Best AI Accounts Receivable Automation Platforms for Reducing DSO in 2026

Published: February 05, 2026

Days Sales Outstanding is the number that tells you how fast your company converts revenue into cash. Average DSO across industries runs 40 to 55 days. Best-in-class companies hold it at 25 to 35 days. The gap between average and best-in-class represents millions in trapped working capital. For a $1 billion revenue company, every single day of DSO reduction frees approximately $2.7 million in cash.

AI has changed what is possible in accounts receivable. Traditional AR automation handled invoice delivery and basic payment reminders. AI-powered AR platforms now predict which invoices will pay late, prioritize collector effort based on expected recovery, match remittances to invoices without human input, and score customer credit risk in real time. The impact is measurable: AI-driven collections reduce DSO by 15 to 25 days. Automated dunning increases collection rates by 30%.

This is an honest comparison of the leading AI AR platforms based on published data, customer counts, and real capabilities. We cover HighRadius, Billtrust, Esker, Versapay, Sidetrade, and Quadient. Each has strengths in different areas of the AR lifecycle. The right choice depends on your company size, customer mix, and which part of the AR process is dragging your DSO highest.

HighRadius - Autonomous Receivables for Enterprise AR

HighRadius serves 800+ customers including Procter and Gamble, Sanofi, and Johnson and Johnson. Their Autonomous Receivables platform achieves 95%+ cash application straight-through rates, meaning 95 out of 100 payments are automatically matched to invoices without a human touching them. For high-volume B2B companies processing thousands of payments daily, that level of automation is significant.

The platform covers the full AR lifecycle: credit management, e-invoicing, cash application, collections, deductions, and payment gateway. HighRadius uses AI models trained on payment behavior data to predict which invoices will pay on time, which will pay late, and which need proactive outreach. Their collections module prioritizes accounts by predicted recovery value rather than simple aging buckets, which means collectors spend time on accounts where outreach actually changes the outcome.

HighRadius is enterprise-focused. Pricing, implementation complexity, and minimum invoice volumes all reflect that. Mid-market companies with under 10,000 invoices per month may find the platform oversized for their needs.

Billtrust - Unified B2B AR With Payment Network

Billtrust, acquired by EQT for $1.7 billion, provides unified AR for B2B with a payment network connecting 2,400+ customers. The payment network is the differentiator. Instead of just automating your AR processes, Billtrust connects you to a network of buyers and suppliers with standardized invoice delivery and payment formats.

The platform covers invoice delivery (print, email, EDI, AP portal), payment acceptance, cash application, and collections management. Billtrust's cash application uses AI to match payments across multiple remittance formats including check stubs, email remittances, and AP portal data. For companies dealing with a mix of payment methods and inconsistent remittance data, Billtrust's matching engine handles the complexity well.

Billtrust fits best for B2B companies with diverse customer bases where invoice delivery and payment acceptance vary widely across customers. The network effect means that as more of your customers join the Billtrust network, both sides benefit from standardized data exchange.

Esker - AI Collection Prioritization at Scale

Esker processes AR for 6,000+ companies with AI-powered collection prioritization. Esker's approach to collections is particularly strong. The platform analyzes payment history, dispute patterns, and customer communication to score each open receivable and recommend the optimal collection action - whether that is an automated reminder, a personalized call, or a payment plan offer.

Esker also handles the order-to-cash process more broadly, including sales order processing and invoice delivery. For organizations that want a single platform covering order entry through cash collection, Esker provides end-to-end coverage. The AI models improve with each interaction, learning which collection strategies work for which customer segments.

Versapay - Collaborative AR With Customer Self-Service

Versapay takes a different approach to AR. Instead of just automating internal processes, it creates a collaborative portal where your customers can view invoices, make payments, raise disputes, and communicate with your AR team directly. This self-service model reduces inbound inquiries, speeds up dispute resolution, and gives customers control over their payment experience.

For companies where payment delays are driven by invoice disputes and customer confusion rather than willingness to pay, Versapay's approach can be more effective than aggressive dunning. When a customer can log in, see their open invoices, raise a question about a line item, and get a response without phone tag or email chains, disputes resolve faster and payments follow.

