How to manage your accounts payable process with Capital One

Manual bill pay can be a time-consuming process for business owners. With solutions like Capital One’s Accounts Payable, you can pay vendor bills with ease, saving you time and hassle. From an intuitive dashboard and streamlined process to the potential for earning rewards and added security features, learn more about how these features can help your business.

What you’ll learn:

• Accounts Payable from Capital One Business helps streamline the accounts payable process with an easy-to-use dashboard.
• Flexible payment options allow you to pay vendor bills with your Capital One Business card, a debit card or ACH bank transfer. Your vendors will receive the payment however you select—check, ACH or virtual card.
• Setting up your dashboard takes just a few simple steps, and you can easily connect your QuickBooks® Online account.

Accounts Payable is an easy-to-use solution that allows you to manage and track your vendor payments from your Capital One Business account. It provides a 360-degree view of accounts payable where you can schedule vendor payments in advance online—always on your schedule.

Accounts Payable can integrate seamlessly with accounting software like QuickBooks. There’s no subscription, activation or sign-up fee, and payments made via ACH transfer or check are free; however, each card payment is subject to a 2.9% fee. You’ll also have access to live customer service if you need assistance.

Accounts Payable from Capital One Business provides you with an intuitive dashboard to help centralize your accounts, add flexibility to settling vendor bills and manage cash flow. Pay vendor bills seamlessly—even if the vendor doesn’t accept credit card payments. You have the option to make an ACH transfer from any bank at no additional cost, and your vendors will receive the payment however you select—check, ACH or virtual card.

Using Accounts Payable also offers payment flexibility and the possibility to earn rewards. If you pay with your Capital One Business card, you can defer payments to the end of the next billing cycle, potentially helping improve cash flow.¹ And with all qualifying payments you make, you can earn rewards based on your Capital One Business account.

As a business owner, you already have a lot on your plate. And when it comes to managing your company’s finances, managing your accounts payable process isn’t something that can be ignored.

Whether you’re a clothing retailer or running a construction company, your business might be spending more time than it needs on manual vendor bills, leaving room for human error. Accounts Payable offers a flexible and convenient solution to automate and simplify vendor payments.

Say goodbye to sifting through emails and hunting down bills when deadlines near. The platform allows you to manage your vendor payable needs all in one place. It can also sync with your accounting software, giving you a complete picture. When synced, all payment details and actions completed through Accounts Payable are connected seamlessly via two-way syncing with QuickBooks Online to create a streamlined payment process.

This helps ensure your information is organized and current so crucial financial information is less likely to be missed or inaccurate when compiling financial reports or balancing accounts. Overall, it can help simplify and fast-track your financial department’s workflows, improving efficiency and freeing up time for functions that demand hands-on expertise.

You’ll earn future cash back and travel rewards every time you make vendor payments with your Capital One Business card—even for vendors that don’t accept credit cards.

Accounts Payable allows you to make payments in the way that makes the most sense for your business. You can pay vendors directly with your Capital One Business card so those expenses don’t come directly from your business’s cash reserves. This allows payments to be delayed until the end of the billing cycle, freeing up cash flow in the short term.

If any of your vendors offer discounts for early payments, the ability to use credit may even enable you to pay early enough to earn those discounts, reducing your operational costs.

You can also choose to make vendor payments with any virtual card, debit card or bank account.

With Accounts Payable, you can digitize and automate most—if not all—of your vendor payments, which can be uploaded to or automatically shared with the platform. You can also make, manage and track your vendor payments from one online dashboard, regardless of a vendor’s payment preferences. Plus, you can delegate payable processes to employees on your team by making them Account Managers.

This digitization minimizes paperwork and simplifies recordkeeping with smoother workflows—every transaction is accounted for and your payments go out on time. Automation also improves accuracy, empowering your business—and its vendors—with secure and reliable systems.

When you make vendor payments directly through your Capital One Business account, you help mitigate check fraud and protect your business. You can even set up security alerts to be notified via text, email and phone if Capital One notices any potential suspicious activity on your account.

Setting up Accounts Payable is a straightforward and quick process. You’ll simply need your business’s Federal Tax Identification Number, the business bill(s) you’d like to start with and a few moments of your time. Here’s how to pay a vendor through the platform:

1. Sign in to your Capital One Business account, select the “Manage Accounts Payable” tab above your transaction history and follow the prompts:
   • Read up on the platform.
   • Click “Create a new payment” to review the information and consent. Then click “Get started” when you’re ready to proceed.
   • Input any missing account information (if applicable; most accounts will already have the necessary information ready to go).
2. Enter bill information. New users need to input the vendor they wish to pay and the bill amount. Select “Add Business Bill” to enter vendor payment details. You can either:
   • Enter the details manually.
   • Upload a PDF or image file of the business bill.
   • Connect to your QuickBooks Online account.
3. Choose your payment method. Choose whether to pay the vendor with your Capital One Business card or an ACH bank transfer. Remember: Each card payment is subject to a 2.9% fee, while bank transfers are free.
4. Choose how the vendor will receive payment. Select the payment option the vendor prefers—they can receive either a paper check or a bank transfer. If you’re unsure, Capital One can send an email that asks the vendor to choose its preferred form of payment.
5. Select a payment deduction date and delivery speed. Schedule a payment deduction date and choose a delivery speed. Keep in mind for check delivery, the payment amount is deducted on the payment deduction date, not when it’s cashed by the vendor. You also have an option to leave a note for the vendor that will appear in the email they receive.
6. Review and submit your payment. Once you’ve added your bill or payment details, be sure to review them for accuracy and completeness. If the details look correct, submit the payment. You’ll be prompted to choose a payment date and preferred delivery speed. Click “Confirm” to finalize your payment.
7. Provide business tax details. This step is for just the first payment. You’ll need to provide:
   • Tax ID type: Employer Identification Number (EIN), Social Security number (SSN) or Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN)
   • Tax ID number
8. Manage and track payments online from wherever you are. Once you’ve submitted the payment, you can sit back and relax—Capital One will take care of the rest. You can schedule, manage and track payments on the dashboard anytime from any internet browser.

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Accounts Payable:

Accounts Payable is designed to support your unique business needs. It allows you to manage, track and make all your vendor payments with your Capital One business account—it’s accounts payable made painless.

Streamline your business processes and achieve your goals with Capital One by your side. Compare our business credit cards and apply today.