Plooto Blog | Tips & Insights for Business Payment Perfection

Comparing the Best AR Automation Software Solutions

Written by Richard Gawlas | 17 Oct 2022

Businesses rely on accounts receivable to get them paid quickly and smoothly. This is why we put together this list of the best AR automation software solutions to help you decide how to fuel your business.

Accounts receivable automation utilizes technology to automate repetitive, manual accounts receivable processes. Receivable automation streamlines payment processing, quickens collecting payments and the invoicing process, and gives visibility into your financial data. Overall, accounts receivable automation facilitates better business performance and cash flow.

 

In this article we’re going to look at six of the top-rated payment automation software solutions, according to several review sites, to better understand which may be the right fit for you. We’ll examine the features they are known for, the pros, the cons and ultimately who the solution is aimed at.

 

The six accounts receivable automation platforms we’ll review are:

Let’s get to it.

 

Plooto

Plooto is a powerful accounts receivable and payable platform that helps a business gain total control and visibility into cash flow management. It supports thousands of vendors, suppliers and businesses with enhanced financial controls that keep operating costs low. Plooto facilitates faster accounts receivable and accounts payable cycles, reduces human error, and lowers costs per transaction.

 

Core AR features

  • Customer Credit
  • Invoice Matching
  • Collections
  • Analytics
  • Self Service

 

Pros

  • Robust integrations with your existing accounting software and other tech stack

  • Easy payment processing, including international payments
  • Bulk actions, like sending multiple invoices simultaneously with one click

Cons

  • Dashboard navigation takes a few days to fully master
  • Occasional challenges with customer account validation

Who is it right for?

  • Small business
  • Mid-market
  • Enterprise

Top industries using it

  • Accounting

G2 user satisfaction rating

Plooto’s ratings start in the low 9’s but top out at 10 (out of 10) in several areas, including ease of admin, setup and being a good business to partner with.

 

Pricing

  • $25 per month and 10 free domestic payments

Free trial

  • Yes, with access to all features

Does Plooto seem like a great fit for you? Sign up for a 30-day free trial here.

 

 

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YayPay by Quadient

YayPay helps B2B finance teams stay on top of their accounts receivables through robust integrations with existing ERP, CRM, accounting and billing systems. It presents data to clients in real time with predictive analytics built in to help manage cash flow. Its online payment portal is secure, intuitive and can mean faster payments by enabling customers to make payments at any time on any device.

 

Core AR features

  • Customer Credit
  • Invoice Matching
  • Collections
  • Analytics
  • Self Service

Pros

  • Easy to use and send invoices directly through the platform
  • Online payment process for customers is easy and intuitive
  • AR automation truly makes it feel like an extra AR staff

Cons

  • Email capabilities lack some basic functions, including receiving images from customers, or organizing emails into folders
  • Reporting feels clunky and needs more frequent updates
  • Dashboard can feel unintuitive

Who is it right for?

  • Mid-market
  • Small business

Top industries using it

  • Computer software
  • Accounting
  • Marketing & advertising

G2 user satisfaction rating

YayPay is a strong entry with ratings from the mid 7’s to mid 8’s. Their highest rating of 8.5 is for their ease of use.

 

Pricing

  • Not listed; available upon request

Free trial

  • No

 

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Versapay

Versapay has an integrated suite of accounts receivable automation capabilities that help it streamline the receipt and reconciliation of any payment type across all channels. They boast “collaborative AR,” a shared digital experience between suppliers and customers on one cloud-enabled platform, and service over 8,000 clients with more than 800,000 engaged buyers.

 

Core AR features

  • Invoice Matching
  • Collections
  • Analytics
  • Self Service

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Efficient syncing
  • Reporting options
  • Customer support is very responsive

Cons

  • Long implementation time if you have a more complex AR structure
  • Pace of innovation and new feature rollout
  • Can be unintuitive at times

Who is it right for?

  • Mid-market
  • Enterprise

Top industries using it

  • Wholesale
  • Construction
  • Commercial real estate

G2 user satisfaction rating

Versapay’s user ratings hover between 8.3 and 9.7, with the highest points awarded for their ease of use and being a good business to partner with.

 

Pricing

  • Not listed; available upon request

Free trial

  • No

 

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Tesorio

Tesorio's AR automation helps replace many of the tedious and reactive cash flow forecasting and accounts receivable processes through accurate and real-time predictions. Their accounts receivables software has robust analytics with customizable reports, and an ROI calculator on their homepage before you even buy.

 

Their platform helps you reduce the days sales outstanding (DSO), reduce the time spent on low-value activities, and improve up to 3x the efficiency of your accounts receivable team.

 

Core AR features

Pros

  • Easy to use and understand the status of invoices
  • Customizable reports
  • “Coffee, Collections, & Cash Flow” customer education webinar series

Cons

  • Limited dashboard views
  • Occasional syncing delays, up to 24 hours in some cases
  • Feature and dashboard update communications are infrequent

Who is it right for?

