AR software or an AR service? How to choose
Software helps your team do accounts receivable. A service does it for you. Here’s how to pick.
If your AR clerk just left, you have four real options: AR software, a bookkeeping firm, offshore staff, or a done-for-you AR service. The big difference is who does the work every day. Software speeds the work up, but your team still runs it. A done-for-you service like Dull does the invoicing and follow-ups for you, in your own systems. Dull is not software.
This guide is for US small businesses, roughly $1M to $10M in revenue, deciding how to cover accounts receivable without making a hire.
The options side by side
| What | AR software | Bookkeeping firm | Offshore staff | Done-for-you AR service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examples | BILL, QuickBooks Online invoicing and reminders, Upflow, Chaser, Versapay | Pilot, Bookkeeper360 | VA agencies, BPO firms | Dull |
| Who does the daily work | Your team | They keep the books; daily AR is often an add-on or yours | A person you train and manage | The service, in your systems |
| Who checks the work | You | The firm checks the books | You or the agency | A person at Dull reviews every exception |
| Setup | Configure, connect, train your team | Onboard your accounts | Hire and train | About a week from a 15-minute call |
| How you pay | Subscription, often per user, plus payment fees | Monthly plan | Hourly or monthly per person | Dull: one fixed monthly fee |
| Best for | A team with time to run AR in better tools | Clean monthly books and taxes | Varied work that needs a person all day | Steady, rule-based AR with no one free to run it |
When AR software is the right call
Software is great when you already have someone who owns AR and needs better tools. Automated reminders, online payment links and payment matching can save that person hours a week. If that’s you, look at BILL, the invoicing and reminders built into QuickBooks Online, or dedicated tools like Upflow, Chaser and Versapay.
You still need someone to run the software
This is the part people miss. Software doesn’t raise the invoice when a job finishes. It doesn’t decide which overdue account to chase first, answer a customer who disputes a charge, or match a payment that covers three invoices with an odd amount. Someone has to. If the seat is empty, new software often just sits there.
When a bookkeeping firm is the right call
If your real problem is the books, such as monthly close, reports or taxes, a bookkeeping firm like Pilot or Bookkeeper360 is the better fit. Check whether daily invoicing and collections are included or cost extra. See Dull vs Pilot.
When a done-for-you service is the right call
Pick a service when the work is steady and rule-based and nobody has time for it. With Dull:
- You send the work. Finished jobs to invoice, payments received, overdue accounts.
- We do it in your systems. QuickBooks, Xero, BILL or your own tools. We use AI for the routine parts.
- A person checks every exception. Anything unclear comes to you as one clear question.
- You approve anything involving money. We never make payments or move money.
You get a report every Friday, and exceptions are fixed within 1 business day of your answer. See Dull vs BILL or alternatives to hiring an AR clerk.
A quick way to decide
- Someone owns AR and has time? Buy software.
- The books are the mess? Hire a bookkeeping firm.
- The work needs a person on the phone all day? Hire, or use offshore staff.
- Nobody has time and the work is steady? Use a done-for-you service.
Month to month, stop any month. A first week where you approve everything before we take over.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between AR software and an AR service?
AR software is a tool your team uses to send invoices and reminders. An AR service is people who do that work for you. With Dull, our team does it in your own systems and a person checks every exception.
Is Dull AR software?
No. Dull is a done-for-you service. We do the work for you in the tools you already use, so there’s nothing to install or learn.
Do I still need someone if I buy AR software?
Usually, yes. Software sends reminders and tracks payments, but someone still has to set it up, raise invoices, match payments, handle disputes and decide what to chase. That’s the part a service takes off you.
Can an AR service work inside my AR software?
Yes. Dull works in your existing tools, such as QuickBooks Online, Xero or BILL. You keep the software and we do the work in it.
How much does Dull cost?
One fixed monthly fee, set on a 15-minute call based on the work you hand us. It doesn’t change unless you add work. Month to month, with no long-term contract.