9 Best Business Central Accounts Payable Automation Solutions

When evaluating accounts payable automation software that integrates with the Microsoft Business Central ERP system, you’ll need to separate the best from the rest. 

AP automation systems produce results by eliminating paper invoices and matched paper documents and adding automation for efficiency that can help your business save substantial time and money, reducing your need to hire more staff. An excellent AP automation system lets the finance team shift its focus away from routine payables transaction processing and supplier invoice payments to more valuable business performance improvement tasks and projects. 

Explore the best AP automation and international payables integration options to streamline business payable processes and get more out of your Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central ERP solution and accounting system.

A Brief Overview of Business Central

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central went live on April 2, 2018, as a rebranding and cloud launch of Microsoft Dynamics NAV ERP software for small and medium-sized businesses. Microsoft acquired NAV (formerly Navision) software in 2002. When going live as Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Microsoft also gave customers the option to deploy it as on-premises software or in the intelligent edge. 

In 2018, when Microsoft Business Central went live as a cloud service, Microsoft Dynamics NAV had 160 thousand customers and over 2.7 million users. 

Dynamics 365 Business Central Pricing

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central offers a choice of two main subscription pricing plans:

Essentials: From $70/per user per month

Premium: From $100/per user per month

Premium adds Service Management and Manufacturing. 

Microsoft also offers other subscriptions for Business Central Users:

Dynamics 365 Business Central Team Members: $8/per user per month

Dynamics 365 Sales Professional: $65/per user per month for the first Dynamics 365 app; $20/ month per user for subsequent qualifying Dynamics 365 app

Microsoft Power BI: $9.99/per user per month

Microsoft Power Apps: $20/month per user

Understand that Microsoft Dynamics GP (the acquired Great Plains software), another Microsoft ERP system with payables automation integration, is not the same as Dynamics 365 Business Central. Microsoft Dynamics GP isn’t a cloud software product—it’s only deployed as on-premise or (with not included) IaaS (infrastructure as a service). 

How to Manage Accounts Payable in Business Central

Setting up and managing Microsoft Business Central for payables and payments is complex. But with AP automation integrated with the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central ERP, you can skip the following steps. Can you visualize how much time you’ll be saving with your integrated add-on software for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central accounts payable automation? 

For how to scale globally, including international vendor payments with Microsoft Business Central, you need to follow certain steps in a Microsoft accounts payable and payments tutorial for the ERP system:

1. Set up cash management in Business Central
   1. Set up Bank Account Cards to keep track in any currency
   2. Set up vendor bank accounts
   3. Manually process bank transactions with payment journals
   4. To post bank transactions to a general ledger account, assign a bank account posting group on the Posting Fast Tab of the Bank Account Card; enter the bank account currency in Currency Code field for a non-local currency
   5. Configure electronic banking services to import bank statements and export payments
   6. To make electronic transfers, on the Transfer Fast Tab of the bank account card, specify how to export and import files in the Payment Export and Bank Statement Import Format fields. You set up different file export services with unique formats differently on the Bank Account Card page. Examples are North American EFT vs. SEPA set-ups. For North American electronic funds transfer, you must specify the Last Remittance Advice No. field and the Transit No. field. For exporting a payment file for a SEPA payment in Europe, you need to specify the Swift Code and IBAN fields on the Bank Account Card page in Business Central.
2. Set up data exchange definitions to exchange data in specific tables with data on external files on the Data Exchange Definition page (except FX rates). Examples are: Send and receive electronic documents, Import and export bank or other data like currency exchange rates (differently set up in the Exch. Rate Update Setup Card page) and item catalogs
3. Configure payment methods and terms
4. Set up vendors in cash management
5. Configure the Aged Accounts Payable report
6. Explore detailed vendor ledger entries
7. Set up vendor bank accounts and preferred vendor bank account

Does Business Central Offer AP Automation?

Microsoft Business Central doesn’t offer AP automation, but you can integrate third-party AP automation software with the ERP to achieve digital transformation for automated supplier invoice processing, accounts payable, and global payments. With fully functional, streamlined, efficient AP automation, your business reduces fraud risk and errors and achieves tax and global regulatory compliance. 

