AP Automation ROI Calculator
Estimate how much time and money your team could save by automating accounts payable. Enter your invoice volume and processing time to see annual savings and payback.
Default 70%. Adjustable within the 60–80% range reported by AP automation benchmarks (Ardent Partners, Levvel). This is the only assumption in the estimate — everything else uses your own numbers.
- Manual processing cost / year
- $50,000
- Time saved / year (est.)
- 1,400 hrs
- Estimated annual savings
- $35,000
Estimates based on typical industry benchmarks (Ardent Partners, Levvel); results are illustrative, not a guarantee. Actual savings depend on your invoice mix, exception rates, and the tool you choose.
Ready to capture these savings?
See our editor-ranked shortlist of the best accounts payable automation software , or browse every tool in the AP automation category. Weighing two platforms? Compare Tipalti vs Stampli, Stampli vs BILL, or Tipalti vs AvidXchange.
How the estimate works
Manual accounts payable cost is your invoice volume times the minutes spent on each invoice times your hourly cost: invoices/month × 12 × (minutes ÷ 60) × hourly cost. That base number comes entirely from your own inputs — no assumptions.
The estimate then applies a single assumption: an automation time-reduction factor, defaulting to a conservative 70% and adjustable within the 60–80% range that AP automation benchmarks (Ardent Partners, Levvel) typically report. Enter an optional software cost to turn gross savings into net savings and a rough payback period; we never assume a vendor price.
Comparing the wider finance stack? Browse all finance tools.
FAQ
How does the AP automation ROI calculator work?▾
It multiplies your monthly invoice volume by your manual processing time and hourly cost to estimate what accounts payable costs you today, then applies an automation time-reduction factor to estimate annual time and cost savings. Every figure except the reduction factor comes from your own inputs, so the base cost reflects your team rather than a generic assumption.
How much time does it take to process an invoice manually?▾
Industry sources typically cite 8 to 15 minutes per invoice for manual handling — data entry, purchase-order matching, approval routing, and filing. The calculator defaults to 10 minutes but you can change it to match your process. Invoices with exceptions or missing data usually take longer.
What automation reduction percentage should I use?▾
AP automation benchmarks from firms like Ardent Partners and Levvel generally report a 60% to 80% reduction in hands-on invoice processing time. The calculator defaults to a conservative 70% and lets you adjust within that range. It is the only assumption injected into the estimate — everything else uses your numbers.
Does the calculator include software cost?▾
Only if you enter it. We do not assume a vendor price, because AP automation pricing varies widely by volume and features. Leave the software field blank to see gross savings, or enter your quoted annual cost to see net savings and a rough payback period.
Are these numbers a guarantee of savings?▾
No. The results are illustrative estimates based on typical industry benchmarks (Ardent Partners, Levvel), not a promise. Actual savings depend on your invoice mix, exception rates, existing workflows, and the specific tool you choose. Use the estimate as a directional starting point, then validate with vendors.