Growing businesses love chasing revenue. That’s where the excitement is. New customers. Bigger deals. Expansion plans.
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But there’s a problem.
When your company focuses only on the money coming in, the money going out often gets neglected.
That’s when accounts payable (AP) becomes a hidden risk.
The AP Blind Spot
Tipalti CEO Chen Amit recently described AP as the “lost child” of business workflows in an interview with PYMNTS.
He’s right.
Finance teams in fast-growing businesses often spend hours on manual AP tasks. Supplier onboarding. Collecting tax information. Managing different payment methods. Chasing approvals.
Mistakes happen. Payments get delayed. Suppliers get frustrated.
And if you operate in the gig economy or rely on multiple small suppliers, the risks are even bigger.
Unhappy suppliers talk. They switch platforms. Your reputation takes a hit.
Tipalti vs Zahara:
Bigger is not always better.
Tipalti is a big player in the AP automation space. They offer a robust platform for large, global enterprises with complex needs.
But their solution often comes with enterprise-level pricing, potentially longer implementation cycles, and features built for companies with thousands of employees.
That’s not where you are.
If your business has up to 200 employees or slightly more, you need AP automation that fits your size, budget, and speed.
That’s where Zahara comes in.
We built Zahara for small and medium-sized businesses like yours.
You get the control, automation, and visibility you need—without the enterprise price tag.
Why Growing Companies Can’t Ignore AP Anymore
If you’re scaling fast, here’s what manual AP could cost you:
- Time: Finance teams drowning in admin instead of focusing on strategy.
- Cash Flow Visibility: Poor visibility over what’s due and when.
- Supplier Relationships: Late payments damage trust.
- Compliance Risks: Missing tax or regulatory details could lead to penalties.
- Operational Bottlenecks: Delays in approvals or payment runs slow down the business.
What Smart Businesses Are Doing Instead
More companies are automating AP earlier in their growth journey.
Here’s why:
- Labour Savings: Automation can cut up to 85% of the manual effort.
- Faster Approvals: Multi-step approvals happen digitally, not over endless email chains.
- Supplier Self-Service: Onboarding and payment info collection become smoother.
- Payment Flexibility: Choose the payment methods that suit you and your suppliers.
- Better Cash Management: Real-time visibility over your payables and commitments.
What Makes Zahara Different?
We focus on giving small and mid-sized businesses the AP automation tools they need—without the enterprise bloat.
- Quick to deploy
- Simple to use
- Affordable
- Built for businesses with up to 200 employees
- Integrates with your existing accounting system
You won’t pay for features you don’t need. And you won’t need an army of consultants to get started.
Tipalti Is Right for Some. Zahara Is Right for You.
Tipalti works for huge, global enterprises with complex, high-volume payment needs.
But if you’re a growing business that wants control, speed, and affordability, Zahara is the better fit.
You’ll automate your AP process, strengthen supplier relationships, and improve cash flow visibility—without over-investing in software designed for companies 10 times your size.
