Comprehensive Comparison of Concur vs BILL

In today’s economy, the efficiency of financial operations can create a competitive advantage. This makes any choices on fintech software paramount to success, including the technology you choose for AP and expense management. As companies strive for greater control over rogue spend, improved compliance, and streamlined workflows, they end up turning to sophisticated solutions like SAP Concur and BILL (formerly Bill.com). Both of these platforms offer features designed to integrate and automate key financial processes, with enhanced efficiency and greater visibility.In this article, we take a quick look at the main features, pros/cons, and pricing of both platforms, as well as a smart alternative like Tipalti.

What is Concur?

SAP Concur is a suite of products designed to automate and integrate expense, travel, and invoice management. Based on customer reviews, the system has won multiple leadership rewards. It provides real-time visibility into spending, helps companies better control cash flow, and improves compliance.

SAP Concur’s core competencies are travel and expense management and accounts payable. The cloud-based software makes expense reporting simple. Concur Travel captures data directly from hotels, airlines, restaurants, and more, wherever and whenever it happens.

Concur Pricing

Pricing for SAP Concur is custom (a common pricing method for Concur competitors and alternatives as well). This includes your main features like expense tracking, receipt capture, and policy compliance.  

Main Features

• Expense Reporting– Create expense reports with a mobile-friendly, cloud-based tool for travel and expense management
• Bank and Card Integration – Easy integration with bank accounts and a vast eco-system of banking partners
• Concur Detect – Use AI and Machine Learning (ML) to analyze expense reports, resolve issues, and speed up auditing
• Budget Tools – Capture and consolidate data from expenses, travel, invoices, and requests for better budgeting and controls
• Concur Invoice – Automate, accelerate and digitize the entire invoice management process
• Request and Approvals – Simplify requests and approvals, control spending, and drive compliance with an automated system

Pros of Concur

• Concur Expense creates large swaths of data that can be used later on for in-depth analysis
• Mobile receipts capture makes creating new expenses super easy
• Saves your business time and enhances overall workflow efficiency

Cons of Concur

• Interrupted service that can be unreliable, leaving teams to ask, “Is Concur Down?”
• It can be difficult to pull reports past 90 days, which makes it harder to analyze data
• The platform can lack intuitiveness and can be difficult to navigate

What is BILL (formerly Bill.com)?

BILL is intelligent accounting software that’s designed to help a business create and pay bills, send invoices, control budgets, manage expenses, and access credit. The system automates accounts payable and accounts receivable processes, while seamlessly integrating with third-party enterprise platforms like Xero and QuickBooks. Make business payments in four easy steps: capture, approve, pay, and sync.

The BILL Spend and Expenses feature also provides expense reporting with just a few clicks, so a company can have the fastest month-end possible. Track, manage, and control spend with a single, intuitive dashboard.

BILL Pricing

Like any SaaS, BILL’s pricing can be broken down based on what you’re using it for. The Accounts Payable program has an Essentials Plan for $45/user/month and the Team Plan for $55/user/month. The only differences are more in-depth reporting and a larger variety of user roles. This is comparable pricing compared to other BILL competitors and alternatives.

Main Features

• BILL Network – Access to millions of vendors over the BILL network who accept ACH, credit card, check, and international wire payments
• Data Integration – Built to integrate and share data with your tech stack, including NetSuite, Sage, Xero, and Quickbooks Online
• Spend and Expense Management – Customizable spending limits, enhanced policy controls, budget groups, and a simplified interface
• Approval Workflows: Tailor approval workflows to fit custom business rules, while BILL handles all the routing.
• Cash Flow Forecasting – Predict future cash flow, maximize business potential, and uncover trends and opportunities
• Greater Control – Track approvals and send reminders (via mobile app on iPhone or Android), maintain a separation of duties, and increase fraud protection

Pros of BILL

• Two-way sync with leading accounting systems to reduce manual data entry
• Access to millions of vendors over BILL network and more payment options
• Facilitates invoice approvals and streamlines routing through various departments

Cons of BILL

• ACH transfer times can take longer than 5-7 days in some cases
• There is no way to mark a customer as tax-exempt, creating a faulty audit trail
• According to user reviews, customer support isn’t always responsive
  

Concur vs BILL

When comparing advanced systems, sometimes a visual works best. In this comparison table, we take a more in-depth look at the various features of Concur and BILL, side-by-side, as well as Tipalti vs BILL and Tipalti vs Concur.

