New BILL Rule Allows Broader SMB Debt Collection

A significant update to BILL’s platform now enables large enterprise suppliers to collect payments digitally from any small or medium-sized business, even those with no prior relationship to the BILL network. This strategic expansion of the Supplier Payments Plus product aims to convert paper checks and streamline ACH and card payments, potentially accelerating collection times by up to seven days. By removing the requirement for buyer-side accounts, BILL is effectively dismantling the traditional closed-network model that has long defined B2B payment systems.

The launch introduces a pivotal feature called Payment Links. Enterprise suppliers can now generate and send a unique link to any SMB customer to facilitate a payment. The buyer experiences no portal login or onboarding process, fundamentally reducing payment friction. For the supplier, this means receivables from both network members and non-members are captured, reconciled, and integrated into a single unified receivables workflow through one dashboard. This eliminates the operational burden of managing separate processes for different customer segments.

Mary Kay Bowman, BILL’s executive vice president and general manager of payments and financial services, framed the company’s mission. “B2B payments are complex, requiring orchestration, trust, and precision across both SMBs and their enterprise suppliers. BILL operates at the center, absorbing complexity at scale so customers on both sides can move money with greater clarity and control.”

Beyond Payment Links, two additional capabilities target back-end efficiency. Card Straight-Through Processing automates settlement by depositing card payments directly into supplier accounts, bypassing manual receipt handling. Suppliers can also set configurable payment rules to balance cost and speed between card and ACH options. The second feature, Intelligent Check Conversion, automatically digitizes paper checks upon receipt, addressing a persistent gap where suppliers have modernized but their customers have not. This directly tackles the costly manual reconciliation that stems from outdated payment methods.

Industry data highlights a pressing need for these solutions, with 93% of companies reportedly prioritizing cash application efficiency improvements this year. BILL positions its network as the natural intermediary to absorb this operational friction between large suppliers and their numerous SMB clients. The company’s strategy involves embedding itself more deeply into the enterprise supplier’s financial operations, thereby increasing platform lock-in and creating a durable competitive advantage.

This move occurs within a rapidly consolidating B2B payments landscape. Following Xero’s major acquisition of Melio last year, competition in integrated accounting and bill pay services has intensified. BILL’s response is to enhance value for the enterprise side of its two-sided network. The logic is clear, the deeper a supplier integrates its receivables, the less likely it is to switch platforms, irrespective of the tools its SMB customers use independently. This network-effect strategy is mirrored by robust investment in the sector globally, as seen with European platforms like Pennylane securing significant funding.

BILL’s formidable scale, with over eight million businesses in its network and $1.3 billion in core revenue for fiscal 2025, provides a powerful foundation. The latest expansion is designed to leverage this existing base, allowing suppliers to reach a vast pool of payers effortlessly. By enabling payments from any SMB, BILL accelerates the network effect, using suppliers on one side to pull in new businesses on the other, thereby strengthening its entire ecosystem.