You made the right choice by adding AR (accounts receivable) automation to your B2B company. There’s no better way to accelerate payments, save time, and supercharge your cash flow.
Now, comes the important part: getting your customers to use it.
You need their engagement to get the most out of your accounting automation. Without it, your B2B company will face late payments, and a manual AR process consumes too much of your team’s time.
This blog explains how to increase customer adoption.
Your customers must pay their bills no matter how easy or difficult it is to do so. However, 70% of today’s B2B buyers were born after 1980. They expect a payment process that’s convenient and hassle-free.
AR automation delivers what today’s buyers crave. Accounting automation empowers them to set up and manage digital wallets through their self-service portal. That way, customers can pay a bill by clicking a button instead of constantly re-entering their payment information. You can embed payment links in invoice emails, enabling customers to forego their wallet and pay you immediately.
Having access to their own portal allows customers to make payments on their own time. They don’t have to do it within your or their hours of operation, as long as they pay on or before the due date.
You and your customers have the opportunity to set up AutoPay and draft recurring fees from their digital wallet. You’re guaranteed timely payments while easing their administrative burden.
Did you know that more than 80% of small businesses fail because of poor cash flow management?
AR automation manages your cash flow with ease. And it serves a similar function for your customers. They can access up to 18 months of their purchasing history through their self-service portal, which helps them budget better and make smart, well-informed business decisions. This data also pinpoints how they can improve their cash flow.
Your customers also receive real-time updates on which invoices they’ve paid, and which are pending. That way, they know how much cash they have available and whether their accounts are in good standing.
Financial fraud is on the rise. A survey of U.S. companies found that cyberfraud rose by 14% in 2024. Worse yet, 60% of the businesses surveyed said fraud cost them more than $5 million. Your customers need to be able to trust you with their financial information.
The right AR automation platform uses encryption along with the best cybersecurity available. It also provides your customers with digital payment options through ACH and credit cards. This eliminates check fraud, which cost businesses roughly $24 billion in 2024. Your customers are shielded from financial deceit, and you don’t have to wait days for paper checks to arrive and clear.
Customers aren’t always to blame for late payments. Sometimes, mistakes in your AR process can be the culprit.
Automation enables customers to chat with you in real time through their portal. They don’t have to deal with ineffective chatbots. They don’t have to waste time on hold. They don’t have to wait for messages to be returned. Rather, their access to you is instant. The faster you correct a mistake or answer a question, the quicker you get paid.
Some people are frightened by automation. They don’t think they have the time or knowledge to learn how to use it. Or they’re afraid they’ll lose control of their company.
AR automation was created to make things easier. Your customers will enjoy not having to write out and mail checks or constantly remember due dates. They’ll appreciate how AR automation eliminates late fees. And they’ll enjoy the choice that comes with managing their own digital wallets and self-service portals.
Once your customers see how easy it is to use, they’ll thank you for automating your AR process.
You know how valuable AR automation is to you and your customers. Now, you have to make sure they know it too.
It’s important to let customers know you’re using a new accounting automation platform that will be sending them electronic invoices. Alerting customers ensures they will open these important emails and not regard them as spam or potential scams.
Create a flyer detailing how and why to set up and manage their digital wallets and portals. Emphasize how secure and easy it is to use both. Highlight features such as “pay now” links and AutoPay that help eliminate late fees and save time.
Get creative and encourage early adoption with rewards like priority shipping, discounts, or exclusive deals. Doing so guarantees you and your customers get the most from automating your AR process.
The only AR automation platform made exclusively for B2B companies, Bill360 makes life simpler for you and your customers.
Our end-to-end automation does it all. We handle invoicing, auto reconciliation, and payment processing, getting you paid an average of 36% faster than your current AR process. With features like digital wallets and self-service portals, Bill360 makes it easier for customers to pay you on time. That way, you get paid faster than ever and your customers experience the simplicity today’s B2B buyers demand.
Schedule a customized demo with Bill360 to see how we address the AR pain points specific to you and your customers.