*Limited functionality
Supplier Management	Self-service onboarding, payment validations, proactive status comms, supplier choice & visibility	Supplier network. No white-label options	Supplier portal retired in October 2020
Tax & Regulatory Compliance	KPMG approved digital tax engine, TIN validations, prep reports, withholdings & eFiling	Manually collect W-9s and upload for scan & capture of data	None
Procurement	Dynamic intake, approval workflow integrations, budget visibility, PO creation, contract management	None	Not a point of emphasis, part of Concur Invoice. Weak UI, no dynamic intake
Invoice Management	AI-based OCR + MS, predictive GL coding & approval routing, advanced PO matching, best-in-class approval comms	Header-level OCR, manual GL coding, approvers extra $	Most customers via cross-sell from Expense
Cards	Manage virtual & physical cards with spend controls, earn cashback, integrate existing card programs	Pay by card and virtual card options. Corporate cards via Divvy	Connect bank card programs with Expense or 3rd party payment providers for Invoice
Expense Management	Mobile expense submission & approval, global reimbursements, automatic reconciliation	BILL Spend & Expense via Divvy acquisition	Core offering. Per expense report pricing, clunky UI, partners for reimbursements
Global Remittance	Pay to 196 countries in +120 currencies via 12+ methods. Globally licensed, bluechip bank partners, fraud protection	Domestic focus. Wires only for int’l. Slower payments	Checks only. Shifting to pay via partner strategy. Retired invoice pay ACH
FX Solutions	Convert currencies, manage intercompany bank transfers, hedge FX risks	FX rates are shown, but no ability to “lock in” rates	None
Reconciliation & Reporting	Fully managed in-house API & file-based integrations with leading ERPs, instant reconciliation	No automatic reimbursement sync with ERP. Need to export CSV file	3rd party connectors for integrations like Netsuite
Multi-Entity	Manage multiple entities with different workflows, gain a consolidated view	Multi-instance, not multi-entity	Available in professional plans only. No supplier onboarding flows per entity
Corporate Metrics	Finance automation vision, +4.3K customers, $60B remittance, +$700M funding, +1.2K FTEs, 99% retention, 98% support CSAT	Small business focused	Mostly DIY customer support; need to open tickets for issues

Primary Alternative: Tipalti

One of the most practical solutions to both Concur and BILL is Tipalti. The holistic suite of products automates the entire procure-to-pay process, eliminating up to 80% of your AP workload. Tipalti also offers an unparalleled level of global compliance, invoice management, supplier onboarding, multi-entity cloud architecture, and enterprise-grade financial controls.

Any business looking to expand should consider Tipalti as a wise choice. The brand is a regulated money services business (MSB), with a US money transmitter license (MTL) in every state that requires it. Additionally, Tipalti is regulated as an MSB by the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre (FINTRAC) in Canada, and authorized as an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) by regulators in the UK and EU, giving customers a significant advantage over non-regulated providers. The Tipalti solution partners with blue-chip banks like Wells Fargo, JP Morgan, and Citi, with redundancy between built-ins for ease of use and reliable global payment remittance.

Tipalti is honored to be on the Spend Matters 50 Providers to Know list and is recognized as an industry leader who consistently pioneers innovative financial technologies and services. When comparing Tipalti with Concur and BILL, here are some key differences to note:

Streamlined Procurement

Out of all three systems, Tipalti is the only end-to-end system that also offers team members smart intake and procurement tools. In fact, it offers AP, expenses, and procurement, under one roof. Concur, on the other hand, offers a Purchase Request feature as a basic add-on solution. BILL does not currently offer any form of procurement.

