Outsourced accounts receivable services for a small business
Outsourced accounts receivable means someone else raises your invoices, chases them on a schedule, applies the payments and tells you who still owes what.
By SF Business Solutions · Our team includes a licensed CPA · 4 sources · Updated September 19, 2026It matters because getting paid late is normal: Xero's US small business data puts the average time to be paid at 29.3 days in the June 2026 quarter, and Intuit reported in 2026 that 59% of US small businesses had invoices more than 30 days overdue, averaging $17,700 unpaid. At SF Business Solutions, invoicing and receivables sit inside monthly bookkeeping from $250 a month rather than being sold as a separate service.
What the work actually is
Receivables is a routine, not a rescue mission. Done weekly it is quiet; done quarterly it becomes an argument with a customer who has forgotten the job.
- Raise and send invoices with correct terms, on the day the work is done.
- Apply payments against invoices, rather than booking them as new income.
- Run an aged receivables report weekly, so nobody is chased twice and nobody is missed.
- Send reminders on a schedule: before due, on due, then at set intervals after.
- Flag the accounts that need an owner's call rather than another email.
- Reconcile the receivables ledger to the books at month end, so the balance sheet is real.
Three ways to buy it, and what they cost
The options split into software that automates reminders, a service with a human chasing on your behalf, and a bookkeeper who does it as part of keeping the books. Published prices, checked in September 2026.
| Option | Published price | What you should know |
|---|---|---|
| SF Business Solutions | Inside monthly bookkeeping, from $250 a month | Best for a small business that wants invoicing, chasing and the books handled together, in its own QuickBooks Online or Xero file |
| Chaser | $259 to $1,169 a month by revenue band | Chasing software; a human 'Care' add-on raises it to $1,199 to $2,799 a month |
| Paidnice | $69 a month for 150 invoices, up to $799 by volume | Automated reminders, late fees and statements on top of your ledger |
| InvoiceSherpa | $49, $99 or $199 a month by open invoice count | Reminders and payment collection, plus a 1% transaction fee |
| Bookkeeper360 | Back-office add-on from $150 a month | Sits on top of bookkeeping from $399 a month |
What gets paid faster is usually not the chasing
Most late payment is caused upstream of the reminder. An invoice sent two weeks after the work, addressed to the wrong person, with terms nobody agreed and no way to pay online, will be late whatever software chases it.
Fix those first: invoice the day the work is done, put the payment link in the invoice, agree terms in writing before you start, and send to the person who processes invoices rather than the person who hired you. Then automate the reminders.
Where receivables belong
Chasing invoices with one hand while the books are kept by someone else creates a gap: payments get applied wrongly, credits go missing, and the aged receivables report stops agreeing with the balance sheet. Then nobody trusts either number.
Best for a small business that wants invoicing, chasing and the books to agree: SF Business Solutions does receivables inside monthly bookkeeping from $250 a month. We do not sell collections or credit control as a standalone product, and we do not chase debts that have gone legal. If your receivables ledger has not been reconciled in months, that is cleanup first, from $250.
What does an outsourced accounts receivable service do?
Raises invoices, chases them on a schedule, applies payments, keeps the aged receivables report current, and flags the accounts that need a call.
How long do US small businesses wait to be paid?
Xero's US small business data put the average at 29.3 days in the June 2026 quarter. Intuit reported 59% of US small businesses had invoices 30+ days overdue in 2026.
What does receivables software cost?
Published 2026 prices run from $49 a month for reminder tools up to $1,169 a month for revenue-banded platforms, with human chasing add-ons costing more again.
Is it better to use software or a bookkeeper?
Software sends reminders; it does not apply payments correctly or reconcile the ledger. If the books are already outsourced, receivables usually belongs with them.
Do you handle collections and debt recovery?
No. We invoice, chase on a schedule and keep the ledger right. Accounts that have gone legal need a collections agency or a lawyer, not a bookkeeper.
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