Now more than ever, financial decision makers need to know they can trust their accounts receivable (AR) software – and the company behind it. We hear stories every day from finance leaders about underwhelming vendors that challenged them to look for something better. That got us thinking: what qualities define a trusted AR automation partner? What criteria tip the scales? To find out, we partnered with a third-party surveyor, Cint, to conduct an anonymous survey of 500 finance leaders.
Roughly 90% of enterprises say they’ll be purchasing more AR software in the next 12 months. If you’re among them, weighing providers or thinking about making a switch, these are the key insights you need to identify the most trustworthy partner. As part of the study, finance leaders revealed how they feel about AR software providers, including Billtrust.
Here’s what they report.
What Makes or Breaks Trust for Decision-makers?
Familiarity and favorability – at a high-level and across every business size – these two traits are clear indicators of trust. The study investigated which AR software providers buyers are most familiar with, where favorability trends higher, and who holds a statistical edge. Here’s what the survey found:
- #1 Most Familiar Provider: Billtrust is the most familiar brand among respondents, with 87% very or somewhat familiar.
- #1 Favorite Overall: Billtrust leads in favorability across all segments by a statistically significant amount. When it comes to C-level executives, Billtrust is significantly more favorable compared to competitors. This is an important distinction, as it proves which providers are considered a true, strategic partner.
- #1 Most Recommended: Billtrust has the highest likelihood of recommendation.
ROI: Another Trust Influencer
ROI is an equally important trust factor. A recent Vanson Bourne study found that automated AR software delivers expected ROI, but success is ultimately determined by the provider.
When companies who had used or are currently using Billtrust were asked about their own experience, 92% said they’ve seen ROI from their investments in our AR software and services. How much ROI do they recognize? In a separate IDC study, companies that use our AR software reported a 384% ROI with payback happening in just 9 months.
The 3 Defining Qualities of an AR Software Leader
The study revealed three qualities that separate leading AR software providers from the rest: customer-centricity, modernity, and innovation. These are the traits that finance leaders say give them confidence in a partner, and the benchmarks they use to make decisions.
The Most Modern, Customer-centric, Innovative
Billtrust is top ranking in these categories, as the most modern, the most customer-centric, and the second most innovative.
Customer-centric providers
Customer-centricity is about your provider being invested beyond a product offering. They’re truly committed to your success – offering proactive guidance, adapting when priorities shift, and jumping in when urgent issues arise. At the end of the day, it’s about feeling comfortable to reach out about anything at any time and knowing you’ll be taken care of with confidence.
Ask yourself:
- How easy is it to do business with the provider? Do you have to call a dreaded customer service number and wait for days to find out what’s happening, or do they reach out to you on the same day?
- Do they work outside the “normal” scope? Do they stop at contracted deliverables, or do they rise to meet the moment? This could be something as simple as helping connect stakeholders and streamline coordination to keep a project on track.
- Are they recommended based on their customer-centricity? Like we see below with Christian Collins. When she joined McPherson Oil as Credit Manager, she recommended Billtrust after 15 years of working with us in a previous position.
“Billtrust is always there when you need them. When you reach out, they immediately understand the issue, know how to fix it, and have the answers you’re looking for – even if it’s just confirming what’s going on.”
Christian Collins, Credit Manager at McPherson Oil
Hear her explain
Modern providers
Being modern is about more than staying current on technology. It’s about keeping pace with emerging financial challenges and the major forces driving change, be it global eInvoicing mandates or evolving data security requirements. A modern AR partner should have the most advanced tech, and the most modern outlook on how finance should work.
The Ultimate Litmus Test
If you had to go without your AR software provider tomorrow, would it set you back in a major way? If not, they may not be as modern as you need.
“If we lost Billtrust, it would feel like going back to the stone age. It’d be like turning off the lights and being left in the dark.”
