4 Accounts Payable Software Options for Property Management

The North American property management market hit $8.59 billion in 2024, and it's expected to climb past $16.5 billion by 2032. That kind of growth is exciting, but the back office isn't keeping up. Specifically, the accounting side of property management is still painfully outdated in many firms. 68% of AP teams still key invoice data manually into their ERPs while 37% of companies still rely on paper invoices. And from my experience, property management accounting is more complex than accounting in just about any other business I've worked in. 

You've got a mountain of vendor bills, service contracts, utilities, and unexpected expenses. You know exactly when contractors need their checks, but somehow those payments never make it out on time. I've watched this destroy relationships with good vendors and kill chances at getting better rates. But the real problem isn't you or your team. It's your broken workflow. You're chasing paper invoices that pass through multiple hands, needing approvals from board members, regional managers, or finance leads. 

That alone can delay payments by weeks. Most small to mid-sized companies take 25 days to process one invoice from start to finish. That's almost a month for something that should take days. Late fees pile up, you miss early payment discounts, and vendors start questioning your reliability. Now factor in the cost. Between the labor, paper shuffling, approvals, and potential errors, you're spending roughly $15 per invoice, depending on how much time your staff is burning on it. 

I saw one company where two $40/hour staff members spent 40 hours processing invoices for 150 properties. The real cost per invoice was about $21. But I've also seen the flip side. Property managers who switched to automated accounts payable systems cut their processing time to 3-5 days. The Institute of Finance & Management found automation drops costs to about $3 per invoice. That's an 80% reduction in both time and money. 

However, not all AP systems are created equal, though. Some are better for property management, others for real estate. Some focus more on workflow and approvals, while others integrate better with accounting platforms like QuickBooks, Yardi, or NetSuite. In the rest of this guide, I'll walk you through 4 accounts payable software options for property management, options that I've either used myself or evaluated seriously. 

4 Accounts Payable Software Options for Property Management

Most property management firms, whether big or small, follow a similar basic flow: receive the invoice, match it with a PO or contract, get approvals, and then pay it. The way you execute that process might vary, but the bones are the same. That's why AP automation works so well across the board, no matter your setup. In fact, most modern platforms use AI to read and understand documents like humans. 

The process starts when invoices get into your system electronically. Maybe they come in through a vendor portal, maybe they're emailed in bulk, or maybe you're scanning paper invoices into a digital format. The software validates everything against your master data and matches invoices to purchase orders and delivery receipts. When everything checks out, it routes approvals and processes payments automatically. With built-in AI and cloud connectivity, today's systems adapt and learn from your specific workflows. 

Over time, the software handles complex scenarios that would easily crash the old automation tools that used to follow rigid rules and break down whenever you threw them anything off script. But even with AI, not all modern automation platforms are created equal. Some are great with complex portfolios, others integrate beautifully with certain accounting systems. Some are cost-effective for small teams, while others are built for enterprise-level operations. So, how do you choose the right one? Well, let's break down the most important factors. 

Evaluation Criteria

Before jumping into automation, get clear on what matters most for your firm. I've seen people rush into buying software that doesn't even work with their ERP, or worse, it does, but the integration is constantly breaking. That's not saving time. That's adding headaches. So, here are some evaluation criteria that will help you understand whether the software fits your existing company size and setup. 

Integration Depth

Your ERP system is where you store vendor information, purchase orders, general ledger codes, and payment records. It's where transactions get recorded and reports get generated. However, most ERP systems weren't built to handle the daily grind of accounts payable. They can't extract line-item details from invoices using OCR. They don't catch duplicate invoices or automatically route approvals. They can't match invoices to purchase orders or delivery receipts. On the other hand, the AP software handles the operational heavy lifting:

• Reads invoices using data extraction techniques (e.g. text extraction, OCR, AI-generated)
• Cross-checks with your POs, receipts, and vendor records
• Routes for approval based on rules you set
• Flags duplicates and mismatches
• Sends clean invoices for posting or payment

As you can tell from the work each software does, these systems should work together, not replace each other. The integration creates one smooth workflow from invoice capture to final payment without spreadsheets, emails, or manual data transfer from one software to the other. Here's a quick breakdown of the integration types to look for: 

