BILL Client AP Workflow Configuration (Onboarding)

BILL Client AP Workflow Configuration (Onboarding)

1. 01

   Confirm the client's plan tier before touching configuration

   Essentials at $49 per user per month only supports CSV import/export to accounting software; the Team plan at $65 per user per month is the floor for automatic 2-way sync with QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Pro, QuickBooks Premier, and Xero. Pick the tier against the client's actual accounting stack, not their invoice volume.

2. 02

   Create the BILL account and assign user roles

   Essentials ships with 6 standard user roles. Map each client staffer to a role before importing any vendor data so approval routing has somewhere to land on day one.

3. 03

   Connect the accounting system for two-way sync

   Link QuickBooks, NetSuite, or Intacct from the integrations settings and let the first sync complete before importing bills. A half-synced chart of accounts is the most common cause of duplicate vendor records in the first week.

4. 04

   Import vendor bill data and run the W-9 Agent

   Load the client's open vendor bills, then enable automatic W-9 collection and verification so 1099 prep does not become a January scramble for the agency's bookkeeping retainer.

5. 05

   Build approval routing against the client's written policy

   Configure approval workflows to mirror the client's spend thresholds. Test with one low-value bill and one above the threshold that requires a second approver, then confirm both paths resolve without manual intervention.

6. 06

   Enable payment methods and validate the first payment run

   Turn on ACH, virtual card, credit card, and check as the client's vendor base requires. Process one live payment end to end and reconcile it back to the synced accounting file before handing the workflow to the client.

7. 07

   Hand off with a written approval-policy record

   Deliver the client a one-page record of approvers, thresholds, and payment methods configured in BILL. Agencies that skip this step absorb every approval dispute as unpaid retainer time.