AP Automation Software

Make AP Automation a touchless experience

Eliminate manual data entry and automate invoice processing.
Increase accuracy and accelerate cycle times with AI-powered OCR.
Reduce risk with secure global payments in 145+ currencies and 200+ countries.
Close the books faster with real-time sync to your ERP.

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AI-powered touchless AP.

Automate the entire AP lifecycle, including vendor onboarding, invoice processing, bill coding, approvals, payments, ERP syncing, and spend analytics. Touchless AP Automation saves accounting and finance teams hours of manual tasks every week making them more available for strategic work.

The magic of AI.

OCR automatically reads details from an invoice. Choose to have them coded at the line level, by vendor, or summarize the bill into one line item.

Generative AI and machine learning (ML) automatically populate the description and the category so that accuracy improves with every transaction. Save time and move from manual data entry to bill review.

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Easy vendor onboarding.

Self-service vendor portal and workflows to provide contact, banking, and tax information, and strengthen your global vendor relationships. Vendors have visibility into the payment status of every invoice, and W-9 collection makes 1099 tax reporting a breeze.

Customize a vendor questionnaire to get the information that you need from vendors.

Learn more about vendor management

Airbase tells you the story behind every invoice.

Never have questions about an invoice again. Automatically capture and view invoices submitted via email or through the vendor portal across all subsidiaries. Get the full context of an invoice with automatic inclusion of email correspondence that relates to a vendor and a purchase.

Screenshot of how to follow the invoice history

Screenshot of bill creation with AI technology

Lightning-quick bill creation and approvals.

Scan and populate invoices using our AI-driven OCR technology to make bill creation accurate and easy. Automated approval workflows trigger the appropriate approvers and observers based on multiple parameters, including the vendor, amount, GL category, and more. Team members can review and approve bills via desktop, Slack, mobile, or email at a glance.

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Automated 3-Way PO matching.

Increase efficiency and ensure audit readiness with automatic 3-way match of invoices against your synced NetSuite purchase orders and item receipts. Deep controls ensure your company gets exactly what you pay for to reduce wasted spend and ensure compliance.

Learn more about 3-way match

EBOOK

Discover how AI-powered automation connects data, people, and systems for a touchless AP experience.

Read our guide

Conquering AP in an AI World: From Automation to Touchless AP

Modern AP Automation Software

A Guided Procurement experience.

Guide employees through the information and documentation they need to collect and the platform will route it directly to stakeholder software. Automate bill creation with AI-powered OCR and intelligence. Then easily make payments and let all approvals, documentation, and transaction details flow through Airbase to your GL.

Bill Payments

Bill Payments

Pay all bills from any subsidiary and in most currencies using any payment method.

Bill Payments

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Purchase Orders

Purchase Orders

Handle the whole lifecycle of POs from initial request to payment to final matching.

Purchase Orders

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Multi-Subsidiary Support

Multi-Subsidiary Support

Handle the complexity of international and domestic subsidiaries and make payments in foreign currencies with ease.

Multi-Subsidiary Support

Multi-subsidiary support

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Amortizations

Amortizations

Easily create straight-line amortization or select schedules from NetSuite library.

Amortizations

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Pay global vendors from any subsidiary.

Pay vendors in 200+ countries supporting 145+ currencies through ACH, check, virtual card, international wires, or vendor credits — all in one AP Automation software platform. Airbase will select the preferred payment vendor for each vendor and note where virtual card payments are accepted to earn cash back. Payment amounts can be split by category.

Automated compliance with real-time sync to the GL.

Ensure compliance, accuracy, and efficiency during an audit or month-end close. With intelligent automation, Airbase will auto-categorize expenses then automatically code, tag, and record transactions into your GL. Banking activity report with individual transactions makes month-end bank reconciliations a snap.

Screenshot of Airbase's Guided Procurement

Purchasing made easy for every employee.

When employees across all business groups collaborate on the Airbase platform, communication is clear, compliance is ensured, and requirements for all stakeholders are secured. Modern spend management meets the complex procurement needs of many industry types. Automatically capture and track the data required by each department, enforce compliance, and gain real-time visibility into each step across the procure-to-pay process without the need of clunky antiquated solutions.

Learn more about Guided Procurement

AP Comparison Chart

Full P2P Solution

ERP Integration

No-Code Approval Workflow Configuration

Procurement

AI-Powered Invoice Management

PO Matching

Amortization

Vendor Management

Multi-Currency Payment

Multi-Subsidiary Support

Comprehensive Spend Analytics

Pricing

Rippling

Stampli

Bill

Tipalti

Limited

145 currencies

50 currencies

150 currencies

96 currencies

120 currencies

Limited

$$$

Awards

#1 award-winning AP automation solution.

Spend Matters

50 Providers to Watch in Procurement Technology
3rd year in a row

Juniper Research

Best B2B Payments Platform 2024
Platinum Winner

American Business Award

Stevie Awards for the Most Innovative Tech Company of the Year
4th year in a row

Technology Fast 500™ North America

Awarded to Airbase by Deloitte
#45 out of 500

ProcureTech Cup 2024

Winner in Procurement Technologies
#1 out of 64

AP Automation FAQ

What is AP automation?

