The Best Way to Pay Invoices 

Invoice-Based Workflow Features

Elevate Your Finance Team


Tipalti’s accounts payable automation process for invoice-based workflows is a comprehensive solution that minimizes manual effort, maximizes self-service, and dramatically increases scalability and auditability.

A screenshot of the settings screen for adaware anti-spyware.

The most critical step comes first: ensuring your vendors are payable

You invite them to register on your Supplier Hub to provide their contact, billing details, and tax identification.

  • The responsibility is on the vendor to provide information, incentivizing them to do it right in order to be paid.
  • This step is vital to ensuring that no one is paid that your business hasn’t authorized.
  • Reduce data entry
  • Ensure supplier identity
  • Collect and verify tax IDs

The vendor can upload their invoice from the Supplier Hub or email it to your payables alias

The invoice is processed seamlessly using OCR (optical character recognition), machine learning, and managed services and automatically populated into Tipalti.

  • Any missed characters by the cloud-AI are human-validated by Tipalti.
  • If it is a PO-based invoice, Tipalti performs a 2-way and 3-way PO-match.
  • Machine learning prefills much of the accounting and approval routing data based on past invoices.
  • Maintain invoice records
  • Set up straight-through processing and approvals
  • Frees up manual effort
A screen shot of a web page displaying a product section for an invoice-based workflow.
Keywords: invoice, screen screenshot

As the payer, review the invoice that has been automatically keyed in

Until now, other than inviting the vendor to the portal, your finance team hasn’t had to do any data entry – including keying in bill data.

  • Review the invoice to start the approval process.
  • Approvers will get an email for approval.
  • Approval audit trail
  • Minimizes manual effort

Approvers in the workflow receive a request to approve the invoice

Approvers receive a branded email, including a copy of the invoice to be approved and which ledger account it will be filed under.

  • The approver can:
    • Approve the bill
    • Update the account (GL) on the bill
    • Send the invoice back to AP for a different routing process
    • Dispute the bill
  • Authorized approvers do not need to log into a separate portal and can perform these actions from any email client, including mobile.
  • Potential duplicate bills are detected and flagged on top of the email, ensuring approvers are fully aware of the duplicate bills.
  • Hassle-free approvals for stakeholders
  • Clear audit trail for bill workflow
A screen shot of a 2020 Google Docs invoice for an invoice-based workflow.
A screenshot of the invoice creation screen in the invoice-based workflow.

Schedule the invoice for payment

Once all approvers have signed off on the invoice, your finance team can schedule the invoice for payment, along with any other bills in the system.

  • Bills can be grouped for bulk scheduling
  • Bills can be grouped regardless of payment method (wire, ACH, eCheck, etc.)
  • Questionable bills can be flagged and send back to AP or disputed
  • Easily manage payment runs
  • Preschedule payments
  • Easier global payments across varied methods

Add approval requirement for payments

Payments can also be set up to require executive approval as an added financial control. Tipalti handles all the payment account execution.

  • All payments are performed according to their scheduled due date once your executive approves
  • Executives quickly log in to execute final approval
  • Flexibility to put on-hold specific invoices from payment batches for paying them later
  • No more logging into individual bank portals
  • All payment execution is logged and auditable
A screenshot of a screen displaying invoices in the product section.
A screenshot of a payment page on Facebook featuring an invoice-based workflow.

Vendor communications are automated

Vendors will be notified immediately when a payment is made or if there’s a problem.

  • Emails come from your business and have your branding to ensure trust
  • If there’s a problem, the email prescribes a solution, often asking the vendor to update or provide additional information through the Supplier Hub
  • Reduced payment inquiries
  • Proactive communication

Reconciliation happens in real time

Once the payment lands and clears, Tipalti is automatically updated with the successful result. No manual bank reconciliation is required.

  • Payment data is sent to any connected ERPs or accounting platforms (e.g. NetSuite, QuickBooks Online, etc.)
  • Complete details of transfer or conversion fees are included
  • Faster reconciliation to accelerate the financial close
  • Accurate, updated payment data
A screen shot of a screen showing a list of items in the (2020) Invoice-Based Workflow - Product Section.

Platform Features

Work smarter, not harder

With AI and machine learning capabilities, an intuitive UX, and quick and easy global payments, you can drive unprecedented efficiency.

Customer Stories

Don’t just take our word for it,

see what our customers are saying

How It Works

Up and running in weeks, not months

Collaborative customer support with customized onboarding to get you operational quickly 

Compare

See how we stack up

Features Tipalti BILL Stampli Concur
Supplier Management
learn more (Branded self-service onboarding, payment validations, supplier payment choice and visibility)
feature included Limited functionality Limited functionality feature included
Payments Network
learn more (Pay to 196 countries in +120 currencies via 12+ methods. Globally licensed, bluechip bank partners, fraud protection)
feature included Limited functionality Limited functionality Limited functionality
Cards
learn more In-house cards + expenses work seamlessly together. Plus, integration with Amex, Visa, and Mastercard corporate cards
feature included feature included feature included Limited functionality
Invoice Management
learn more AI-based OCR, managed services, predictive GL coding and approval routing, advanced PO matching
feature included Limited functionality feature included Limited functionality
Tax and Regulatory Compliance
learn more Digitally collect and validate tax details, TIN validations, prep reports, automatic withholdings and eFiling
feature included Limited functionality feature not included feature not included
Global Multi-Entity
learn more Manage multiple entities with different payables workflows, consolidated view
feature included feature not included Limited functionality Limited functionality
Reconciliation and Reporting
learn more Fully managed in-house API and file-based integrations with leading ERPs, instant payables reconciliation
feature included Limited functionality Limited functionality Limited functionality
Procurement
learn more Dynamic intake, approval workflow integrations, budget visibility, PO creation, contract management
feature included feature not included feature not included Limited functionality
Expense Management
learn more Configurable policies, mobile expense submission and approval, global reimbursements, automatic reconciliation
feature included feature included Limited functionality feature included
FX Solution
learn more Seamlessly convert currencies, manage intercompany bank transfers, and hedge FX risks
feature included feature not included Limited functionality feature not included

Awards

#1 award-winning finance automation solution

2024 Inc. 5000 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Companies

Awarded to Tipalti for the 7th consecutive year

2023 Deloitte Technology Fast 500

Awarded to Tipalti for the sixth consecutive year

2024 CNBC World’s Top Fintech Company

Digital Business Solutions Category

2023 Merit Awards for Technology

Gold Winner