AP/AR Outsourcing for Accounting Firms: A Complete Guide

Why AP/AR Is Ideal for Global Staffing

Accounts payable and receivable processing shares a key characteristic that makes it well-suited for global staffing: it's high-volume, rules-based work with clear quality standards and measurable output. Every invoice processed, every payment posted, every statement reconciled is a discrete unit of work that can be completed accurately regardless of where the professional is located.

This is in contrast to roles that require physical presence, deep client relationship management, or real-time judgment calls in ambiguous situations. AP/AR is structured, repeatable, and scalable — exactly the kind of work that global professionals excel at.

What an AP/AR Specialist Actually Does

Accounts Payable

Receiving and processing vendor invoices, matching invoices to purchase orders and receiving documents (three-way match), coding invoices to the correct general ledger accounts, obtaining approvals through the workflow system, processing payments via check, ACH, or wire, managing vendor relationships and resolving discrepancies, reconciling vendor statements, and maintaining the AP aging report.

Accounts Receivable

Generating and sending client invoices, posting payments and applying to the correct invoices, managing the collections process for past-due accounts, reconciling the AR aging report, handling payment disputes and adjustments, and providing weekly reporting on outstanding receivables and collection activity.

For Accounting Firms: Two Ways to Use This

Internal AP/AR Management

Your firm has its own AP/AR function — billing clients, processing vendor invoices, managing collections. A dedicated AP/AR specialist handles your firm's internal financial operations, freeing your staff from the transaction processing layer.

Client-Serving AP/AR

Many accounting firms provide bookkeeping and controller services to small and mid-size business clients. Adding a dedicated AP/AR specialist allows you to expand the scope of services you offer clients at significantly lower cost than adding a domestic hire — improving your margin while delivering more value to clients.

The Software Integration

AP/AR specialists placed in accounting firm environments are typically proficient in QuickBooks (Desktop and Online), Xero, Sage, Bill.com, and accounting firm platforms including CCH and Thomson Reuters. For clients using industry-specific ERP systems, a brief onboarding period covers the specifics. Cloud-based platforms make the remote integration seamless.

What to Expect in the First 30 Days

During the first week, your AP/AR specialist should be set up with system access, trained on your specific chart of accounts and coding conventions, and introduced to your approval workflow. In weeks two through four, they handle increasingly independent transaction processing with decreasing review frequency from your senior staff. By day 30, most firms find their AP/AR specialist operating fully independently on routine transactions, with exceptions escalated cleanly.

The Economics

An AP/AR specialist in a U.S. mid-market earns $40,000–$55,000 in salary, with fully-loaded costs of $60,000–$80,000 per year.

A dedicated global AP/AR specialist costs approximately $20,000–$26,000 per year, fully managed. For accounting firms building client-serving practices, the margin improvement from this model is often the difference between a service line that breaks even and one that drives meaningful profitability.

Revaya places dedicated AP/AR specialists for accounting firms and professional services companies. Start with a conversation about how this could work for your practice.

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