AP automation is the use of technology to streamline and automate the accounts payable (AP) process.

It does this by digitizing and automating tasks such as invoice processing, data entry, payment approvals, and vendor management.

AP automation eliminates manual and time-consuming tasks, reduces errors, improves efficiency, and enhances visibility and control over financial processes.

Advanced AP automation platforms use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to further streamline manual processes. AI-powered AP automation can automate tasks like categorizing expenses, detecting anomalies, and optimizing payment schedules for improved cash flow management.

Key points:

Streamlined invoice processing: Automates data entry, approvals, and payments.
Improved visibility and control: Provides real-time tracking of invoices and payments, for better cash flow management and informed decision-making.
Cost and time savings: Minimizes processing times and operational costs by eliminating repetitive, labor-intensive tasks. Surfaces opportunities for savings and frees up time to spend on more strategic work.

What are the core problems AP automation solves over manual accounts payable?

Accounts payable (AP) is the backbone of any organization’s financial operations, ensuring vendors are paid accurately and on time. But traditional manual AP processes are inefficient and often unable to handle organizational complexity.

Below are some of the most common challenges businesses face when managing AP manually — and why automated AP solutions are essential for success.

Slow manual data entry: Processing paper invoices by hand wastes time and delays payments.
Error-prone processes: Typos, duplicates, and miscalculations create financial discrepancies and extra work.
Approval bottlenecks: Waiting for approvals or misplaced documents slows the payment cycle.
Limited visibility: Without a 360-degree view, teams are vulnerable to missed deadlines, budget shortfalls, and reconciliation headaches.
While manual methods have served businesses for decades, automation offers faster, error-free, and more transparent solutions.

How exactly does AP automation work?

AP automation streamlines and automates the AP process for improved efficiency and accuracy.

Processes performed by AP automation include:

Invoice capture.

Scanning invoices and extracting relevant data using the latest OCR technology. In some platforms, vendors can directly submit their invoices, bypassing the need for physical paper transactions.

Invoice matching.

Automating the process of matching an invoice with the corresponding purchase orders and verifying them against pre-defined business rules.

Invoice approval,

Routing invoices for approval based on pre-set, customizable workflows. Best-of-breed AP automation platforms can handle complex approval flows, including concurrent and sequential approvals.

Invoice payment,

Executing electronic payments after approval. Advanced AP automation platforms make it possible to pay by virtual card, vendor credits, ACH, check, or wire transfer.

Transaction booking.

Using pre-set rules, AI, and machine learning to automatically code, tag and record transactions to the GL.

Insight into transactions,

Facilitating comprehensive spend analytics for better visibility and control over the AP process. Spotting bottlenecks in existing processes.

From invoice capture to payment execution and GL booking, automated platforms create a seamless, end-to-end AP experience. Thanks to advanced tools like AI, machine learning, and customizable workflows, businesses gain greater efficiency, visibility, and control over their AP operations — ultimately driving smarter financial decisions and better vendor relationships.

How does AP automation help finance teams scale?

Scaling comes with three challenges that AP automation can address: volumes, complexity, and risk.

AP automation tackles volume by automating manual tasks like data entry, invoice processing, and payment approvals. This reduces processing time, improves efficiency, and allows companies to handle larger volumes of invoices without adding additional resources.

Secondly, AP automation simplifies complexity by providing a centralized platform for managing invoices, contracts, and vendor information. It streamlines workflows, improves collaboration, and enhances visibility into financial processes.

Lastly, it mitigates risk by enforcing compliance, reducing errors, and enhancing security through features like advanced fraud detection, secure document storage, and automatic audit trails.

How much does AP automation save?

While the exact savings can vary, studies suggest that businesses can save between 40% to 80% on AP processing costs by adopting automation solutions.

By streamlining and automating manual processes, AP automation reduces the need for labor-intensive tasks, such as data entry and invoice processing.

Additionally, AP automation reduces the risk of errors and late payments, avoiding costly penalties and improving vendor relationships.

The improved visibility and control over AP processes also enable businesses to negotiate better terms and discounts with suppliers.

Is AP automation worth it?

AP automation platforms deliver a positive ROI by streamlining processes, eliminating tedious manual work, reducing costs, and improving overall financial efficiency.

Automation reduces processing costs per invoice, minimizes late payment fees, and helps organizations take advantage of early payment discounts, leading to direct financial savings.

By eliminating manual data entry and paper-based workflows, businesses save time and labor. With the additional time, AP teams can focus on more strategic initiatives.

Beyond cost reduction, AP automation platforms provide substantial indirect ROI through improved accuracy and visibility. Advanced features like AI-driven invoice matching and automatic GL coding reduce errors, avoiding costly financial discrepancies and time spent correcting mistakes.

Real-time spend analytics and insights empower businesses to identify bottlenecks, optimize workflows, and manage cash flow more effectively. Plus, faster approval cycles strengthen vendor relationships by ensuring on-time payments and improving trust.

