Tipalti vs. Bill: Which is Best for AP Automation?

Tipalti vs BILL: A comparison of features​.

How does Tipalti differ from BILL?

Tipalti differs from BILL in several key aspects. While BILL handles AP workflows and approvals internally within its platform, Tipalti integrates with Approve.com, an approval workflow solution, to manage approval processes. Additionally, Tipalti requires users to set up virtual bank accounts and preload them with funds to facilitate remittances, a feature not required by BILL.

In terms of global payment capabilities, Tipalti supports transactions in 196 countries and 120 currencies, whereas BILL facilitates payments in 130 countries.

Moreover, Tipalti offers procurement solutions that BILL lacks, including customizable intake forms for purchase requests, streamlined PO creation, and PR approval workflows. Tipalti, however, does not have cash flow forecasting capabilities, a feature that is offered by BILL.

Key features: Tipalti.

In this section, we’ll look at Tipalti’s features in more detail.

Accounting automation.

Tipalti’s AP automation platform leverages OCR technology to capture invoices, machine learning to read invoice data, and predictive analytics to streamline coding and approval routing. Mobile-friendly features enable communication between AP teams and approvers while integration with ERP systems help with reconciliation. Admins can create rules to ensure PO-backed invoices are matched with the corresponding POs.

Tipalti requires users to open a non-interest yielding virtual account and to pre-fund it to make remittances.

Procurement.

Tipalti’s procurement feature streamlines the purchase requisition process with customizable intake forms. However, PO requests and approvals are managed within a third party software and, upon approval, the POs sync via NetSuite to Tipalti.

Integration with Amazon PunchOut allows employees to enjoy the familiar Amazon interface while the platform generates purchase requests upon checkout.

Admins can create a branded vendor management portal to capture crucial data, including bank account details and VAT. A tax form selection wizard helps payees fill out the correct form.

Expense.

Tipalti’s expense management platform, accessible on web and mobile, facilitates receipt capture and creation of expense reports while allowing admins to review and approve expenses. Tipalti Expense integrates with Tipalti Card, Visa, American Express, and Mastercard and supports global reimbursements. Card transactions are automatically categorized by GL type and the platform integrates with leading ERP systems such as NetSuite, QuickBooks, and Xero for data synchronization. Additionally, Tipalti offers an audit trail and supports tax and regulatory compliance.

Payment solutions.

The Mass Payments feature supports reliable payouts to 196 countries in 120 currencies, with a choice of six different payment methods. Tipalti offers its API to help businesses expand the global payments infrastructure.

Tipalti provides payees with the flexibility to choose their preferred payment method and currency, along with clear visibility into transaction fees, ensuring full tax and regulatory compliance. There are also flexible self-billing options available where bills created via API or CSV are routed for internal finance team approval. Alternatively, payees can approve bills directly via email, or a workflow requiring approval from both payer and payee can be implemented.

Tipalti integrations.

Tipalti offers APIs and pre-built integrations with ERPs, performance marketing platforms, SSO, HRIS, and ticketing systems.

ERP solutions:

• NetSuite
• Xero
• Sage Intacct
• QuickBooks (Online and Desktop)
• Acumatica

Performance marketing:

• Affise
• Everflow
• HitPath
• LinkTrust

Communication:

• Slack

HRIS:

• Bamboo HR
• Bob

Ticketing systems:

• Wrike
• HelpScout
• Asana
• Jira
• Zendesk

Tipalti pricing.

Tipalti pros.

• Fast-tracks invoice processing: Tipalti analyzes invoices and automatically assigns codes based on historical data, expediting bill processing.
• Supports affiliate payments: Offers white-label portal for onboarding partners, suppliers, and affiliates in addition to integration with performance marketing systems.
• APIs and developer tools: In addition to REST API, Tipalti offers sample code, developer tools, and a dedicated sandbox environment.

Tipalti cons.

• Fragmented user experience: Tipalti partners with Approve, a third-party approval software to manage approval workflows that requires multiple log-ins.
• Limited approval workflows: The approval engine lacks advanced features, such as milestone-level routing and approval grouping, and a dashboard that offers a consolidated view.
• Lack of dynamic intake forms: Tipalti’s intake forms offer basic customization with no ability to set dynamic conditions based on responses in the form.
• Outdated UI: Users complain about the cumbersome setup process and the legacy UI that makes navigation challenging.

