Question 1

What is accounts payable (AP) automation?

Accepted Answer

Accounts payable (AP) automation software allows businesses to automate manual tasks like invoice processing, approvals, and payments. This allows AP teams to focus on higher-value activities, such as managing vendor relationships, analyzing spending trends, and identifying opportunities for cost savings.

Question 2

What are some of the benefits of using accounts payable automation?

Accepted Answer

Traditional AP processes are often manual and time-consuming, leading to errors and inefficiencies. Automating your AP process can offer several benefits:

Increased efficiency: Eliminate unexpected invoices and charges by pre-approving procurement budgets with embedded policies, and customized approval flows. Brex will automatically enforce it all across purchase card transactions and invoice payments.

Faster payments: Set up one-time or recurring domestic and international payments in 40+ currencies via ACH, wire, or card.

Improved accuracy: Capture invoices, draft payments, and generate receipts and memos all without human data entry for more accuracy and expense compliance across all spend.

Simpler month-end close: Brex automatically syncs every transaction with your ERP fields and GL codes — and you can view all your spend in real time.

Enhanced controls: Set approval workflows and spending limits to ensure greater control over your finances.

Question 3

How does AP automation software work?

Accepted Answer

AP automation software streamlines the entire bill payment process by replacing manual tasks with automated workflows. Here's a breakdown of how it typically works:

Automated invoice capture: Invoices are submitted electronically (via email, portal, etc.) or scanned into the system using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology. OCR extracts key data like vendor information, invoice amount, and due date.

Data extraction and processing: Extracted data is automatically populated into the AP automation software's digital format.

Approval workflows: The software automatically routes invoices to the appropriate person(s) for approval based on pre-defined rules.Approvers can review invoices electronically and provide their approval within the system.

Automated payments: Once approved, the software can initiate payments electronically through various methods like ACH or wire transfer.

Record keeping and reporting: The software stores all invoices and payment information electronically for easy access and retrieval. It can also generate reports on spending trends, vendor performance, and other key metrics.

Question 4

What ERPs does Brex connect to?

Accepted Answer

Brex integrates with nearly every ERP, including NetSuite, QuickBooks Online, Xero, and Sage Intacct — allowing you to sync data bidirectionally in real time.

Once your ERP is connected, your accounting fields will be imported and available for use on Brex transactions. Importing ERP metadata brings accounting categories that are important to your reporting process into Brex. And exporting Brex expense data directly to your general ledger allows you to close your books faster and reduce errors.

You can also save templated CSVs tailored to your ERP to make closing the books easier every month.

Question 5

How does accounts payable automation software overcome common AP challenges?

Accepted Answer

By simplifying the entire AP process in a centralized place. For example, manually handling invoices can lead to a ton of errors, delays, and lost documents. By automating the process such as with Brex bill pay, you minimize these risks by handling everything from invoice creation through to approvals within one automation software like Brex. This not only reduces the time it takes to manage your AP, it reduces errors and increases efficiency. With Brex purchase cards, you can set up automated, PO-like approval flows with preset controls to avoid delays in critical procurement processes.

Accounts payable automation also gives businesses more visibility and control over their financial data. Traditional AP processes often lack real-time insights, making it difficult to track expenses and manage cash flow effectively. Accounting automation tools offer dashboards and reporting features that allow finance teams to monitor spending, identify bottlenecks, and forecast future expenses instantly. This level of visibility enables organizations to make informed decisions, optimize cash management, and better adhere to budgets.

Question 6

What AI-powered features does Brex offer for smarter accounts payable automation?

Accepted Answer

Brex offers several AI-powered features, including intelligent invoice matching and automated data extraction. These tools leverage machine learning algorithms to automatically match invoices with purchase orders and receipts, significantly reducing the time spent manual verifying items.

Brex can also capture invoices, draft payments, and generate receipts and memos all without human data entry for greater accuracy and expense compliance across corporate cards, travel, and invoice spend. This intelligent approach allows finance teams to focus on strategic tasks rather than routine administrative work.

Question 7

How can you integrate Brex's accounts payable automation software with your existing ERP?

Accepted Answer

Brex integrates with nearly every ERP, including NetSuite, QuickBooks Online, Xero, and Sage Intacct — allowing you to sync data in real time across platforms. Once synced, your purchase card and bill pay transactions will be automatically mapped to your ERP fields and GL codes, and you can view all your spend in one place, in real time.

Question 8

What is Brex's approach to eliminating manual workflows through AP automation?

Accepted Answer

Through an AI-powered platform, Brex eliminates the manual work from your workflow by automating more steps of the process. You can capture invoices, draft payments, and generate receipts and memos all without manual, human data entry. This results in:

Scalability and flexibility: AI helps process more invoices and payments without adding resources. Plus, you can transfer purchase cards instantly when employees leave.

Better decision making: Get a single source of truth for all spend, use automation to control it before and when it happens, and get insights to adjust it in real time for maximum impact.

Efficiency and savings: Let machine learning catch duplicate costs or find opportunities for discounts with recurring vendors for you, and eliminate manual work and overpayments.

Tax and audit readiness: Capture and organize massive amounts of spend data without human error or effort to ensure accurate record keeping for compliance with tax laws.

Question 9

How does Brex's accounts payable automation software enhance financial control?

Accepted Answer

Brex's AP automation software enhances financial control by providing real-time visibility into spending and cash flow management. The platform allows finance teams to track all invoices, approvals, and payments in one centralized place, making it easier to monitor expenses and compliance.

Plus, Brex allows for customizable approval workflows that ensures all spending aligns with budgets and spend policies — enhancing accountability. By offering detailed reporting and analytics, Brex empowers organizations to analyze spending patterns, forecast future expenses, and make more informed financial decisions.

AP automation built to help you work smarter, not harder

Streamline your AP process with automation that eliminates manual tasks, prevents errors, and delivers unmatched accuracy.

Streamline your accounts payable process with AP automation.

Manage procurement spend seamlessly across invoices and purchase cards, all in one place.

Don’t settle for the AP status quo.

Most companies use multiple solutions for bill pay, purchase cards, and T&E — creating an accounts payable mess:

Upgrade to the future of payables.

Manage all your spend, invoiced or otherwise, in one place. Brex gives you both bill pay and purchase cards as part of our unified spend management platform.

Upgrade to the future of payables.

Manage all your spend, invoiced or otherwise, in one place. Brex gives you both bill pay and purchase cards as part of our unified spend management platform.

Automated bill pay

Purchase cards

“Brex delivers the next AI-powered version of spend management for accounts payables teams. It's a modern way of running virtual cards, p-cards, bills, invoices — everything is aggregated within a centralized platform.”

Power your procurement with AI.

Brex payables offers the controls your AP team needs to manage all procurement spend — plus the automation and ease of use everyone wants.

Eliminate unexpected invoices and charges.

Automate payments globally, from any source.

Sync with your ERP to close the books fast.

Eliminate manual work, ensure compliance.

Transform payables, and your business.

The benefits of using a single, AI-driven platform for every type of spend goes far beyond the AP team.

Transform payables, and your business.

Transform payables, and your business.

Scalability and flexibility.

Better decision making.

Efficiency and savings.

Tax and audit readiness.

AP automation built for scale.

Brex is the first unified spend platform across bill pay, procurement, cards, and travel. Let’s talk about how we can empower your business.

Frequently asked questions