Top 9 AP Automation Integrations for Business Central 

We list and describe the top eight AP automation software choices for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. These cloud-based add-on software platforms streamline AP processes, capture invoice data for invoice processing, match invoices to purchase orders and receiving reports, find exceptions, intelligently route approval workflow, and provide real-time dashboards for analytics. Many offer automated global payments software that may work for multiple business entities and consolidated views. Some provide automatic batch payment reconciliations. 

Top 9 AP automation integrations for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central are:

1. Tipalti 
2. Quadient AP Automation by Beanworks
3. SoftCo
4. Rillion (formerly Palette)
5. Continia
6. AvidXchange
7. Stampli
8. MineralTree
9. SimplyAP by KwikTag

1 – Tipalti 

Tipalti AP automation integrates with Microsoft Dynamics ERP systems, including Business Central (and Dynamics GP). Tipalti, the best AP automation platform provides end-to-end digital transformation for payables. Using Tipalti accounts payable automation software results in an at-least 80% reduction in supplier payments workload, automated global regulatory and tax compliance, strong enterprise-grade financial controls, lower fraud risk, and 66% error reduction. Real-time payment reconciliation with file integration syncs with entity-specific sub-ledgers, accelerates the monthly close by 25%, and gives you real-time visibility into payables, cash flow, and spend management.

As of March 2023, Tipalti has rapidly grown its customer base to over 3,000 customers. Tipalti has a 99% customer retention rate, signifying that it’s doing things right. Tipalti constantly reinvests in adding new features to its software for continuous improvement that makes it better and more useful. 

Tipalti finance automation software offers scalability for your global business growth as it becomes more complex by entity and globalization, and increases its volume of supplier or vendor invoice processing. Tipalti AP automation software gives you views of multi-entity and consolidated global payables. 

With Tipalti payments software, your business will reliably send payments through Tipalti’s blue-chip bank network. Your funds are protected, and all of your business payments are made through a compliant and safe payment platform recognized by worldwide financial regulators.

2 – Quadient Accounts Payable Automation by Beanworks

Quadient, a European-based company that includes U.S. operations, acquired Beanworks in March 2021, which is a provider of AP automation systems. In December 2022, Quadient Accounts Payable Automation by Beanworks began cloud integration with on-premises users of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. 

3 – Softco

Softco is an end-to-end procure-to-pay (P2P) software solution for procurement, accounts payable, and payments that integrates with Microsoft Dynamics Business Central. Softco, which operates from the U.S., Finland, the UK, and Ireland, has a global customer base.  

4 – Rillion (formerly Palette)

Rillion is a fast-to-install system for AP automation that integrates with Business Central. Rillion covers invoice capture or invoice import, invoice processing, preliminary booking, approval, and final registration in Microsoft Dynamics Business Central. 

5 – Continia

Continia provides accounts payable, payment, and other finance automation software built into Business Central for both the online and on-premises versions of Microsoft Business Central. 

6 – AvidXchange

AvidXchange offers accounts payable automation software for integration with Microsoft  Dynamics 365 Business Central (and other ERP systems). 

7 – Stampli

Stampli’s AP integration with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central includes syncing lists, Dimension information, invoice coding, and payments data between Business Central and Stampli. 

8 – MineralTree

MineralTree provides end-to-end AP automation integration for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. 

9 – SimplyAP by KwikTag

SimplyAP is an invoice processing solution integrating with Business Central from KwikTag. KwikTag is owned by enChoice. The solution isn’t as extensive as other AP automation software and doesn’t include payments. 

In Summary

When it’s time to choose an AP automation solution for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, compare Tipalti’s best-in-class software platform to other solutions. We think you’ll find that Tipalti AP Automation best meets your business needs. You can also research TIpalti Mass Payments, Expenses for employee spend, and Procurement software. Download our eBook, “The Last Mile of Microsoft: Payables Transformation Strategies.”