• Native integration: The AP tool is built as an extension of your ERP or offered as an official add-on. Everything looks and feels familiar, and the data flows naturally between systems. But that means you must stick to the AP offered by the ERP vendor, even if it lacks certain features.
• API integration: APIs let your AP platform talk to your ERP and other software tools securely. This allows real-time data exchange and custom workflows across different software platforms. The advantage of APIs is that you aren't limited to what the ERP vendor offers, as long as your chosen AP has APIs supporting the integration. 
• File-based integration: This is old-school, but still common. You export invoice or vendor data as CSV or XML files and upload them into your ERP. It works, but usually needs someone to babysit the process. 
• Middleware integration: Sometimes you need a third-party tool to bridge the gap. Middleware platforms connect systems that don't naturally integrate. It adds complexity but sometimes it's your only option if the AP software you choose can't integrate with your accounting system.
• Manual integration: Honestly, this should be a last resort. It means you're re-entering data by hand between systems. It's time-consuming, risky, and defeats the whole point of automation.

From my experience, API and native integrations are the most efficient in the long run. They keep your data in sync and cut down on maintenance. 

Portfolio Size

I've been in property management long enough to know that what works when you're managing several units won't work when you're managing hundreds of units. As your business grows, you'll be dealing with more properties, more vendors, more staff needing access, more approval levels, thousands of invoices, and likely more legal entities. If your AP automation software can't scale alongside your firm, you're setting yourself up for a costly and disruptive switch down the road. 

That's why I always recommend choosing a platform that's built to handle the kind of growth you're aiming for, not just where you are today. The software should be able to manage increasing invoice loads, additional users, and multi-level approval workflows without hiccups. It should let you add new properties, handle different currencies if you expand markets, and maintain speed. But here's where many firms make a mistake: they don't look closely at the vendor's actual track record. 

It's one thing for a software company to say we're scalable. It's another thing to show that they've successfully supported other property management firms as they've scaled from regional to national. Here's my golden rule: past performance predicts future success. Before you buy into the pitch, you want to see that they've successfully handled property management firms similar to your size, and bigger ones too. 

The number of active clients matters too. For example, a vendor with 20+ satisfied customers has more staying power compared to a vendor serving 2 clients only. They've weathered different market conditions and refined their product through real-world feedback.  

Support

Some AP solutions require white-glove service with dedicated specialists walking you through every step. Others are truly plug-and-play. But even the most intuitive systems need proper implementation, training, and ongoing assistance, especially if your team isn't deeply technical. Once you're up and running, things don't stop there. 

You'll eventually hit bugs, updates, and user issues. Evaluate response time when problems hit. How fast does the vendor acknowledge support tickets? Top-tier vendors acknowledge issues within hours and provide escalation paths for urgent problems. They have resources standing by to work on critical issues or provide workarounds while permanent fixes get developed. They push out regular updates, security patches, and feature improvements. I recommend vendors who provide:

• Live training during onboarding
• On-demand video tutorials and walkthroughs
• Webinars on advanced features and new updates
• A searchable knowledge base with how-to articles
• FAQ databases
• Live chat, email, and phone support options

Price Tiers

If you've ever tried shopping for AP automation software, you already know this: pricing is rarely straightforward. Every vendor structures their fees differently, making true apples-to-apples comparisons nearly impossible. That's because pricing depends on a mix of factors, such as features, invoice volume, number of users, how complex your setup is, and how much support and customization you'll need. 

From what I've seen, most vendors don't hand out a flat price. Instead, they'll offer tiered pricing based on your requirements. This flexibility lets you pay for what you actually need while leaving room for growth. However, if you know how pricing models work, you'll be in a better spot to ask the right questions and avoid nasty surprises later. Here's a breakdown of the most common AP pricing structures: 

• Per document pricing: This is the pay-as-you-go model. You get billed based on the number of invoices,, and payments the system processes. It's simple: the more documents you process each month, the higher the bill. This model works well if your invoice volume is stable and predictable.
• Per user or per client: This model charges based on how many people in your company are logging in and using the system. Some vendors bill per user per month, while others offer a fixed rate for unlimited users. If your team is small, per-user might be cheaper. 
• Percentage of payment transactions: Some platforms let you pay invoices directly within the software though EFT, ACH, system written checks and virtual cards. With this setup, the software vendor takes a cut of each payment made through the system.

That said, let's get into the 4 accounts payable software options for property management.  

