Best Accounts Payable Software

Accounting is the heart of any business, and it gives clear visibility of the company’s financial status.  Failing to record the business transaction could prove expensive for organizations. The two important constituents for registering business transactions are; accounts payable and accounts receivable.  Accounts receivable is the payment that the company receives from customers, and accounts payable is the money the company owes to suppliers or vendors.

Mismanagement of accounts payable can spoil a company’s reputation and have severe implications for business. Accounts payable look simple, but when there are more invoices to process, it could be a painstaking task. The accounts payable department needs to sort a large number of invoices, and the process is time-consuming and labor-intensive.  Accounts payable software can fast pace the process and eliminate the errors caused due to manual intervention. Accounts payable software can route invoices automatically to the administrator for approval and processes the payment. Accounts payable approval softwarefacilitates faster invoice processing with greater accuracy. However, selecting the right accounts payable software is critical for efficient invoice processing.

This buyer guide on accounts payable software is intended to help the business owner to understand the significance of accounts payable software in business.  It sheds light on accounts payable software topics such as cost, latest trends, benefits, features, etc., which in turn can support the buying decision of the best accounts payable software.

• Managing the number of invoices:  Organizations usually struggle in managing the massive number of suppliers' invoices. In case the business misplaces the invoices, it could result in a delay of payment. Losing invoices can not only delay the supplier's payment but also spoils the business's brand reputation.
• Slow processing: The account payable process involves taking approval from the authorized person and processing the payment.  Manual methods for account payable could be time-consuming and takes more labor work.
• Data entry errors:  Data entry errors are pretty common while recording invoice details manually.  The data entry error can lead to transaction errors, miscalculations, and inaccurate payments. This can damage the relationship between business owners and suppliers.
• Unauthorized purchases: Processing a high volume of invoices sometimes puts managers under pressure and skips the invoice approval process.  Unauthorized purchases can cause disputes among team members and open up the business to a fraudulent transaction.
• Paying invoices for goods not delivered: Lack of visibility over purchase orders and not following a systematic approach such as three-way matching can end up organization paying for the goods not delivered.  Paying bills without checking the goods delivery or checking the quality of the goods can bring loss to the business.
• Double payment:  Double payment error occurs when there is no system to track the payment history, or there is a data entry error.  It is pretty common in small companies where a single person is in control of everything.

Automation is the only way to eliminate the manual intervention from the account payable process that slows down the efficiency of the account payable team.  Automation of accounts payable allows AP teams to handle invoices with higher accuracy and precision.  With automation, there is no need to chase approvers for approvals. They can receive notifications on the go and approve the invoices as it comes in.  Automation in account payable can also take charge of PO (Purchase Order) matching and streamlines AP (Account Payable) workflow. Automation can even eliminate the possibility of discrepancy or fraud by automating the payment process. The AP  team can enhance their efficiency by creating customized workflow and route approval steps for fast invoice processing.  Automation can be helpful to extract essential data and reports about the account payable. These reports could be vital in making an important business decision and identifying the areas for improvement.

Accounts payable software is a tool that assists accounting professionals in automating various accounts payable tasks such as invoice processing, payment reconciliation, PO matching, matching documents, etc.  Accounts payable software is also known as AP (Automation Payable) software. The main objective of the AP automation software is to streamline the full cycle of accounts payable.

Accounts payable software can be either used as a standalone solution or as a part of enterprise accounting software. Accounts payable software uses technologies such as machine learning and OCR to automate the account payable tasks. Some of the advanced and most popular accounts payable software enable users to set conditional routing.  It means they can determine which invoice would go to which person for approval. The software also suggests early payment for a discount.  The software can assist in collecting tax details, which can be consolidated while preparing a yearly report.

Yes, accounts payable software ensures business continuity.

In the last few decades, the definition of a sustainable business model has evolved from commercially successful to future-ready. It would be essential for businesses to adopt a system that enables them to continue their business operations in any circumstances.  The breakout of Covid-19 has taught business owners the hard way the significance of technology in continuing their businesses during a crisis.  Automation technology ensures that organizations can continue business with limited resources.  Accounts payable software is playing a significant role in making accounting an autonomous process.  It replaces the manual approach and the costly delays associated with it.  It helps with automated invoice capture and workflows. It gives a high level of visibility on accounts payable and improves vendor relationships.  In addition to that, the SaaS-based accounts payable software solutions take approval and process invoices from anywhere.  All these capabilities of accounts payable software solutions ensure that the business continues performing in any circumstances.

Accounts payable software is essential for a business to get real insights into the company’s financial health. Without accounts payable software, it would be not easy to make the financial projection for business growth or drive the investor's attention. Best accounts payable automation software makes invoice processing seamless and error-free.  It is capable of automating processes such as invoice matching, invoice approval, and payments. Besides that, accounts payable software solutions can assist the organization with the audit process. It increases transparency in invoice processing and also maintains all the payment records.  This data can be instrumental in speeding up the audit process and verifying regulatory compliance.  Organizations can also save costs on labor and invoice processing by replacing the entry-level accounting system with automated accounts payable software solutions.  In addition to that, the organization can take advantage of the financial opportunities. For instance, some vendors or suppliers offer early payment discounts. The accounts payable software helps in the fast processing of invoices and allows organizations to avail of early payment discounts.

