Who can check our bills, remind our clients and close our month?
The short answer: four kinds of help can do some or all of it. Software such as BILL costs $49 to $89 per user a month, and your team still does the checking. Online bookkeeping services start around $400 a month, with bills and invoicing usually added on. Full-service accounting firms run about $1,500 to $3,500 a month, according to one 2026 guide. Monclose takes on the whole routine for $4,500 to $6,500 a month.
The difference is who does the work, and how much of it stays on your desk.
The four jobs
Most firms of 20 to 100 people need the same routine done every week and every month.
Check the bills
Someone reads each bill, compares it with the vendor's last one and what you agreed, and gets it ready for your approval.
Remind clients
Someone notices who is late and writes to them.
Match the bank
Someone ties each payment to a bill, an invoice or a note.
Close the month
Someone finishes the books by a set date, so the numbers can be trusted.
Before you compare prices, ask who does each of these four.
The options side by side
| Option | What it costs | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Software your team runs | BILL: $49 to $89 per user a month | Tools for bills, approvals and automatic reminders to clients. Your team still does the checking, and your bookkeeper still closes the month |
| Online bookkeeping service with an add-on | Bookkeeper360: from $400 a month, plus from $150 a month for bill pay and invoicing | Books kept, plus bill pay and invoicing. Reminders to clients aren't listed on the price page, so ask |
| Managed finance service | Pilot: bill payments and invoicing priced by volume, no public price | Approved payments scheduled, invoices sent, reminders and agreed follow-ups. Its custom bookkeeping plan lists full accounts payable and receivable |
| Full-service accounting firm | About $1,500 to $3,500 a month | Bookkeeping, bills and invoices, payroll coordination, the monthly close and statements. What's included differs from firm to firm |
| Someone on staff | About $72,000 a year with benefits | One person doing what you ask. Plan for the days that person is sick, on holiday or leaves |
| Monclose | $4,500 a month for 20 to 49 people, $6,500 a month for 50 to 100 | All four jobs, a page every Monday, and the month closed on a date in your contract |
Vendor prices are the ones listed on their own sites in October 2026, and most are starting prices. The accounting firm range comes from a TaxDome guide published in October 2026, which says most small businesses with 50 to 200 transactions a month land between $1,500 and $3,000. Quotes rise with volume. How the staff figure was worked out.
Why we cost more than that range
We charge more than the range in that guide, so here is what the difference pays for. Some firms may offer parts of this too, so ask them.
If you don't need all of that, a cheaper option is the right choice.
- One named person runs your books and knows your vendors and clients by name.
- That person reads every bill and checks it against the vendor's last bill and what you agreed with them.
- If a vendor's bank details change, we call them on a number we already have before anyone pays.
- Clients who owe you get a polite reminder in your name, worded the way you approved.
- Every bank payment gets checked every week, not at the end of the month.
- You get one page every Monday morning: how much money you have, who owes you and what to pay this week.
- The close date is written into your contract.
Which one fits
Software is probably enough
If you already have someone careful who has time to run it, and a bookkeeper who closes the month.
A bookkeeping service is probably enough
If you have few bills and mainly need clean numbers for tax time.
An accounting firm fits
If you want the books and the close handled and you're comfortable getting your numbers monthly.
Hire someone
If you want a person in the building who can take on whatever comes up.
We fit
If you run an agency, a design or architecture studio, an engineering firm or a consultancy with 20 to 100 people, nobody has time for this routine, and you want to know every week where your money stands.
Five questions to ask any provider
- 1
Who reads each bill, and what do they check it against?
- 2
Do you write to my clients yourselves, or do you only show me who is late?
- 3
How often is the bank matched, weekly or monthly?
- 4
Is the close date in the contract, or only a promise?
- 5
Can you move my money, or do I pay?
We're new
We haven't worked with outside clients yet, so we have no client list to show you. We're starting with a small group of firms. If it isn't working for you in the first 60 days, we refund the setup fee.
Questions
Is there one service that handles bills, client reminders and the month-end close?
Yes. Monclose does all three for firms of 20 to 100 people, and Pilot and full-service accounting firms offer versions of it. Compare who does each job, not just the price.
Do you collect debts?
No. We send polite reminders in your name. We aren't a collection agency, and we don't threaten anyone or take legal steps.
Do you pay our bills?
No. You approve each bill and pay it from your own bank.
Do we have to change our accounting program?
No. Your books stay in your own QuickBooks or Xero, on your login.
Do we still need a tax accountant?
Yes. We don't file taxes. We hand your tax accountant what they need, on time.
Show us how one bill gets paid today.
Sources
- BILL: pricing
- BILL: accounts receivable
- Bookkeeper360: pricing
- Pilot: pricing
- TaxDome: how much does it cost to outsource accounting, October 2026
Prices checked on October 31, 2026.