FAQ
Accounts payable
What are some good accounts payable automation systems?
Good accounts payable automation systems integrate all types of non-payroll spend, incorporate customizable approval workflows, and easily sync to a company’s GL. Airbase is the top accounts payable automation system for small to mid-market businesses, while Coupa is often the top choice for larger companies.
What is the best software for managing accounts payable?
The best software for managing accounts payable integrates all types of non-payroll spend, incorporates customizable approval workflows and automated accounting, and easily syncs to a company’s GL.
How do I fix accounts payable problems?
Accounts payable problems arise when cumbersome systems and disjointed tech stacks lead to too much manual work, difficulties tracking purchase orders, time-consuming reconciliations for different platforms, and more. These problems with can be fixed through automation and consolation, in order to reduce the amount of manual work involved in pre-accounting, eliminate the risk of human error, and shorten the time-to-close every month.
How do I do accounts payable reports?
Airbase’s automated accounting creates real-time accounts payable reports. You can easily customize and filter reports to fit your needs. Reports include summary reports, which provide info on card and bill payment activity; department reports, which show spending by departments; people reports, which break down spending by the employee; and reports on all transactions by virtual card, corporate card, ACH, or check, as well as transactions made outside of Airbase.
ACH
What is an ACH payment?
ACH stands for Automated Clearing House, and is a type of payment where money is transferred between bank accounts without having to use checks or wire transfers.
How do I make an ACH payment?
You make an ACH payment in Airbase by selecting the bill you wish to pay, indicating that you are paying by ACH, and choosing whether you wish to pay immediately, pay by the due date, or schedule a payment.
Do I need ACH software to accept ACH payments?
You don’t need special software to accept ACH payments, but your bank account does need to be set up to receive these payments.
Which ACH service providers does Airbase use?
Airbase uses Silicon Valley Bank as its ACH service provider.
What is the best ACH payment system?
Because Airbase’s ACH payment system is part of an integrated spend management platform with full reporting functionality, its ACH payment system is the best to provide real-time visibility into bill payments.
Does every business accept ACH payments?
Many businesses are set up to accept ACH payments, but always confirm before sending a payment.
How does ACH payment processing work?
You can process an ACH payment in Airbase by selecting the bill you wish to pay, choosing if you are paying by ACH, and indicating whether you wish to pay immediately, pay by the due date, or schedule a payment. Once the payment request begins, funds move from your bank account to your Airbase account and then the vendor’s account. You can track the status in the Payment Tracker.
Are ACH transfers secure?
ACH transfers are more secure than checks. However, because there is always a risk in any payment type, it’s important to make ACH transfers through a secure platform like Airbase.
Control on cards
How do I control credit card spending?
You control physical credit card spending by creating cards in Airbase that are unique to an individual employee with predetermined limits. Because the cards provide visibility into all card activity with real-time reporting functionality, the status of the budget is always available, and the lever of control can be adjusted as needed.
How do I change the limit on a corporate credit card?
In Airbase, the spend owner needs to have user permissions for Manage Card Spend Controls in order to change the limit.
What is meant by spend controls?
Spend controls are systems and processes that support budget compliance with up-front approvals for purchases, or limits on dollar amounts and expiration dates.
Expense management
What is the best business expense software?
The best free business expense software enables real-time reporting, provides visibility into all types of spend, issues reimbursements right from the platform, and is easy for all employees to use. When these features are in place, the process of putting together expense reports isn’t necessary.
How do I get approval for online expenses?
To get approval for online expenses in Airbase, you start by completing a request for a virtual card or a purchase order. The request automates the approval process based on the information provided and will route it to the correct approval chain.
What is the best employee expenses software?
The best employee expenses software automates expense reports, provides visibility into all types of spend, and is easy for all employees to use for approvals, spending, and uploading receipts.
How do I do an expense report?
With Airbase cards, there is no need to do an expense report. An automated approval system sets spend parameters in advance. The finance team can therefore track spending without having to reconcile credit card statements or bills, and know that all requests are compliant with company policy.
Which expense management process works best?
The best expense management process is one in which all spending, for all payment types, flows through set approval workflows and is visible as each transaction takes place.
AP automation
What is AP automation?
AP automation uses automated systems to improve the speed and accuracy of accounts payable processes.
What software is used for accounts payable automation?
Airbase’s software is used for accounts payable automation in order to automate all stages of a transaction, from initial approval to GL sync.
What is AP automation in plain language?
In plain language, AP automation means using automated processes to perform accounts payable tasks, such as bill payments, employee expense reimbursements, and invoice processing.
What are the advantages of AP automation?
Some advantages to automated accounts payable include hours of time saved by reduced manual work, improved accuracy, greater visibility, and less ambiguity about expense management policies, since the system itself can enforce compliance and apply budget controls.
How can I automate AP processes?
You can automate AP processes with Airbase’s spend management system, which automates all steps of a transaction, from initial request to GL sync.
Cost controls
What are cost controls?