Ryan Oaks, Finance Director at Peak Industrial
Hear how others explain the impact of automated AR software
Innovative providers
A modern AR provider keeps pace, but an innovative one leads with ingenuity and forward-leaning new capabilities. They’re not content with the status quo. They anticipate what’s next and explore how groundbreaking advances in machine learning and predictive AI analytics can strengthen collections, streamline cash application, and move working capital faster. Ask yourself:
- Will the provider work alongside your team to ingest an ecosystem of data and translate it all into intelligent actions and AI recommendations that drive meaningful outcomes?
- Are they introducing new capabilities that push your AR operations forward? Do they bring fresh insights to complement your own expertise when you’re deep in the weeds?
- Do they help you overcome the hurdles that naturally come with advanced automation? Consider employee resistance to AI and training to support change management, as well as security concerns and compliance requirements.
“Real-time AI analytics and agentic AI capabilities” were ranked the most important attribute for AR software by study participants. See how Billtrust’s new AI-powered collections capabilities apply Agentic AI and advanced analytics to help collections work 10x faster while reducing risk and improving the customer experience.
When together, these qualities show what it really takes to lead in AR today: putting clients’ needs at the center, keeping pace with today’s challenges, and always anticipating what’s next. They’re what finance leaders value and depend on in a world where expectations keep rising, business continually moves faster, and trust makes all the difference.
Untrustworthy Providers: Finding the Red Flags
Every AR software provider boasts reliability, but some go dark after you’ve signed the dotted line. These four questions cut through the claims, helping expose those focused on customer-centricity.
1. Does the provider make empty promises?
We hear this one a lot – like from one of our customers, WillScot. Outdated virtual credit card payment handling processes were the main culprit slowing them down. Before we stepped in, all payments were being manually processed by two full-time analysts and one part-timer. Another vendor had promised a fix, but delays dragged on. With Billtrust, the company went from 100% manual process to 96% automation. Dozens of manual work hours were reduced to minutes, enabling the two full-time staff to be elevated into more strategic work.
2. How does the provider handle unexpected setbacks?
Consider the story of Express Employment Professionals. Right when they were starting a multi-year AR transformation with Billtrust, an urgent need to accept virtual card payments forced a sudden shift in priorities. Billtrust adapted, resolved the immediate challenge, and picked back up with the transformation plan.
“It was our first real test of the relationship, and it confirmed that we’d chosen the right partner,” explained Angela Richards, Director of Corporate Accounting, at Express. Billtrust helped the organization automate AR across more than 800 offices nationwide – tripling their ACH match rate, reducing credit card acceptance costs by 75%, and saving 2,000+ productivity hours annually.
3. Can you lean on your provider beyond the typical AR scope?
Collaboration is something a true AR partner should value – like our partnership with a leader in industrial distribution and supply chain solutions. They wanted to use machine learning to improve cash application match rates, but their team was hesitant. Billtrust partnered with them to create an incentive program that tied match rate improvements directly to employee KPIs, turning skepticism into buy-in. This drove an 11.5% increase in match rates, and the productivity gains were equivalent of nine full-time employees.
4. Do you ever feel pressured by your provider?
Decisions take time: Evaluating options, aligning stakeholders, and making sure the investment will deliver. You should feel fully informed and confident in the choice you’re making. This is where trust begins, and where the line between a vendor and a partner becomes clear.
“The decision process stretched over months, but Billtrust stayed the course. They provided information and insights when asked, shared updates as new capabilities became available, and gave us space to evaluate on our own timeline. At no point did we ever feel pressured.”
Angela Richards, Angela Richards, Director of Corporate Accounting at Express Employment Professionals
Get the full client story
Proud to Lead with Trust
This brand study puts hard numbers behind what finance leaders feel. Objectively, Billtrust leads in nearly all of these areas, and we’re proud of that. But more important than the statistical data are the voices behind them. Hear for yourself what our clients have to say about why they trust Billtrust to power their AR transformation.
Ready for a demo? Let’s do it.