  • Mid-market
  • Enterprise

Top industries using it

  • Computer software
  • IT and services
  • Accounting

G2 user satisfaction rating

Tesorio’s ratings are all in the low-to-mid 9’s, with a 9.6 high for being a good partner.

 

Pricing

  • Not listed; available upon request

Free trial

  • No

 

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Oracle NetSuite

A legacy ERP solution with more than 20 years of experience, NetSuite has been known to help businesses gain the visibility, control and agility needed to build and scale. First focused on financials and ERP, Oracle NetSuite now provides an integrated system that also includes inventory management, HR, professional services automation, ar automation, and omnichannel commerce, and is used by more than 32,000 customers in 217 countries.

 

Core AR features

  • Invoice matching
  • Collections
  • Analytics
  • Cash flow management and forecasting

Pros

  • Collaborative dashboard with multiple users able to work on projects
  • Customizable solution, especially for enterprise
  • Long list of possible tech integrations

Cons

  • Unintuitive and cumbersome onboarding experience
  • Reporting can get disorganized and lacks documentation
  • Unnecessarily complex

Who is it right for?

  • Mid-market
  • Enterprise

Top industries using it

  • Computer software
  • IT and services
  • Retail

G2 user satisfaction rating

Oracle NetSuite, while a strong legacy entry, boasts ratings between 6.4 and 7.4, with the latter awarded for ease of use.

 

Pricing

  • Not listed; available upon request

Free trial

  • No

 

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FreshBooks

FreshBooks is an online accounting and invoicing service that is designed with service-based businesses in mind. The platform is ideal if you are a lawyer, a marketing agency, a plumber, an interior decorator and more. Priding themselves on exceptional customer service, FreshBooks’ goal is to give service-based professionals more time to focus on their passions instead of learning accounting.

 

Core AR features

  • Invoice matching
  • Collections
  • Automation
  • Analytics
  • Cash flow management and forecasting

Pros

  • Sleek and intuitive interface
  • Simple and quick invoice creation
  • Responsive and helpful customer support

Cons

  • Limited integrations with wider tech stack
  • Some limited functionality makes it not a fit for enterprise
  • Pricing can be considered high for what you get

Who is it right for?

  • Small business
  • Mid-market

Top industries using it

  • Marketing and advertising
  • IT and services
  • Management consulting

G2 user satisfaction rating

FreshBooks’ ratings all live in the low 9’s, with ease of setup noted as their highest rating of 9.3.

 

Pricing

  • Starting at $15.00 Per Month

Free trial

  • Yes

Why choose AR automation?

Accounts receivable automation software can help you improve your cash flow by optimizing the customer invoicing and payments process. It helps you avoid overdue receivables and makes it much easier to stay on top of overdue payments by sending automated payment reminders to your customers – as well as offer multiple payment methods to easily complete the transaction. Additionally, electronic invoicing makes organizing and auditing easier for your accounts receivable team.

 

The entire manual accounts receivable process is automated and streamlined under one cloud-based platform that you can access on any device with an internet connection and makes the task of managing large volumes of customer invoices much easier with just a few clicks.

 

All this helps reduce the amount of time it takes to manually manage your accounts receivables and reduce the risk of human error through manual data entry. With all the extra time you've saved by automating manual accounts receivable processes, you'll be able to focus on the more important aspects of growing your business.

 

Accounts receivable automation can significantly improve cash flow - straightforward customer payment routes helps reduce overdue payments, leading to more cash when you need it. Also, using digital payment reminders facilitates faster payments. Accounts receivable automation makes the cash process easier for finance teams by accelerating otherwise manual processes.

 

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Which AR software is a right fit for you?

There are plenty of AR automation platforms to choose from, with features designed for managing the accounts receivable of businesses large and small. There are some legacy options that have been around for decades, like Oracle NetSuite, which have built their business on scale and the enterprise, and have great name recognition among the accounting community.

 

There are also some newcomers to the space within the last several years, including Plooto, FreshBooks and Versapay offering robust AR automation solutions for small and mid-market businesses at affordable prices.

 

Plooto particularly helps businesses simplify, automate and reconcile their accounts receivables and cash application in an efficient and cost-effective way. It's an end-to-end solution with all the features you need to run a smooth AR and AP process in one monthly fee.

 

Plooto saves businesses on average 15 hours per month and $2,500 dollars. Over the last year, Plooto has launched credit card receivables and Plooto Capture (bill automation with OCR technology), and is continuously pushing for new releases to focus on a one-stop solution for its clients.

 

If Plooto seems like a great fit for you, sign up for a 30-day free trial here.

 

Questions about Plooto? Book a call or demo here.

 

CHAPTERS

00  Considering Online Payment Software? Payment automation explained

01   Accounts payable software: A guide for strategies, benefits, and solutions

02  Accounts receivable software: A guide for strategies, benefits, and solutions

03  What is the future of accounts payable?

04 Comparing the Best AR automation software solutions