Online Services for Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable

If you don't want the hassle of updating packaged software and performing regular backups of your accounts receivable/accounts payable data, AR/AP online services could be just what you need.

With online services you access AP/AR tools over the Internet, using a Web browser to enter transactions. Reports are prepared on your local printer. The critical applications software along with your company's AR/AP data resides on a remote server.

The company providing the software as a service will update the AR/AP software at its end. The process will appear seamless to you. Usually you'll just notice a few more options after each update. Similarly, your customer and vendor records will be automatically backed up on a regular basis.

Web services require you to have more faith in the vendor than packaged applications running on your in-house computer hardware. You depend upon the vendor to not only develop the application and keep it up-to-date but also to maintain a server that delivers a high degree of availability and safeguards your vital company data.

You also must have a reliable broadband Internet connection. They're cheap and easy to get in most major population centers, but rural users may balk at AR/AP online services, given the higher cost and sometimes the lower reliability of their Internet service.

NetSuite is an example of an online AR/AP service with an important technology feature: AJAX. Asynchronous JavaScript and XML provides more flexibility in user menus, editing, reporting, and graphics. Many Web-based applications have long pages that require you to scroll way down to view the information you want. With AJAX, you can quickly and easily expand or collapse sections of the page, depending on your needs.