fri, 10-7pm ET on weekends to assist with implementation and questions

Cons

• ‍3-way match: Not yet available.
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2. Brex

Brex is a finance solution that offers global corporate cards, expense management, reimbursements, travel, and bill pay in one platform.

Pros

• UX: The platform is user-friendly and offers an easy tool for receipt capture‍
• Startup focus: Tailored to startups needs

Cons

• ‍Customer Support: Poor customer service, based on client reviews ‍
• Pricing: Pricing strategy has shifted from SaaS fees for expense management features to now charging for ERP integrations, which confuses users‍
• Opaque Rewards: Reward points have been devalued without notice to users
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3. Ramp

Ramp is an expense management platform offering corporate credit cards, invoice processing, and vendor payments. Ramp’s services are designed to control spend and optimize finance operations, all on a single platform.

Pros

• ‍Cashback on card use: Ramp offers 1.5% cash back on purchases‍
• ERP integrations: QuickBooks, Netsuite, Xero, and Sage Intacct, among others‍
• Invoice approvals: Multi-level approvals and vendor-specific approvals

Cons

• ‍AP automation issues: Some users believe that the AP automation is slow and difficult to navigate, according to review comments
• ‍Customer support: Ramp does not provide live phone support
• ‍Commercial banking and treasury management: Ramp does not offer these services to customers
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4. Airbase

Airbase is a spend management platform for small and midsize companies. It combines comprehensive accounts payable, a corporate card program, and employee expense reimbursements into one system.

Pros

• ‍Robust AP automation: OCR scanning, automated approvals, vendor portal‍
• ERP integrations: Effective integrations with NetSuite, Sage Intacct, and other software providers‍
• Ease of use: From a user perspective and administrator perspective

Cons

• ‍Expensive fees: Fees charged for reimbursements, bill payments, and custom NetSuite fields‍
• No banking service: Airbase is an expense management platform but does not offer any banking solutions‍
• Time lag before payments: According to some customer reviews, there is too much time between debiting the user’s bank account and paying funds to the vendor
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5. Corpay

Corpay offers digital AP automation, cross–border payments, and corporate credit cards to manage spend. The company helps businesses eliminate manual processes, control spend, and reduce fraud.

Pros

• ‍Paperless: Corpay’s automation sharply reduces hardcopy documents and manual processing‍
• Intuitive: The platform is intuitive, and users can easily navigate the system‍
• QuickBooks Online integration: The integration syncs seamlessly with QuickBooks Online

Cons

• ‍Importing: Some customers report problems with importing documents, due to formatting issues‍
• Pricing: According to some users, the pricing structure is expensive, given the amount of transactions allowed by each pricing tier‍
• Payments: A number of reviewers believe that payments are not sent to vendors in a timely manner
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6. BILL (formerly Bill.com)

Bill.com is a popular AP automation solution used by SMBs and middle-market companies to automate the AP and AR functions.

Pros

• ‍ Invoice processing: The solution generates invoices using email attachments from vendors‍
• Approval workflows: BILL can manage multiple invoice approvers‍
• AR support: BILL offers both AP and AR support

Cons

• ‍UX: AP process and workflows are more complex than other AP automation providers
• Expensive: Solution can get expensive depending on your organization size and payments volume‍
• Extensive workflows: Paying vendors requires more steps than other AP automation solutions
• ‍Errors: G2 reviews indicate issues with payment times and responsive customer support
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7. Tipalti

Tipalti is a payment automation and accounts payable software built for managing global payments workflows.

Pros

• ‍Strong global payment support: Customers can make global payments to 196 countries in each country’s global currency, and Tipalti provides global tax compliance ‍
• Invoice management automation: The company offers automated PO matching and invoice scanning‍
• Integration support: Includes NetSuite, Quickbooks, and Sage Intacct‍
• Tax compliance: Tipalti offers advanced global tax compliance features including W-9s, 1099s, and eFiling integrations

Cons

• ‍Expensive: Tipalti’s fee for the core platform is relatively expensive, and customers must pay higher fees to upgrade to other features and tools‍
• Extensive implementation: G2 customer reviews suggest that an implementation can take months‍
• Point solution limitations: AP point solutions make it difficult to establish full control and visibility over spending compared to integrated finance solutions with AP capabilities
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8. AvidXchange

AvidXchange provides end-to-end automation solutions to move your purchase-to-pay functionality online. The platform automates with your current accounting system or ERP,  and is connected to one of the largest supplier networks to facilitate payments.