LeapAP

LeapAP is designed specifically for property and community management companies. You can use the software to manage a mixed portfolio of condos, HOAs, commercial spaces, and rental properties. The main promise of LeapAP is reducing accounts payable costs by up to 80% while scaling without additional hires. The software automates the complete invoice lifecycle of receiving, coding, approving, and paying. 

The smart data extraction technology pulls all key information from invoices such as invoice date, number, amount, and vendor details. Everything gets captured without manual data entry. Also, the software has a payment module that handles both check payments and electronic fund transfers if your bank supports EFT. That means payments can go out immediately once the invoices are approved. Also, LeapAP connects directly to utility company portals and downloads invoices automatically. 

For example, the system logs into your utility accounts, such as electricity, water, and gas bills, and pulls invoices without human intervention. And the software has no limit to the number of properties or units you can manage. When it comes to records management, the platform comes with a Mass Download feature that lets you export all invoices matching specific search criteria. This saves hours during month-end reporting and audit preparation. 

Pros     

• Works with a wide range of accounting systems including Yardi, Rent Manager, Buildium, Condo Manager, Shiftsuite, QuickBooks, and Xero, so you're not locked into a single ecosystem.
• Connects directly with your bank for ACH, checks, and virtual card payments, so you can process payables without jumping through hoops.
• Supports partial and staged payments natively by allowing GL splits, giving you flexibility when handling deposits or progress payments.
• Captures unit-level invoice data directly from your PMS and includes unit IDs on each bill for precise coding.
• Stores invoice PDFs and automatically push them into your property management system, so there’s no need for manual scanning.
• Syncs vendor data bidirectionally, so changes update across platforms without the need for double entry.
• Lets you edit and split invoice lines before approval, with GL coding built into the process.
• Syncs payment information back into your system, including check numbers and ACH IDs, which is useful for reconciliation.
• Has a robust error handling system that automatically flags and queues invoices with issues, so nothing gets lost or overlooked.
• Allows property-level permissions and filtering, which helps set hierarchies if your team manages multiple properties or portfolios.
• Fetches utility bills directly from portals, so there’s no separate upload or download service needed. This saves time and hassle.

Cons

• Doesn’t automatically perform work-order linking, although it can pass POWO references from your PMS.    

Yardi Bill Pay

Yardi Bill Pay focuses specifically on automating vendor payments rather than the entire accounts payable process. If you're already using Yardi Voyager or Yardi Breeze, then Bill Pay might feel like a natural extension of your existing workflow. Here's how it works: If the vendor has banking details on file, Bill Pay sends out an EFT payment. If not, it automatically prints and mails a physical check on your behalf. It saves you the hassle of printing checks at your office, stuffing envelopes, and trips to the post office. 

Basically, the strength of Yardi Bill Pay lies in its integration with Yardi's Procure to Pay Suite. Everything flows seamlessly within the Voyager ecosystem. Payments, approvals, and vendor updates all stay in sync. When a payment goes out, it shows up in real time in Voyager. That kind of integration reduces errors and saves your team a ton of reconciliation work. It also helps during audits. 

Since the system logs payments instantly, you don't have to go through lots of papers and cross-checking spreadsheets to verify what went where. That said, its biggest strength is also its biggest limitation: Yardi Bill Pay is essentially married to the Yardi platform. If you're already invested in Yardi's ecosystem, Bill Pay makes perfect sense. But if you're using a different ERP or accounting system, switching your entire accounting system just to use Bill Pay makes no sense. 

Pros

• Uses your Yardi bank setup for both ACH and check payments, so implementation is fast and straightforward.
• Voyager lets you pay less than the full bill, offering flexibility for partial payments.
• Allows invoices to be coded using unit codes pulled from your PMS, keeping property-level tracking clean and easy.
• Integrates directly with Yardi work orders and POs, keeping maintenance and financial records tied together.
• Includes PayScan, which stores scanned invoice images and feeds them into the approval process.
• Syncs payment entries automatically into your system once bills are approved and paid.
• Supports property-centric roles and permissions, which is great for larger teams with specific property assignments.

Cons

• Error handling is basic, and most corrections must be made after submission, without smart automation or auto-routing.
• Doesn’t offer automatic utility fetching. You have to manually download the bills or use a separate paid service.
• Only works within Yardi, and doesn’t support other accounting or PMS systems. This limits flexibility if your tech stack evolves or you’re already using a different accounting system.

