E-payments adoption: best practices for supplier onboarding and optimizing AP automation
Hear what's covered in this article:
Electronic payments are essential for accounts payable teams to stay efficient, in control, and keep suppliers happy. Switching from checks to ACH, wire, or virtual card payments helps cut down on fraud, improve cash flow, and build stronger supplier relationships.
Yet, many finance leaders are still hesitant to make the switch, thinking supplier onboarding will be slow, manual, and disruptive. CFOs and AP teams often feel that tracking down bank details takes up too much time, especially for teams that are already stretched thin.
But today, with AI-driven AP automation, supplier adoption can be faster, easier, and far more scalable than it was just a few years ago.
At a glance: key benefits of e-payments adoption
- Faster, more reliable supplier payments
- Stronger financial controls and fraud prevention
- Improved cash flow visibility
- Seamless global payment support
- Reduced manual workload for AP teams
Supplier eInvoice adoption rates are reaching new heights, with best-in-class teams enabling 67.2% of their suppliers. And, enabling more suppliers to submit electronic invoices remains an essential focus for 35% of teams.
AP's Top Priorities in 2025
To capture these benefits, AP teams need a clear, structured approach. The most effective programs follow a proven roadmap for driving supplier adoption and making e-payments part of everyday AP operations. Here’s how to get started.
Focus first on the suppliers who will deliver the biggest impact:
- High-dollar suppliers you pay the most
- Frequent suppliers you pay on a recurring basis
- Strategic suppliers who are preferred or business-critical
This targeted approach maximizes early results and builds momentum for your program.
Suppliers need clear reasons to adopt e-payments. Emphasize:
- Faster settlement than checks
- No risk of lost or stolen payments
- Detailed remittance information with each transaction
- Preferred supplier status through early payments
- Global payment options across ACH, wire, SEPA, BACS, CHAPS, and more
Try a multi-channel approach: send personalized emails, make direct calls to key suppliers, and follow up. Back it all up with a simple, user-friendly self-service enrollment portal.
A smooth enrollment process boosts adoption rates. AI-powered AP automation helps by:
- Providing secure, self-service portals for suppliers to submit bank details
- Sending automated reminders to incomplete enrollees
- Validating supplier data and mapping it to the right workflows
- Reducing manual intervention so AP teams save time while suppliers enjoy a frictionless experience
The most value comes when e-payments are fully integrated, not siloed. Look for capabilities like:
- End-to-end invoice-to-pay in one platform
- Straight-through processing without manual file handling
- Multi-currency and multi-country payment support
- Real-time visibility into payment status and reconciliation
- Built-in fraud and compliance checks to protect your organization
One of the top pain points for AP teams is handling supplier payment inquiries. AI-powered supplier assistants solve this by:
- Providing instant payment and invoice status updates
- Reducing repetitive inquiries and inbox overload
- Ensuring suppliers always get accurate, consistent information
- Delivering 24/7 support for global partners
This reduces the burden on AP teams while strengthening supplier trust and transparency.
Ongoing improvement ensures long-term success. Best-in-class teams:
- Track supplier enrollment and adoption rates
- Measure processing efficiency, error reduction, and payment speed
- Collect supplier feedback to refine workflows
- Adjust for new payment types or regulatory requirements
Finding efficient ways to pay suppliers can be overwhelming with so many options available. Many businesses are rethinking their payment processes, searching for a simpler solution. You’re not alone.
Partner with a modern AP platform
To make this happen, you need a modern AP automation solution that brings together automation, security, and flexibility. By integrating e-payments with AP automation, organizations can:
- Reduce costs by minimizing manual work and paper checks
- Strengthen supplier relationships with faster, reliable payments
- Gain real-time visibility into cash flow
- Reduce risk through embedded fraud and compliance controls
- Enable global scalability with multi-currency and multi-country support
Medius Payments offers your AP team an easy, automated, and secure way to manage supplier payments and remittances while improving efficiency. With features like simple supplier onboarding, straight-through processing, and AI-powered communication, Medius simplifies the payment process and eliminates the hassle.
Ready to upgrade your end-to-end AP and payments?