Regardless of business size, accounts payable software can bring greater control and visibility to the business.  Small and large businesses can differ in their budget, business operations, and infrastructure, but they have common priorities; increase profitability and minimize operating costs.  For which they rely on advanced technology and software solutions that help them to automate their business operations.  Accounting is one of the critical processes for any business that helps them to track expenses and cash flow.  By adopting accounts payable processing software, large and small organizations can gain better control over the cash flow. Most popular accounts payable software allows team members to manage their purchases without the involvement of the procurement team. 

Team members can even take managerial approvals without effort.  It also verifies and stores proof of purchase automatically from the moment the transaction is made.  Besides that, organizations can efficiently deal with their overseas partners by using a centralized payment system that assists them in meeting diverse payment requirements (currencies, payment mode, etc.).  The system gives better control over the cash and reduces the fraud attempts such as phishing and CFO frauds.  The best accounts payable automation software helps to prevent errant payments by querying out previously processed invoices. This type of visibility is not possible with the manual accounts payable software.  Further, users can view all the details about their business transactions through data analytics, which makes businesses more accountable for their expenses.   

Accounts payable software solutions are available in various price ranges and features. Small and large businesses can both choose software based on their requirements and take advantage of accounts payable processing software.

The accounts payable software solutions automate everything and clear out all the clogs effortlessly. To explore how accounts payable processing software can make every task smoother, easier, and faster, have a look at the key benefits of accounts payable software in the following section.

• Automated AP workflow: Accounts payable software sets up an automated workflow to process the invoices.  The software matches the PO (Purchase Order) and sends it to the relevant department for approval.  Based on the approval status, the invoices are paid.  Some top accounts payable software also records each step of the approval process for later review.  In case there is an error in invoicing, it can be easily identified.
• Time-saving: Accounts payable system makes invoice processing and approval faster. It saves all the details of suppliers, which makes the payment process much easier and quicker.
• No fraudulent or discrepancies:  The best accounts payable software can reduce the risks of fraud or discrepancies.  Since AP software supports online payment, all the payment records can be extracted or can be viewed on the software dashboard.
• Multi-channel invoice capture:  Top accounts payable software accepts invoices in any format and from any platform.  It provides suppliers the flexibility to submit invoices quickly and fast pace the payment process. It makes it easy to serve suppliers and maintain long-term relationships.
• Minimizes error: Data entry errors are quite common in manually recording financial transactions such as duplicate payments or late payments. Accounts payable software eliminates these errors by automating the process.
• Improved compliance:  The accounts payable system simplifies the compliance and ensures that it falls within the business rules and company spending policies.
• Purchase Order matching:  Accounts payable software allows users to take advantage of advanced PO (Purchase Order) matching by supporting two-and three-way matching.
• Reduce invoice processing costs: Accounts payable software reduces invoice processing costs by speeding up the invoicing process through automation.
• Customized workflow:  Top accounts payable software enables users to customize their accounts payable workflow.  They can set the hierarchy for invoice approval and payment.
• Better insights: All the information related to account payable can be easily consolidated with the best accounts payable software.  It gives the AP department a clear view of the process and helps identify the areas for improvement.
• Track KPI and SLA(Service Level Agreements):  Tracking KPIs for invoicing process and SLA helps business owners to deliver better service to clients and enhance the overall invoicing process. Top accounts payable software allows users to track KPIs in real-time and SLA associated with the invoicing process.

• Document imaging, capture, and extraction
• Automated invoice separation
• Approval processes for payments
• Automatic payment
• Purchase order reconciliation
• Tax calculation
• Data analytics and reporting
• Workflow automation
• Data import and export
• Data analytics
• Technical support

• Pricing: The pricing of accounts payable software is a crucial factor for shortlisting the right solution for the business.  Many factors can influence the accounts payable software, such as deployment method, pricing model, training program, technical support, and features list.   Users must perform a thorough analysis of software to control the cost of software and get a higher ROI.
• Technical support: No matter how smooth the software is, robust technical support always increases the user experience.  Users should see that their business operation does not get interrupted due to the lack of technical support.  It is recommended that users choose accounts payable software that provides responsive technical support.
• Deployment option:  Software can be deployed on-premise or in the cloud; users can change their preferences as per their requirements.  Some business owners even choose a hybrid version to make the accounting process seamless and cost-effective.
• Support mobile devices: The increasing demand for mobiles and the flexibility it provides to carry them anywhere make mobile apps inevitable for business. Users should opt for accounts payable software that supports mobile devices.
• Automation: Automation in accounts payable software can speed up the payment process. The software automatically segregates the invoices, takes approval, and processes the payment.  Besides that, it manages the supplier's data and helps identify fraud if any supplier operates outside the company policy. Automation in accounts payable software can bring enormous benefits, and users should choose accounts payable software with automation capabilities.
• Customization: Many organizations do not have formalized processes for accounting, and they need to customize many features for ease of business.  It is advisable to select accounts payable software that allows users to customize workflows, reports, data fields, etc.
• Adjust to business needs: There are numerous accounts payable software solutions available in the market, and users need to consider tools that can be used for the long term. Accounts payable software that is easily scalable and adjusts to the business requirements can reduce costs on new software purchases and training staff.
• User-friendly interface: It is a default requirement for any software; a user-friendly interface can increase a higher adoption rate and minimize errors.  Accounts payable software with a user-friendly interface can speed up the overall accounting process.
• Integration with other tools:  Businesses also need other software for its smooth functioning, such as ERP tools or fixed asset management tools.  Integration with such tools can increase the efficiency of the business, and they work as a unit to achieve the business goal.  It can easily import or export data from other departments required for processing the invoices.