Pros

• ‍Invoice automation: Invoice processing automation is effective and saves time‍
• Intuitive user interface: The AvidXchange portal is easy to navigate‍
• Robust ERP integrations: Ensure data remains synced between platform and ERP

Cons

• ‍Opaque pricing: AvidXchange doesn’t publish pricing on their site, but some customer reviews suggest the annual subscription prices can run up to $5,000 ‍
• Slow implementation: The company states that it will build an AP portal and fully implement the solution in 45 days or less, which is not as fast as many competitors
• Point solution limitations: AP point-solutions make it difficult to establish full control and visibility over spending compared to integrated finance solutions with AP capabilities
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9. Stampli

Stampli provides AP automation for companies that want to improve efficiency without the need to rework their ERP or change existing AP processes.

Pros

• ‍Visibility: Invoice tracking at every stage of the approval process‍
• Invoice management: Centralized communication hub that includes all invoice documentation ‍
• Customer support: Experienced and responsive customer support team

Cons

• ‍International payments: New functionality that is unproven for customers‍
• UX: Credit memo processing can be confusing, and some ERP interfaces do not smoothly sync all invoice data‍
• Point solution limitations: AP point-solutions make it difficult to establish full control and visibility over spending compared to integrated finance solutions with AP capabilities
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10. SAP Concur

SAP Concur is primarily an expense management platform most notably used by companies to manage travel booking and employee expenses. However, SAP Concur also offers AP invoice processing support.

Pros

• ‍Travel integration: Travel expense management and mileage reimbursement tracking controls built into the same workflow‍
• Brand recognition: SAP has been around for several decades as a brand that many Fortune 500 companies trust‍
• Automated invoice approval process: Incorporates a level of automation to the invoice management process

Cons

• ‍UX: SAP Concur has a reputation for having a clunky user interface‍
• Expensive: SAP Concur is enterprise-grade software that typically has expensive contract fees‍
• Expenses first: SAP Concur is primarily an expense platform, so its AP functionality is not as robust as other offerings.

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11. Quadient Beanworks

Quadient Beanworks AP automation provides automated workflows for POs, invoices, approvals, and payments. Users have more control and better visibility over all AP transactions, and managers can effectively monitor AP processing.

Pros

• ‍Managing approvals: The platform ensures that each invoices is directed to the correct approver, which speeds up the approval process‍
• ERP integrations: Quadient Beanworks has a number of ERP integrations that work effectively‍
• Limiting user access: Managers can set access permissions so that employees only see the specific data they need

Cons‍

• ‍Invoice data coding: The platform keys in invoice data manually, and does not use OCR to post invoice details, increasing the risk of errors‍
• Reporting/ analysis tools: Some user reviews indicate that these tools could be improved to provide better insights‍
• Uploading data: In some reviews, customers point out that data is slow to upload, and delays impact productivity

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12. QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks Online (QBO) provides accounting software that helps users track income, and expenses, and prepare for tax filings.

QBO is a cloud-based accounting system that also offers a mobile app. QuickBooks owner Intuit recently released a new bill payment solution called QuickBooks Money that offers small businesses basic payment capabilities.

Pros

• ‍Sharing and securing data: The cloud makes it easier for users to share data and information is backed up on the cloud‍
• Bookkeepers and accountants know the system: Many customers have used the solution for years (including the QuickBooks Desktop product), and understand how to navigate the software‍
• Ability to add features and tools: Users can add functionality (inventory tracking, payroll, job costing) as needed

Cons

• ‍Weak customer service: Review rankings are below the average for industry competitors. Users are frustrated by slow response times and confusion in the support chat‍
• Slow processing speed: The software often lags and requires more time to post activity, which creates confusion for users‍
• May not support complex accounting needs: While QBO offers advanced capabilities, a growing business with multiple locations and subsidiaries may need a different solution

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Did you know? QuickBooks integrates with Rho

QuickBooks customers can fully automate accounting with Rho’s direct QuickBooks integration. Users can sync all transactions — from cash spend to banking to bill pay — directly to your QuickBooks GL.

Using Rho AP, finance teams can automate invoice processing through the AP Inbox.

Rho seamlessly processes bills and schedules thousands of corresponding payments using supported payment methods (ACH, card, checks, and wires) in seconds – all while enforcing spend compliance using custom multi-level approval process controls.

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13. NetSuite

NetSuite’s ERP is an integrated system that automates accounting, inventory management, human resources, and other business processes. NetSuite software is used by more than 36,000 customers.