Cost controls are systems and processes that prevent unnecessary and over-budget spending. When cost controls are automated and rule-based, cost controls can be applied in a manner that is transparent to employees, while removing the burden of oversight from AP.
How do you control costs?
You control costs by implementing AP systems that give end-to-end visibility into employee spending with automated approvals that set spending limits up front and provide real-time reporting. With this insight into spend activity, you can adjust spending limits to achieve budget targets.
What is the best cost control software?
The best cost control software gives end-to-end visibility into employee spending with automated approvals that set spending limits up front and provide real-time reporting to monitor costs.
PO software
What is a purchase order?
A purchase order is a document that confirms the terms of an order and provides detailed documentation of a purchase.
What are some purchase order software benefits?
Some purchase order software benefits include providing accountability and control over a purchase request. This reduces the time spent on procurement, and ensures clear processes for both purchases and finance teams.
What is a purchase order control system?
A purchase order is a document that confirms the terms of an order and provides detailed documentation of a purchase.
What is the best automated purchase order software?
The best automated purchase order software attaches all relevant documentation to a PO, matches invoices to the corresponding PO, and syncs all transactions to the GL as payments are made.
Spend management
What is spend management?
Spend management is a completely new approach to handling every non-payroll dollar that leaves a company. It encompasses, bill payments, employee expense reimbursements, and corporate credit cards, all supported by automated accounting, approval workflows, and real-time reporting.
What are the best spend management platforms?
The best spend management platforms provide a holistic solution that includes all payment types — cards, checks, ACH, wire transfers, and vendor credits — and are built on a base of automated accounting, approval workflows, and real-time reporting. When accounts payable, corporate credit cards, and employee reimbursements are consolidated on a single platform, every non-payroll dollar that leaves a company is easily tracked.
Time-to-close
What is continuous accounting?
Continuous accounting is when repetitive tasks are automated so that financial records can be updated in real time, without time-consuming reconciliations or data transfers.
What is a rolling close?
In a rolling close, also called a continuous close, the books are updated in real time, thanks to automated processes that gather data as transactions take place, with an automatic sync to the general ledger. With a rolling close, finance teams don’t face a lengthy month-end close, and current financials are always available.
How can I prepare for month-end close?
You can prepare for month-end close by completing the many required pre-accounting tasks: gather financial statements, collect past-due invoices, collect forms, check payroll, account for inventory, organize receipts, and reconcile bank statements.
How long should month-end close take?
Closing the books can take days or weeks depending on the company. It often takes most small to mid-market companies longer than enterprise companies. This is because enterprise-level companies have automated many of the flows that smaller companies do manually. It is also because many small and mid-market companies rely on a messy tech stack that must be reconciled.
How do I shorten my time-to-close?
You can shorten your time-to-close with a spend management system that ensures all financial transactions are recorded in real-time with supporting documents, no matter what payment type is used. Information on spend activity is therefore always up to date and a full audit trail is always in the system.
Virtual cards
What is a virtual card?
A virtual card is an automatically generated card number that can be used to make online purchases.
How does a virtual card work?
A virtual card is a card number that can be automatically generated in seconds and used online. The card can be customized to be used for a specific vendor, for a certain amount, within a certain time frame, and for one-time or ongoing use. To an online merchant, it works like any credit card.
What does it cost to implement virtual cards for my business?
The cost of Airbase’s virtual card program is included in a comprehensive spend management platform and varies by the volume of transactions as well as the other features included in the platform. The ability to earn cash back on virtual card spending increases the ROI of a card program, as does the increased visibility into spending and more powerful budget controls.
How do I set limits on a virtual card?
When you create a virtual card on Airbase, you set a spend limit and specify if that limit is per day, week, month, quarter, or year. You can also choose to limit the card to one-time use or for a specific vendor.
Can virtual cards eliminate expense reports?
Because virtual cards have customizable approval workflows and visibility into employee spend as transactions take place, they can replace expense management systems like Expensify, and much more. With virtual cards, there is no need to prepare and review expense reports, since oversight and control are built right into the process.
What are the benefits of virtual cards for businesses?
Virtual cards have many benefits for business. With the right software behind it, a virtual card program is easy to use, provides full visibility into employee spend, affords budget owners greater control, enables real-time reporting capabilities, provides opportunities to increase revenues through cash back, and reduces the risk of fraud. Virtual cards are a perfect fit for remote teams and any business wanting to streamline AP processes and gain control over spend.
Can virtual cards be used in stores?
Virtual cards can be used online or by telephone, but not at the point of sale.
Can virtual cards be used for bill payments?
In a consolidated spend management platform, bill payments can be made by virtual card if the vendor accepts credit card payments. By strategically shifting bill payments to virtual cards, companies can earn cash back and make money while they’re paying the bills.
What is the best virtual card?
The best virtual card is one that is backed by software with automated workflows and report capabilities, and an automatic sync to the GL for instant visibility into spend activity.
Who issues virtual cards?
Many banks and credit card companies offer virtual cards. Spend management platforms such as Airbase issue virtual cards for business expenses.