Key features: BILL.

In this section, we take a closer look at BILL’s features to see how they stack up against Tipalti.

AP automation.

BILL allows creation of bills on the portal while using AI to scan and extract data from bills sent to the email inbox. Admins can set custom approval policies and assign individuals or a group of approvers. The platform allows the creation of a two-step approval policy to prevent fraud and syncs payments automatically to the accounting platform. Users can also sync bills created in Oracle NetSuite or Sage Intacct to the respective POs.

Expense management.

BILL acquired Divvy to expand its expense management capabilities. A mobile app makes it easy to manage receipt uploads, expense reports, approvals, and reimbursements. Admins can set spend policies, approval flows, and custom budgets while tracking spend on a dashboard in real time. BILL updates mileage rates each year, uses AI to categorize expenses, and syncs transactions to the accounting system. Users can view expense trends based on date range, categories, department, client, and more.

Payments.

The system sends ACH payments by default to any vendor while offering Instant Payments for expedited payments that incur a 1% fee. Users can also use their credit card or BILL Divvy Corporate Card to pay vendors. BILL processes the credit card payment and makes payment via check, ACH, or other payment methods preferred by vendors.

BILL supports cross-border payments in 106 currencies across 130 countries. There are no intermediary bank or wire transfer fees for international wire transfers in local currencies. The platform’s managed Payment Services handles bulk invoice payments with assistance from human specialists.

Corporate cards.

BILL Divvy Corporate Cards gives users access to funding and syncs with the platform’s expense management software to manage card spend.

Users can also generate unique virtual credit cards for each vendor with specific card limits to manage subscriptions and one-off purchases.

A Chrome extension makes it easier for users to find the card they want to use and complete an online purchase.

BILL integrations.

BILL’s Accounts Payable software offers two-way integrations with major accounting systems while the expense management software offers a one-way sync.

QuickBooks (Enterprise, Online, Pro/Premier)

Xero

Oracle NetSuite

Sage Intacct

Microsoft Dynamics

Acumatica

FreshBooks

Other integrations:

Tallie

HubDoc

Tax1099

Earth Class Mail

BILL pricing.

BILL pros.

• Unpaid bills overview: BILL provides a critical view of unpaid bills, allowing you to see the approval status and batch-pay bills.
• Easy invoice creation: Customizable templates and default forms with drop-down lists and data fields to create invoices.
• Comprehensive dashboard: Users can get a quick view of payables, receivables, and approval histories on the dashboard.
• Chrome extension: BILL makes it easy to enter card details for online purchases by copying and pasting the information via its Chrome extension.

BILL cons.

• Lacks procurement capabilities: BILL does not offer PO creation, intake form, and purchase assistance.
• Payment delays: Users complain about the delays in payment with ACH transfers taking weeks to materialize.
• Poor customer service: Phone support and priority assistance are only available in the Enterprise plan. Customer reviews frequently highlight poor customer support.

Which is better: Tipalti or BILL?

The answer depends on the size of your business, requirements, budget, and other factors.

Choose Tipalti if you need global payment capabilities across numerous countries and currencies, along with procurement features like customizable intake forms and contract management. Tipalti is also a good choice if you are looking to integrate performance marketing systems with your AP automation software to manage onboarding and payments to affiliates.

BILL is a suitable option for those looking to streamline AP workflows and approvals within a single platform, especially if you prefer a user-friendly interface and straightforward setup process. BILL may also be the right choice for businesses looking for cashflow forecasting tools and prefer not to manage virtual bank accounts for payments.

Can these two systems be used together?

The only reason to combine these systems is if you are looking to access features that are unique to each platform. However, this results in a disintegrated experience, not to mention the added cost and time involved in setting up and using these platforms.

Instead of disparate systems to manage your procure-to-pay processes, investing in an integrated platform with all the coveted features is a great way of optimizing your ROI.

Why Airbase is the right choice for growth-oriented businesses.

For fast-growing businesses that are in need of an all-in-one spend management platform that scales with them, Airbase is the top choice. It integrates procurement, expense management, accounts payable automation, and corporate cards, removing the need for disparate systems.

Here is a table that shows how Airbase wins against BILL and Tipalti in all areas.

See how Airbase represents the next generation of P2P solutions — book a demo with us!