Pros

• ‍Adaptability: NetSuite provides automation for companies in nearly every industry‍
• Customization: Users can easily customize dashboards and reports‍
• Real-time analytics: Managers can make timely decisions using data that is always current

Cons

• ‍Admin setup: Can be difficult because the platform offers so many options for users‍
• Loading times: Are sometimes slow, which delays AP processing‍
• Training: The complexity of the platform requires more training than other solutions and users need more time to learn the system

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Did you know? NetSuite integrates with Rho

You can automate accounting with Rho’s NetSuite integration. Use Rho’s integration to automate manual data entry, save time, and avoid human error. All data is accurately entered and mapped to the right NetSuite accounts every time.

Using Rho AP, finance teams can capture bill data fed from invoices into Rho and schedule thousands of corresponding payments using supported payment methods (ACH, card, checks, and wires) in seconds.

Use a wide range of Rho attributes to define custom mapping rules that meet your needs.

14. Sage Intacct

Sage Intacct is a cloud financial management platform that is used by thousands of businesses worldwide. The company offers industry-specific software for a number of industries, including nonprofits, professional services, and healthcare.

Pros

• ‍Integrations: The platform provides integrations with dozens of other software applications‍
• Reporting capabilities: Users can generate real-time reports to make informed decisions‍
• Customized fields: Customers can add fields for customers, classes, and departments to generate more detailed reports

Cons

• ‍User training: Sage Intacct provides so many options that the platform may create a big learning curve for new users‍
• Bank reconciliations: Some user reviews report that reconciliations require too many manual clicks and that the full description of entries is not displayed on the screen‍
• Mobile app capabilities: Several user reviews report that the mobile app needs to be enhanced to be fully functional

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Did you know? Sage Intacct integrates with Rho

You can automate accounting with Rho’s Sage Intacct integration. Use Rho’s integration to automate manual data entry, save time, and avoid human error. All data is accurately entered and mapped to the right Sage Intacct accounts every time.

It’s worth noting that Sage Intacct also offers a powerful AP automation platform, but users must add integrations to handle banking and treasury management.

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15. Acumatica

Acumatica serves mid-market companies and provides AP automation that integrates with other software tools. You can access the system from any device, and scale users up or down as needed.

Pros

• ‍Integration: Provides an integrated experience to manage finances and operations‍
• Cloud-based solution: Easy to implement
• ‍Advanced security measures: Help keep data safe

Cons

• ‍Training: Adding features and tools can be expensive and requires time for additional training‍
• POs: Making changes to purchase orders is difficult‍
• Reporting: Generating customized financial reports is challenging

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How to choose the best AP automation solution for you

Your AP staff will spend the most time using AP software, and you need a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate.

As mentioned before, the best AP automation solution is one that will help you eliminate nearly all manual tasks and streamline the end-to-end process with the least financial investment, minimal implementation complexity, and a short learning curve for users.

An intelligent AP platform should automate data entry using OCR (optical character recognition)  scanning, eliminate the need for paper invoices, and provide an ERP integration.

Approval routing must be automated, and the system must allow you to use a variety of payment methods, including cross-border payments.

Find an intuitive system that provides reliable, real-time processing and timely reporting. The platform must provide automated reconciliations to speed up the month-end close. Onboarding, tax compliance and fraud detection is much easier using a fully automated system.

Wrap-up: Choose the best AP automation software

Now you know all about the different AP automation software solutions on the market.

And if you're still having trouble making a decision, let's make this easy.

If:

• End-to-end finance capabilities
• Bank-powered AP with faster, more trackable payments
• A scalable platform that grows as you grow

All wrapped up in unbeatable pricing (free) and customer support available 24H Mon-Fri, 10-7pm ET on weekends sound nice to you, then you should consider Rho.

Schedule time with a Rho payments expert today!

Competitive data was collected as of October 3, 2024 and is subject to change or update.

Any third-party links are provided for informational purposes only. The third-party sites and content are not endorsed or controlled by Rho.

Rho is a fintech company, not a bank. Checking and card services provided by Webster Bank, N.A., member FDIC; savings account services provided by American Deposit Management Co. and its partner banks.

Note: This content is for informational purposes only. It doesn't necessarily reflect the views of Rho and should not be construed as legal, tax, benefits, financial, accounting, or other advice. If you need specific advice for your business, please consult with an expert, as rules and regulations change regularly.