• Machine learning:  The advantages that automation brings to account payable processes are tremendous.  It can reduce costs, processing time, errors, and provide better visibility. Machine learning could further enhance these abilities and improve account payable workflow.  Machine learning can use algorithms and historical data to help organizations achieve a higher level of accuracy.  It can process large numbers of invoices in a short amount of time without any duplicate errors. It also acts as a gatekeeper and ensures that everyone involved in the invoice processing and payment completes their tasks on time.  There is a massive scope of machine learning in accounting and as technology advances, business owners can use it to improve automated routing and approval workflow.

• Blockchain: Blockchain can revolutionize the entire financial system.  Usually, in the traditional accounting system the companies have to keep separate records based on transaction receipts but with the blockchain system companies can write their transactions directly into a joint ledger.  All documents are distributed and cryptographically sealed.  The process of auditing can become faster and more cost-effective with blockchain technology.  From optimizing the traditional double-entry bookkeeping to simplifying the compliance and regulatory requirements blockchain technology has wide applications in the field of accounting.

The average costs of best accounts payable software could be anywhere around $6/month to $149/month.  The price of the accounts payable solutions can vary based on the features, deployment, and number of users.

• Best accounts payable software for startups and small businesses:  Startups and small businesses usually have to work under pressure as they have to perform with limited budgets and resources. They have to choose the accounts payable software that falls within their budget and perform accounting tasks efficiently.  FreshBooks at $6/month is the best accounts payable software for small businesses and startups. The software comes with a user-friendly interface and robust security measures. Users can quickly scale up to a higher version if they expand their business.  Another excellent alternative for accounts payable software is Xero at $11/month.  The software supports more than 800+ third-party apps and ensures business automatically updates billing information regardless of their business operations. Easy data import, robust security, and mobile app are some striking features of Xero.  A free trial is available for both tools. Users can also check  Odoo, QuickBooks Online, Kashoo, Pyrus, etc.

• Best accounts payable software for mid-size and large scale businesses:  Mid and large-scale businesses usually deal with complex business transactions, and any small error in accounting could waste hours of labor and time invested in recording the data. Therefore, mid and large-scale businesses must choose the best accounts payable software for their business.  One of the most popular accounts payable software for mid-size and large-scale businesses is Sage 50cloud Accounting at $56.08/month. The tool processes bill effortlessly and reconcile financials with the bank automatically. It is an ideal solution for businesses handling multiple companies or clients.  Mid-and-large-scale businesses can also consider Bill.com which comes at $39/per month.  There are a few more tools that can help mid-size and large-scale businesses with their accounts payable, which include, Precoro, Fidesic, Kashflow, etc. If the business owners need more advanced features such as tax management or paying multiple entities at once, then the high-end accounts payable tool could be pretty helpful. One such premium tool is Tipalti for $149/month.  The accounts payable software for large businesses employs the best practices to enhance tax and regulatory compliance.  Other well-known premium range accounts payable software includes Webgility and Zahara.

• Free and open-source accounts payable software: Free and open source accounts payable software allows users to take advantage of the accounting software at minimum costs. They can even customize the software and distribute them for free.  These characteristics of free and open-source accounts payable software payable software make them a popular choice among small-scale businesses and startups.

GoodFirms is a leading review and rating platform for IT solutions. The online portal has been providing software solutions for various organizations and industries. It gives the customer ready access to a rich library of software solutions with important details such as pricing, features, deployment, services, etc.  Customers can compare and select software based on their business requirements. GoodFirms’ team follows a systemic and unbiased approach to listing the software. It makes sure that users get the best software solutions for their business.

The accounts payable process keeps a record of business expenditures and income.  It is a sensitive process, and the accounting department has to conduct this process with high precision.  The process of accounts payable has to undergo various steps such as segregating invoices, approval, payment, and so on.  Any error could bring financial loss to the organization.   Accounts payable software can help to fast pace the accounts payable process and eliminate all the issues of a legacy system.  Accounts payable automation software can automate all the steps involved in invoice processing and save labor costs.  If you want to derive the same benefits for your organization and want to enhance the efficiency of your accounts department, then check the list of best accounts payable automation software prepared by GoodFirms’ expert team.