Ultimately, the ROI of AP automation goes beyond monetary gains. By modernizing and optimizing the accounts payable process, organizations achieve greater agility, control, and scalability — key components in today’s competitive landscape.

What are the main benefits of AP automation software?

AP automation software offers many benefits to finance teams.

Here are some of the biggest benefits.

Cost savings: Reduces invoice processing costs, eliminates late payment fees, and surfaces opportunities for early payment discounts.
Time efficiency: Automates manual tasks like data entry, invoice matching, and approvals, freeing up AP teams for strategic work.
Improved accuracy: Minimizes errors with AI-driven tools for automatic data capture, coding, and reconciliation.
Enhanced visibility: Provides real-time insights into spend, enabling better cash flow management and workflow optimization.
Faster approval cycles: Streamlines approvals with customizable workflows, ensuring on-time payments and stronger vendor relationships.
Scalability: Supports growing businesses with efficient, automated processes that can handle increased invoice volume.
Better control: Offers greater oversight and transparency into the AP process, helping identify bottlenecks and improve decision-making.

The overarching benefit is that AP automation software transforms a traditionally manual, error-prone process into a streamlined, efficient operation. Ultimately, investing in AP automation drives long-term financial control, strengthens vendor relationships, and positions businesses for scalable growth.

How do you select the best AP automation software for your needs?

The number of AP platforms has grown rapidly in recent years, as awareness of its benefits grows. However, there is a wide range when it comes to quality and features.

Before you purchase AP software, it’s important to have a game plan based on your unique needs. Here are some steps to follow.

1. Assess your current AP process: Identify pain points in your current workflows, such as approval delays or limited visibility, to understand what features you need most.

2. Define your key requirements: List your must-have features like invoice automation, customizable approval workflows, payment methods, and real-time reporting capabilities. Prioritize integration with your existing systems, such as ERP or accounting software.

3. Research and compare vendors: Evaluate AP automation platforms based on functionality, user-friendliness, and customer service. Look for providers with strong reputations and proven ROI.

Sites like G2 post reviews from verified users so you can read the real experiences of other users. Evaluating case studies also gives you opportunities to see how others use a product.

4. Request demos and trials: Test drive your shortlisted platforms by signing up for live demos, self-guided tours, or free trials to get a sense of their ease of use, feature performance, and how well they align with your team’s workflows.

5. Evaluate costs and ROI: Compare pricing models and consider the total cost of ownership. Factor in savings from reduced labor, improved accuracy, and early payment discounts to determine the platform’s ROI. Don’t forget to include “soft benefits” like higher user adoption, which in turn improves compliance.

6. Check customer support and security: Ensure the provider offers reliable customer support, training resources, and robust security measures to protect financial data.

7. Make a decision and start planning implementation: Choose the software that best fits your needs and develop an implementation plan, including team training and process adjustments, to ensure a smooth rollout and onboarding.

Choosing the best AP automation software is a strategic decision that can transform your AP process.

It’s important to carefully assess your needs, research your options, and evaluate ROI. That time investment will pay off — with the right platform in place, you’ll be well-positioned to streamline operations, improve efficiency, drive sustainable growth, and more.

How much does AP software typically cost?

The cost of AP automation software varies depending on factors like the size of your business, the number of invoices processed, and the features offered.

Many vendors offer tiered pricing, where costs increase as you add advanced features like AI-powered invoice matching, analytics, or additional payment options. To ensure value, it’s important to consider the total ROI — savings from reduced labor, fewer errors, early payment discounts, and improved efficiency often more than outweigh the upfront investment.

Is AP automation the same as invoice automation?

AP automation and invoice automation are related but not the same.

Invoice automation focuses specifically on streamlining the invoice processing stage — capturing, matching, approving, and coding invoices.

AP automation, on the other hand, includes the entire accounts payable process, from invoice capture to payment execution, GL recording, and spend analytics.

While invoice automation is a key component of AP automation, a full AP solution offers broader capabilities to improve efficiency, visibility, and control across the entire payment lifecycle.

How does invoice automation work?

Invoice automation uses the latest technology, including optical character recognition (OCR), artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning to streamline invoice workflows.

1. Data extraction: OCR and AI extract key details like vendor name, invoice number, and amount owing.

2. Validation: Data is checked against vendor records and flagged for errors or duplicates.

3. Approvals: Invoices are routed through rule-based workflows with notifications to approvers.

4. Matching: Invoices are matched to POs and receipts for accuracy (2-way or 3-way matching).

5. Coding: AI categorizes invoices to GL accounts based on past behavior. AP team members review and adjust if needed, so the platform gets smarter with every transaction.

6. Posting: Approved invoices are recorded in the accounting system.

7. Payments: Payments can be scheduled to optimize cash flow and leverage discounts.

8. Audit trails: All documentation is stored in the transaction record for compliance and transparency.

9. Insights: Analytics provide spend insights and track key metrics.

Learn why Airbase is a Leader in AP Automation.

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