Adopting new technology isn’t always a simple decision—especially in community association management. That’s because even when a solution like accounts payable (AP) automation has clear benefits, getting it approved by the board and built into the budget can be a real challenge. But AP automation doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
If your company isn’t quite ready for end-to-end automation, there’s another option: payment-only automation. It’s easier to implement, doesn’t require a big commitment, and still helps you cut down on time spent managing supplier payments.
In this article, we’ll compare payment-only and end-to-end AP automation, so you can choose the right fit for your community association management team.
What Is Payment-Only Automation?
Payment-only automation focuses on one core task: making payments to your suppliers. You still manage the invoices you have coming in, but once it’s time to cut checks or send funds, that part gets automated (with your approval, of course).
Pros of Payment-Only Automation
Payment-only automation is appealing to many community association management companies because it’s low cost and easy to set up. In fact, AvidXchange offers it at no cost for companies that meet certain criteria.
That means you don’t need to go through rounds of approvals or budget planning just to try it out. If you’ve ever had to present a software investment to your board and explain every dollar, you know how helpful it would be to bring forward a solution that delivers time savings without adding any new expenses.
Another plus: implementation is quick. Most community association management companies are up and running in a few weeks. And because AvidXchange already has a wide network of vendors in the system, there’s a good chance many of your existing suppliers are ready to get paid on day one.
And, of course, handing off check printing, envelope stuffing, and mailing means your team spends less time on repetitive tasks and more time focusing on your communities.
Cons of Payment-Only Automation
With this option, your invoice process remains unchanged. Your team is still opening mail, scanning invoices, entering data, and coordinating board approvals before any payments go out.
And because you’re not digitizing the invoice side of the workflow, you don’t get the same visibility or tracking you’d see with an end-to-end AP automation solution.
So while this is a great low-cost entry point, it doesn’t solve every challenge for community association managers—especially if you have a steady, large volume of invoices coming in to your communities each month.
What Is End-to-End AP Automation?
End-to-end AP automation brings your entire AP process together. It combines invoice management and payment processing into one seamless, digital workflow.
Invoices are captured and entered into the system—whether they arrive digitally or through the mail. From there, data is automatically extracted and coded, and the approval process is handled in-platform. Once approved, payments are sent securely using the method your supplier prefers.
For community association management companies, this means you no longer have to dig through email threads for approvals or follow up with board members one at a time. Everything lives in one place—integrated with your existing ERP—so your team can manage invoices, approvals, and payments within a connected, trackable system from start to finish.
Pros of End-to-End AP Automation
The biggest advantage here is control. With everything centralized in one system, you decide how invoices are routed, who approves them, and when payments go out.
You also get complete visibility into every invoice and payment across your portfolio of associations. Whether a board member needs to review a roofing invoice or you’re prepping for an audit, everything is at your fingertips.
This approach also increases your AP efficiency. By digitizing invoices and automating coding and routing, your team can spend more time supporting residents and suppliers.
And finally, it’s designed to grow with you. As your company adds new properties or expands into new communities, this solution scales alongside your team.
Cons of End-to-End AP Automation
Because it’s more comprehensive, end-to-end AP automation does take more time to implement. Setup includes supplier communication, invoice routing configuration, and integration with your ERP or accounting system. (If you’re already using one of AvidXchange’s supported integrations, that part of the setup is typically more straightforward.)
There are also software and transaction fees to consider. While many community association management companies see strong ROI, it’s important to plan for those ongoing costs when budgeting.
Which AP Automation Solution Is Right for Your Company?
If your company wants to start small, keep costs low, and quickly reduce the time spent on payment processing, payment-only automation is a great fit. You can be up and running fast, and your team will immediately benefit from not having to manage paper checks.
Also, if your community association management company sees big swings in invoice volume throughout the year—like a rush of 200 invoices in the spring and a quiet 20 in the winter—then payment-only automation might be the best place to start. It’s just harder to see a strong return on investment from full AP automation when your invoice volume is inconsistent or lower than 100 per month. Starting with payments lets you save time without overcommitting to a solution you may not actually need year-round.
But if you’re ready to eliminate manual work across the board and want more visibility into spend and approvals, end-to-end AP automation offers a more powerful solution.
Community association managers looking to scale their companies are the best candidates for end-to-end automation. If you’re looking to add more communities to your management company in the future, then end-to-end automation helps you grow without needing to hire more AP staff.
Or maybe you’re not trying to scale, your team just needs to modernize. If manual invoice work is draining your community association management team’s time and energy, then payment automation alone won’t cut it. End-to-end automation takes that work off their plate so they can focus on tasks that give them passion and grow your company.
| Feature | Payment-Only Automation | End-to-End AP Automation |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to Get Started | $0 | Platform + transaction fees |
| Invoice Management | Manual or Existing Solution | Fully automated |
| Payment Processing | Automated | Automated |
| Scalability | Limited | High |
| Best For | Companies looking to simplify payments with minimal investment | Companies looking to fully modernize and scale AP processes |
Can I start with pay-only, then move to end-to-end?
You don’t have to commit to everything on day one. Many community association management companies start with payment-only automation, and they only upgrade to full automation once they see how much time they could save by streamlining invoices too.
Here at AvidXchange, we’ve worked with hundreds of community association management companies like yours, so we get it: adopting new technology feels like a big commitment. If your team has been processing invoices manually for years, it’s understandable to ask, “Why change now?”
But if you’re curious about automation and not ready to jump all in, starting with payment-only automation is a low-risk way to test the waters. There’s no cost to get started, and you’ll see immediate time savings. Then, when it makes more sense for your team, we can talk about automating the invoice side too.
Ready to learn how to get started? Download the eBook, “Get Started with AP Automation for Community Association Management,” and we’ll walk you through the process.
AvidXchange is a licensed money transmitter for B2B payments in the United States, licensed as a Money Transmitter by the New York State Department of Financial Services, as well as all other states that require AvidXchange to have a license.