We spoke with Forwardly about how connecting payment workflows with accounting systems can help businesses move beyond manual AP and AR processes, and gain a clearer picture of cash as it moves.
For someone hearing about Forwardly for the first time—what do you actually do, in plain English?
Forwardly is an AI-powered business payments platform that brings accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payment processing into one connected environment. It automates tasks such as bill capture, expense coding, approvals, and payment reconciliation while syncing transactions with existing accounting and ERP systems.
What’s breaking (or slowing down) for finance teams today—and why is it becoming harder to ignore?
Payment delays don’t always start at the bank. An invoice waiting to be entered, an approval sitting in someone’s inbox, or a transaction that hasn’t synced with the accounting system can create friction long before or after money actually moves.
For growing businesses, those small delays can add up. Manual processing makes it harder to track outstanding obligations, manage collections, and maintain an accurate view of cash. As expectations around payment speed and financial visibility increase, the opportunity is to connect the entire process rather than automate isolated steps.
Who tends to get the most value from this—and where does it typically click fastest?
Businesses processing substantial volumes of invoices and payments often feel the limitations of disconnected workflows first. Mid-market and high-growth companies using platforms such as QuickBooks Online, Sage Intacct, NetSuite, or Microsoft Dynamics may already have the accounting infrastructure in place but still rely on manual processes to move payments through it.
Accounting firms and CFO advisory practices are another natural fit, particularly when managing payables, receivables, and approvals across multiple clients. For both groups, the priority is often the same: maintaining control over payment activity without creating more administrative work as transaction volumes grow.
If a finance team started using your approach tomorrow, where would they feel the impact first?
Bill processing and reconciliation are natural starting points. AI-assisted invoice capture can extract and code information before routing bills through approval, while two-way accounting integrations keep payment and transaction records aligned without requiring separate exports or manual updates.
Payment execution is another important piece. With options including instant payments through FedNow and multiple ACH speeds, teams can choose how quickly funds move based on the needs of the business. Automated collections and payment monitoring can also help finance teams manage receivables more consistently and flag unusual activity for additional review.
How does this fit into the existing finance tech stack—and how does it hold up as the business grows?
Rather than replacing the accounting system, Forwardly connects directly with platforms including QuickBooks Online, Xero, Sage Intacct, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365, FreshBooks, Zoho Books, and Intuit Enterprise Suite. Payment, vendor, and receivables information can flow between systems, while an API supports additional integrations and embedded payment experiences.
As organizations add entities, users, transactions, or more complex approval requirements, those workflows can expand within the same environment. Forwardly is also developing its network of connected businesses, where participating companies can exchange financial information more directly. Looking ahead, its roadmap includes deeper automation, receivables intelligence, and analytics—extending the focus from processing payments to understanding and managing the activity around them.
Explore More at the Finance & Accounting Technology Expo (FATE) 2026
Meet Forwardly at FATE 2026 (Nov 18–19, NYC)—a curated, high-signal environment where finance teams can compare solutions side-by-side, see how real workflows operate, and evaluate what fits their business.
