# AP outsourcing: what providers charge, and automation cost

**URL:** https://payablesbrief.com/guides/accounts-payable-outsourcing/
**Published:** 2026-11-12
**Modified:** 2026-11-12
**Author:** Payables Brief desk

> AP outsourcing prices from 21 providers next to the list-price cost per invoice of AP automation at three volumes.

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Guide

# AP outsourcing: what providers charge, and automation cost

AP outsourcing prices from 21 providers: 5 print a price, from $1.50 per processed invoice. Ramp's automation works out to $1.60 per invoice.

[Payables Brief desk](https://payablesbrief.com/about/) Updated 12 November 2026

In brief

-   5 of 21 AP outsourcing providers print a price: Problem Company from $1.50 per processed invoice, Invensis from $6 an hour, Bookkeeper360 from $150 a month, Escalon from about $695 a month and 1840 & Company in ranges.
-   Problem Company states the one per-invoice rate, and it sets a minimum of 200 invoices a month.
-   Ramp's Free plan works out to $1.60 per invoice at 1,000, 5,000 and 25,000 invoices a month, and BILL's Essentials plan to $1.70 and $1.64.
-   ARDEM, Flatworld, Outbooks, Magellan Solutions, Ignite Spot, Paro and APOutsource are quote only.
-   Outsourced prices carry no cost per invoice here, since each is a floor, a package or an estimate.

Five of 21 AP outsourcing providers print a price for the work. Problem Company charges from $1.50 per processed invoice, for 200 or more invoices a month. Invensis charges from $6 an hour and from $250 a month for a Basic accounting package that includes invoice and bill processing. Bookkeeper360 charges from $150 a month for bill pay and invoicing, Escalon starts around $695 a month for a plan that includes AP management, and 1840 & Company gives ranges. AP automation is easier to price: [Ramp’s Free plan](https://payablesbrief.com/cost/ramp/) works out to $1.60 per invoice at 1,000, 5,000 and 25,000 invoices a month, and [BILL’s Essentials plan](https://payablesbrief.com/cost/bill-com/) to $1.70 and then $1.64.

## What outsourcing providers charge

Figures as of 12 November 2026. Rates are in the provider’s units, so they cannot be converted into a cost per invoice.

| Provider | What it prices | Rate | Conditions |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Problem Company](https://ap.problemcompany.org/) | Invoice coding, purchase order matching and a weekly import file; the client approves and pays | From $1.50 per processed invoice, falling with volume | 200 or more invoices a month, month to month, a one-time setup fee with no amount, 30-day refund on the first month |
| [Invensis](https://www.invensis.net/finance-and-accounting/finance-and-accounting-pricing) | Accounting packages that include AP, plus hourly and full-time staff | From $6 an hour and from $1,000 for a full-time employee. Monthly packages: Basic $250, Advanced $450, Elite $850. Annual packages: $2,799, $4,999, $8,999 | Annual Basic covers up to 400 invoices a month, Advanced up to 900, Elite unlimited |
| [Bookkeeper360](https://www.bookkeeper360.com/pricing/) | Bill pay and invoicing, added to a bookkeeping, tax or CFO plan | From $150 a month | Month to month or annual |
| [Escalon](https://www.escalon.services/pricing) | Outsourced accounting plans; the Starter plan lists AP management beside bookkeeping, reconciliations and a monthly close | Starting around $695 a month, a fixed monthly rate | Custom pricing on the Pro plan |
| [1840 & Company](https://www.1840andco.com/blog/accounts-payable-outsourcing-guide) | Estimate ranges in its AP outsourcing guide | Managed AP and BPO $500 to $5,000 a month, offshore staffing $1,500 to $2,500, nearshore staffing $2,500 to $4,000 | Starting points, not interchangeable packages; BPO starts at three full-time team members |

ARDEM, Flatworld, Outbooks, Magellan Solutions, Ignite Spot, Paro and APOutsource are quote only. ARDEM ties its pricing to volume, complexity and service-level tiers, and Outbooks offers a flat monthly fee or a per-invoice rate with no amount. The other nine of the 21 show no price for outsourced AP work. Tipalti, BILL, AvidXchange, Stampli and Corpay also rank for outsourcing searches, but they sell AP software and are not counted here.

Problem Company’s $1.50 is a floor rate. It rises or falls with the monthly volume tier, which the provider sets after a trial of 25 invoices, so it sits apart from the computed figures below. Invensis bundles AP with bookkeeping, payroll and sales tax, so its package prices cover more than invoice work.

