Accounts payable automation

Accounts payable is an essential aspect of financial management, but it’s also one of the most tedious when managed by hand. Fortunately, accounts payable automation can streamline the process, significantly increasing both accuracy and efficiency.

Here’s what you should know about accounts payable automation, including how it works and how to set yourself up for success with it. We’ll also explore some of the best providers to consider in 2025.

What is accounts payable automation?

Accounts payable automation involves using software to streamline traditionally manual AP processes. For example, that often includes:

• Capturing invoice details using optical character recognition (OCR)
• Routing incoming invoices through predetermined approval chains
• Scheduling and processing approved payments to vendors

This minimizes the need for manual data entry, which saves time and reduces the frequency of human errors. In addition, it frees up your finance team to focus on more valuable tasks, like working to recession-proof your business.

AP automation tools typically include dashboards that give you real-time insight into your accounts payable process. For example, they can provide visibility into outstanding invoices, approval workflow bottlenecks, and upcoming payment due dates.

In addition to helping you and your finance team make better-informed cash flow management decisions—and remember, cash is king—this makes it much easier to conduct AP audits and maintain compliance with relevant accounting standards.

Accounts payable automation best practices

Accounts payable automation has the potential to transform your company's vendor payment processes, but strategic implementation is necessary to reap the full benefits. Here are some best practices to help you get the most out of your software:

• Audit your current AP process: Before investing in an AP solution, take the time to map out your current workflows. Take note of any consistent bottlenecks, time-consuming tasks, or other pain points to help determine where you’d benefit most from automation.
• Choose the right solution: Look for AP software that suits your business’s size, industry, and growth trajectory, so you can continue to use it as you scale. Prioritize tools that integrate with your accounting or enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, and make sure to test-drive before committing.
• Train your AP department: Even the best AP automation solution can be ineffective if your team doesn’t know how to use it. Invest in ongoing training for your employees and give them sufficient time to adapt to the new way of doing things, which can take several weeks or even months.

These are primarily tactics to set you up for a smooth AP automation implementation. For ways to optimize processes once you’ve adopted a new digital solution, read our post on Accounts Payable Best Practices.

Accounts payable automation process

The details of the accounts payable automation process can differ between solutions, but it typically includes the following main steps:

• Capturing invoice details: Instead of entering supplier invoice data yourself, AP automation software can scan digital or paper invoices and extract information like vendor names, due dates, and payment amounts.
• Data validation and matching: After extracting invoice details, AP automation tools use processes like three-way matching to validate the information against other supporting documentation, such as the purchase order and packing slip. 
• Invoice approval routing: AP software can automatically send each invoice to the appropriate parties for approval according to predetermined guidelines. It can also remind them of the outstanding invoice to prevent bottlenecks.
• Processing vendor payments: Once approved, AP automation software can schedule and execute payments through the proper methods, such as by ACH, credit card, or wire transfer, helping ensure vendors get paid on time.
• Reconciling with documentation: Many AP tools can integrate with various accounting software, enabling automatic cross-checking between invoices, AP aging reports, and the general ledger.

To learn more about how this type of software can streamline reconciliations, read our article, How to Automate Bank Reconciliation.

Accounts payable automation software companies

Let’s explore some of the best accounts payable automation companies in 2025 to help you start your search for the right provider.

Zeni

Zeni is a comprehensive financial management platform that provides bookkeeping, payroll, tax, and fractional CFO services for startups. We also offer a full suite of essential finance products, including accounts payable automation software.

Our AP automation tool leverages AI to streamline every step of the bill pay process. For example, it can automatically capture invoice details, route bills through approval workflows, and reconcile them with your accounting records.

In addition, Zeni’s AP tool provides real-time insights into your monthly vendor payments, making it easy to track and analyze spending trends at a glance.

The software comes free with any bookkeeping subscription and integrates seamlessly with each of our other offerings, all accessible from a single intuitive dashboard. It also supports $0 ACH transfers globally through our Zeni checking account.

Read Everything You Need to Know About Automated Bookkeeping to learn more about our AI-powered financial reporting.

Ramp

Ramp is an expense management platform designed to help businesses control their spending. Though it’s best known for its corporate card program, Ramp also offers a robust accounts payable automation solution.

The accounts payable software can capture invoice details, route them through your approval workflows, and process payments once you’ve cleared them to go out. It also provides basic visibility into each bill’s status throughout the process.

Though Ramp doesn’t have a built-in bookkeeping feature, it can sync with popular ERP systems and accounting tools. You can import your chart of accounts from these tools and set up custom rules to help improve its automation capabilities.

One of the platform’s primary advantages is that you can get started for free, and there are no fees for domestic or international payments.

BILL

BILL is a financial operations platform built to streamline the accounts payable and accounts receivable (AR) functions. In other words, it focuses primarily on workflow automation for interactions between businesses and their vendors or customers.

On the AP side, BILL offers the typical features, including automatic invoice capture, customized approval routing, and free payment execution. 

It also helps you keep track of the payable process and provides two-way integrations with leading accounting tools, including Sage, Oracle NetSuite, and QuickBooks.

If you’re interested in BILL’s accounts payable and receivable features, you can get them for a monthly subscription. Prices range from $45 to $79 per user per month, with the features becoming more comprehensive at higher tiers.

To learn more about the difference between AR and AP, you can read our article on Accounts Payable Vs Accounts Receivable.

Stampli

Stampli refers to itself as a procure-to-play platform, but it’s primarily an automated accounts payable tool. Its use cases are narrower than the other companies we’ve discussed, but that can be an advantage, as it’s also more focused.

The platform’s main differentiating factor is its AI copilot named Billy, a chatbot that can help you interface with its features more intuitively. It also recently implemented an AI agent version that offers more complex purchase order matching.

Stampli integrates with many leading accounting and ERP tools, including Sage Intacct, QBO, and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance. In addition, it offers team training as part of the subscription for its platform. However, it doesn’t share its pricing publicly.

Tipalti

Tipalti is a finance automation platform designed to help mid-sized businesses manage procurement, fixed vs variable expenses, and cross-border AP. Its goal is to help mid-sized businesses manage these functions so they can continue to scale.

Beyond the standard AP automation features, Tipalti focuses on streamlining mass payments and invoicing. It supports more than 200 countries and 120 currencies, all while ensuring compliance with international tax and regulatory requirements.

Tipalti also automates supplier onboarding with self-service portals and handles tax form collection and validation. These features make it especially valuable if you’re paying large networks of vendors across the world.

The platform’s accounts payable pricing ranges from $99 to $199 per month. The lower tier includes unlimited users, supplier self-onboarding, ERP integrations, virtual cards, and more. 

The higher tier adds features like two- and three-way PO matching, mass global payments, and domestic multi-entity infrastructure.

Coupa

Coupa is a leading spend management platform that’s currently developing AI agents. In addition to expense management, its offerings include procurement support, supply chain planning, treasury management, and accounts payable automation.

Notably, Coupa’s AP invoice automation system includes compliance-as-a-service, helping ensure you follow global tax regulations and audit requirements. It also offers advanced spend analytics similar to Zeni’s.

Combined with the fact that Coupa is generally considered a higher-cost option—though it doesn’t publicly disclose pricing—the platform is typically better for larger organizations and enterprises than startups or small businesses.

The Takeaway

Accounts payable automation software can streamline the AP process, including everything from vendor invoice processing to payment execution. 

However, tools can vary significantly in their other features, with some offering bookkeeping, spend management, or even supply chain support.

Before committing to a platform, audit your existing workflows to identify the areas that would benefit the most from automation. In addition, make sure to provide adequate employee training to help your AP team adapt to the new system.

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