Sidetrade - AI-Powered Payment Prediction

Sidetrade uses an AI engine called "Aimie" for predicting payment behavior and optimizing collections. Aimie analyzes payment patterns, economic indicators, and customer-specific signals to predict when each invoice will actually be paid. That prediction drives collection prioritization: instead of calling every account that is 30 days past due, collectors focus on accounts where the AI predicts intervention will change the payment date.

Sidetrade is particularly strong in Europe and serves large global enterprises with complex, multi-entity AR operations. The platform handles multi-currency, multi-language collection workflows and adapts its prediction models to regional payment norms. A 45-day payment in France means something different than a 45-day payment in the US, and Sidetrade's models account for those differences.

Quadient (formerly YayPay) - Predictive Scoring and Automated Dunning

Quadient, formerly YayPay, offers predictive payment scoring and automated dunning workflows. The platform predicts the likelihood and timing of payment for each invoice and uses those predictions to trigger automated reminder sequences. You can configure different dunning tracks for different customer segments - gentle reminders for strategic accounts, more direct communication for transactional relationships.

Quadient integrates with popular ERPs and CRMs, making it accessible for mid-market companies that want AI-driven AR without a 12-month implementation. The user interface is straightforward and the setup process is measured in weeks. For companies between $50M and $2B in revenue, Quadient offers a practical entry point to AI-powered AR without enterprise-level complexity.

AI AR Platform Capabilities at a Glance

Head-to-Head Platform Comparison

Step-by-Step DSO Reduction Roadmap

The Working Capital Math

Why Aging Buckets Are Obsolete

Bad Debt Is Preventable, Not Inevitable

Collections Effort vs. Collections Intelligence

How ChatFin Approaches AR Automation Differently

ChatFin is building the AI finance platform for every CFO. We are building what Palantir did for defense, but for finance.

With the advent of AI, finance teams no longer need to buy multiple specialized tools for every workflow. AI can reason across processes, adapt to context, and configure itself to support a wide range of needs. That is exactly what ChatFin does. ChatFin provides pre-built AI agents designed for specific finance use cases, while still working together as a single, unified platform. Each agent handles a focused workflow, but the system as a whole supports many use cases without requiring separate point solutions. This is why many CFOs now prefer a platform like ChatFin instead of managing 10 different tools, reducing complexity, cost, and manual coordination while gaining broader automation and insight.

For accounts receivable specifically, ChatFin's AR agents handle cash application matching, collection prioritization, automated dunning, and credit risk monitoring as connected workflows. Because AR sits on the same platform as your close, AP, and cash management agents, insights cross process boundaries automatically. A customer flagged by the AR credit model updates your cash forecast. A pattern of disputes traced to invoicing errors triggers a review in your billing workflow. That cross-process intelligence is what makes a platform fundamentally different from a point solution.

We know choosing the right tools is confusing. Our experts have worked across many platforms and can help you see what actually works, and what is next with AI. Talk to us, and we will walk you through it.

Choosing the Right AR Platform

If you are a large enterprise with high-volume B2B receivables, HighRadius delivers the deepest automation with 95%+ cash application rates. If you need a payment network that connects you with diverse buyers and suppliers, Billtrust's network of 2,400+ customers provides standardized data exchange. If you want order-to-cash coverage from sales order through collection, Esker handles the full cycle. If your DSO problem is rooted in disputes and customer confusion, Versapay's collaborative portal resolves issues faster than dunning emails. If you operate globally with complex multi-currency AR, Sidetrade's Aimie engine accounts for regional payment norms. If you are mid-market and want a practical entry point, Quadient gets you live in weeks.

The common thread across all these platforms is that AI has shifted AR from reactive to predictive. Instead of chasing payments after they are late, you can predict which invoices will be late and intervene before they hit your DSO. The companies that adopt this approach now are building data advantages - trained models specific to their customer base - that will compound over time. Start with cash application automation, add predictive collections, and build from there.