Smarter Expense Management

Tipalti offers automated expense policies that minimize fraud and ensure compliance. Employees can use the mobile app for quick and easy expense filing, with global expense reimbursement capabilities that leverage Tipalti’s payment infrastructure. Expense transactions and reimbursements are automatically captured, categorized, and processed like all other Tipalti payments.

Although expense management is Concur’s core offering, a fee is charged for every expense report produced, making the cost of ownership less predictable. BILL offers expense management through its acquisition of Divvy in 2021.

Automated Invoicing

When it comes to invoice management, Tipalti uses ML-based header and line-level data capture via OCR (optical character recognition) and managed services to handle exceptions. The system uses automated 2 and 3-way PO matching with tolerance thresholds and smart approval workflows with direct email actioning. 

Concur is typically stronger in expense and travel than it is in invoicing, with their Invoice Pay ACH feature retired in 2022 and their supplier portal feature deprecated in Oct 2020. BILL also has gaps in its invoice processing, with OCR only capturing header-level invoice details, and approvers are required to login to the platform to complete approvals, which has user licensing implications.

International Compliance

BILL and Concur do not offer advanced, built-in tax features, validation, or regulatory compliance controls. 

Tipalti has tax features that meet IRS requirements (as prescribed by KPMG). The supplier onboarding workflow includes collecting and validating W-9/W-8 tax form data. The system will then generate 1099/1042-S tax prep files with auto-calculated withholdings to help you with your year-end tax reporting. 

Tipalti also collects and validates local/VAT tax IDs for non-US countries. These details are essential for small businesses and large companies alike.

Empowered Supplier Management

Tipalti offers a 24/7, branded supplier portal where vendors can update contact and bank data in one spot with 26,000+ global payment validation rules to verify data in real-time and reduce payment errors by 66%. The portal enables suppliers to:

• Choose their own payment method
• Select a specific currency
• Set payment thresholds
• View transaction histories
• Receive branded notifications

Most supplier portals have limited payment options compared to Tipalti. Concur actually retired its supplier portal in 2020. BILL offers limited white-labeling opportunities, with no built-in payment validation rules and a confusing sign-up process. Suppliers often end up signing up for the service, instead of a supplier account.

Advanced Integrations

Concur and BILL both offer a variety of integrations, but nothing compares to Tipalti. The platform has robust prebuilt API integrations with NetSuite, QuickBooks Online, Sage Intacct, Xero, Acumatica, and Microsoft Dynamics Business Central. It offers seamless ERP integrations with a multitude of other ERPs via pre-built connectors, a drag-and-drop interface, and zero code required.

A Global Scale

Tipalti offers a breadth and depth of capabilities on a global scale. The global payable process enables a business to send money to 196 countries in 120 currencies using various payment methods. You’re also given advanced payment configuration options like fee-splitting and setting thresholds. 

Concur only offers checks for global remittance and has retired most of its in-house payment capabilities, opting for a pay via partner strategy instead. BILL only offers international capabilities for US-based accounts and only supports USD as a funding currency.

Summing It Up

When navigating the nuanced landscape of automated AP and expense management, it’s critical to carefully weigh the strengths and weaknesses of each solution against your business needs. Concur stands out for robust expense reporting, while BILL offers solid AP automation for small businesses. However, both have limitations when compared to Tipalti.

For those seeking a comprehensive solution that transcends the capabilities of Concur and BILL, Tipalti emerges as a compelling alternative. 

With its holistic suite of products automating the entire P2P process and offering unparalleled global compliance, Tipalti streamlines operations and minimizes workload significantly. Its proactive approach to regulatory compliance, empowered supplier management, expense management automation, and smart integrations with major ERP systems set it apart in the market.

Ultimately, the choice between Concur, BILL, and Tipalti will hinge on your company’s specific needs and priorities. While Concur and BILL offer solid functionalities and features in their respective domains, Tipalti is a comprehensive solution capable of meeting the diverse needs of global business. By carefully evaluating your objectives and comparing the features of each solution, you’ll likely see Tipalti as a top choice too. Ready to explore more? Get started.