AvidXchange

AvidXchange is another big player in the AP automation space with more than 8,500 clients across the U.S. and has processed payments for over 965,000 suppliers. It uses OCR to extract invoice data from scanned files, emails, and EDI feeds, then runs everything through your pre-set approval rules. You can set up multi-level workflows based on dollar amounts, departments, and vendor types. AvidXchange supports multiple payment methods like ACH, paper checks, and virtual credit cards. 

Another thing you'll love about AvidXchange is its integration depth. It integrates with over 220 accounting and ERP platforms. That means you probably won't need to change your existing financial software. The system syncs data both ways, keeping everything aligned without duplicate entry. But I've discovered some significant weaknesses. 

The first one is visibility. Once someone on the team approves an invoice, they can't track it anymore. Only managers retain access to view approved invoices and track payment status. This creates audit nightmares as approvers can't pull their own documentation during year-end reviews. They bombard managers with requests for invoice copies and payment confirmations. The second issue is customer support. There's no phone number, and there's no live agent. It's just automated email responses and a support portal. It's so hard to get in touch with a human when issues arise.

Pros

• Integrates with over 200 ERP and property management platforms, giving it one of the widest reach capabilities in the market.
• Connects to corporate bank accounts and supports funding payments through ACH pull, offering more centralized payment control.
• Matches POs to invoices, supporting a partial link to work-order processes, although it doesn’t fully manage them.
• Archives invoice images for up to 7 years, which is ideal for audit trails, compliance, and long-term record-keeping.
• Imports and updates vendor records automatically, which helps maintain accurate vendor data across platforms.
• Uses AI-assisted invoice coding, reducing manual work and speeding up invoice entry.
• Syncs payment status back into the ERP, so accounting always knows when a bill has been paid.
• Offers approval routing by property or entity, which is helpful for companies with multiple ownership structures.

Cons

• Only supports a single partial payment per invoice, making it clunky for vendors who bill in multiple installments.
• No native utility fetching or automated input, which means you’ll rely on manual uploads, email, and external tools.
• Not so good customer support       

NetSuite AP Automation Software

NetSuite AP Automation Software is embedded inside its ERP system. It gives you full procure-to-pay automation: invoice matching, approval workflows, and automated journal entries. Since it's built natively into NetSuite, you won't have to deal with connection headaches and data sync issues that plague many third-party solutions. The system automates invoice review, approval, and payment processes while maintaining complete visibility within your existing NetSuite environment. 

It captures vendor records, manages purchase requests, and automatically matches invoices to purchase orders and vendor information. Then the system has automated journal entries. It posts debits and credits automatically when invoices get approved and the payments are processed. This eliminates manual accounting entries and reduces the chance of posting errors that can throw off your books. However, this tight integration comes with the biggest constraint. 

NetSuite's AP automation runs through SuiteBanking, which extends the platform's capabilities with smart document recognition, OCR data capture, customizable approval workflows, and document indexing. That means you can't use NetSuite AP automation if you're not already using NetSuite as your primary ERP.  And if you choose to overhaul your entire financial system and switch to NetSuite, it also has its weaknesses. For example, NetSuite's user interface has a steep learning curve and unintuitive navigation.

Pros

• Built directly into the NetSuite ERP, so there's no need to manage external integrations or sync processes.
• Supports multiple partial payments or installments natively, which is great for milestone-based billing.
• Uses NetSuite’s native bank feeds and payment files, making payment processing more seamless.
• Stores files as part of the standard transaction record, keeping documents linked and accessible.
• Automatically imports and updates vendor data, reducing the chance of mismatched or outdated records.
• Allows invoice line editing before save, giving finance teams a chance to clean up errors mid-stream.
• Syncs payment status when bills are paid, helping teams reconcile accounts efficiently.
• Offers configurable roles and approval controls using segments or subsidiaries, which is ideal for enterprise-grade PM firms.
  

Cons

• Doesn’t link to property maintenance or work-order modules, which means there’s no direct tie-in to service tracking.
• It doesn’t have automated utility bill download, which means you have to download utility bills from their respective portals and manually enter data or scan.
• Steep learning curve
• AP automation is a module in the Netsuite platform, which means you can’t use the module as a standalone software integration with other accounting systems or PM platforms.

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