## What AP automation costs per invoice

Ramp and BILL list every fee needed for a cost per invoice. [Tipalti](https://payablesbrief.com/cost/tipalti/) lists a $99 a month base fee and no per-invoice or per-payment figure, so it has no cost per invoice, and 14 of the 22 AP platforms in the pricing index quote only. The [AP automation pricing index](https://payablesbrief.com/research/ap-automation-pricing-index/) sets out all 22 price states.

| Vendor and plan | 1,000 invoices a month | 5,000 invoices a month | 25,000 invoices a month |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Ramp](https://payablesbrief.com/cost/ramp/) Free plan | $1.60 per invoice, $1,600.43 a month | $1.60 per invoice, $8,002.17 a month | $1.60 per invoice, $40,010.87 a month |
| [BILL](https://payablesbrief.com/cost/bill-com/) Essentials plan | $1.70 per invoice, $1,698 a month | $1.64 per invoice, $8,196 a month | $1.64 per invoice, $40,980 a month |

Both totals include payment fees at the headline [payment mix](https://payablesbrief.com/methodology/) of ACH, check and international wire, and BILL’s totals assume 2, 4 and 20 AP users at the three volumes. Neither figure includes what an AP team costs in salary.

Each volume has its own page: [1,000 invoices a month](https://payablesbrief.com/volume/1000-invoices-a-month/), [5,000](https://payablesbrief.com/volume/5000-invoices-a-month/) and [25,000](https://payablesbrief.com/volume/25000-invoices-a-month/).

The [cost calculator](https://payablesbrief.com/calculator/) covers other volumes.

## When each route fits

Outsourcing fits when invoice work is the bottleneck and the team would rather hand it over than run software. Problem Company’s 200-invoice minimum and Invensis’s invoice caps by package show where the model starts. Automation fits when the rules are clear and the team can handle exceptions, and the [invoice approval workflow](https://payablesbrief.com/guides/invoice-approval-workflow/) sets who signs what in either route.

The two routes also combine. A provider can code and match invoices while the company keeps approval and payment in an AP platform, since Problem Company’s coded file imports into QuickBooks, NetSuite, Sage and Dynamics 365 Business Central. The [three-way match guide](https://payablesbrief.com/guides/three-way-match/) covers the match step a provider runs against purchase orders.

## What stays in-house

Final payment approval stays inside the company. So do changes to vendor bank details, which need a check by someone other than the person who requested the change, and the timing of cash. Platforms differ on how they handle the bank change, and the [vendor onboarding software ranking](https://payablesbrief.com/best/vendor-onboarding-software/) compares them. [Payment fees](https://payablesbrief.com/research/bill-pay-fees/) stay with the company in both routes, since a provider that codes invoices does not pay them.

Manual cost per invoice is the number an outsourcing pitch usually starts from. The figures quoted for it differ by source: the [cost per invoice sources study](https://payablesbrief.com/research/cost-per-invoice-sources/) sets the APQC median and the Ardent Partners average beside the higher range that 7 pages repeat.

## Frequently asked questions

-   What is accounts payable outsourcing?
    
    Accounts payable outsourcing hands defined AP work to an outside provider, such as invoice coding, matching to purchase orders, vendor questions and payment preparation. The company keeps payment approval and control of vendor bank changes.
    
-   How much does accounts payable outsourcing cost?
    
    Problem Company prices from $1.50 per processed invoice, for 200 or more invoices a month. Invensis prices from $6 an hour and from $250 a month for its Basic accounting package. Bookkeeper360 prices bill pay and invoicing from $150 a month. Most providers quote only.
    
-   Is outsourcing AP cheaper than AP automation?
    
    The two cannot be set side by side from list prices. Ramp's Free plan works out to $1.60 per invoice and BILL's Essentials plan to $1.64 to $1.70, while the outsourced rates are floors, packages and estimates with no full price.
    
-   What is the minimum invoice volume for AP outsourcing?
    
    Problem Company sets 200 invoices a month. Invensis ties its annual Basic package to up to 400 invoices a month and its Advanced package to up to 900. Most providers state no minimum.
    
-   What should stay in-house when AP is outsourced?
    
    Final payment approval, changes to vendor bank details and the timing of cash payments. Problem Company states that it never touches the client's money, and the client approves and pays from its own bank.