Why an AR Customer Portal Is the Key to Faster, Easier Payments

In B2B finance, getting paid on time shouldn’t require chasing down customers. Yet many AR teams still rely on manual follow-ups, siloed payment links, or fragmented ERP portals that confuse more than they help.

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A modern Accounts Receivable (AR) customer payment portal changes that.

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It’s more than a place to view invoices—it’s a self-service payment hub that accelerates collections, increases customer satisfaction, and reduces AR workload. Here's what that means and how the Centime Customer Payment Portal stands out.

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What Is an AR Customer Portal?

An AR customer portal is a self-service platform where your customers can log in to:

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View open and paid invoices
Pay one or multiple invoices via ACH or credit card
Set payment preferences
Enroll in Autopay
Apply credits and discounts automatically
Download payment receipts and track payment status

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With the right portal, your customers don’t have to email back and forth to ask for balances, confirm due dates, or request invoice copies. Everything is centralized, accessible, and optimized for on-time payments.

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Why AR Portals Matter for Faster Collections

The right customer portal can have a direct, measurable impact on days sales outstanding (DSO). Here’s how:

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1. Fewer Friction Points = Faster Payments

When customers can log in, pay invoices in bulk, and store their payment methods securely, they’re less likely to delay payments. The Centime portal even auto-applies early pay discounts and allows credits to be applied with a click.

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2. Autopay Stops the Churn of Manual Follow-Up

Centime lets customers opt into Autopay—automatically processing payments on the invoice date, due date, or the last day of a discount window. This means fewer missed payments and better cash flow predictability.

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3. Automated Reminders + Direct Links

Each reminder email includes a direct link back to the customer’s portal—no need to search inboxes or call the AR team. Customers can click, review, and pay in minutes.

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4. More Electronic Payments, Less Paper and Manual Work

Centime’s AR customer payment portal nudges your customers toward faster, electronic payments. It’s easier to store credit card or ACH details securely and reuse them. With more clients moving to e-payments, your AR team spends less time processing checks and updating records.

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What Makes Centime’s Customer Portal Different?

Most AR customer portals are either an afterthought or overly complex. Centime built its portal specifically for mid-market B2B companies that need fast onboarding, seamless integration, and a better experience for both finance teams and their customers.

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Here’s what sets Centime apart:

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✅ Centralized Billing Across Suppliers and Companies

Whether your customers manage payments for multiple entities or suppliers, Centime’s portal makes it easy to toggle between them—no need to juggle separate logins .

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✅ Invoice-Level Flexibility with Discount and Credit Visibility

Customers can easily apply credits, view discount eligibility by icon (green % for active discounts, red for expired), and pay reduced amounts when applicable. This increases the chances they’ll pay early—because they see the savings.

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✅ One Session = One Payment Type, Simplified

To eliminate confusion and processing issues, Centime enforces one payment method per session. Customers can’t mix ACH and card payments in the same batch—so there are no surprise failures.

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✅ Safe, Secure, and Compliant

With tokenized storage and permission-based access, Centime ensures customers can safely store bank or card details for future use—without compromising data security.

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What About ERP Integration?

Centime’s customer portal integrates directly into platforms like NetSuite and Sage Intacct. That means your AR team doesn’t have to manage two systems or do double data entry. Customers can be invited and onboarded in days—not months.

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TL;DR – Why Invest in a Customer Payment Portal?

Without a portal, your AR team is stuck doing manual collections that don’t scale.

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With Centime’s AR Customer Portal, you can:

Shorten DSO
Reduce manual follow-ups
Improve cash flow visibility
Increase on-time payments
Give your customers a modern, easy-to-use interface

It’s a win for both sides—and an essential piece of a truly automated AR strategy.

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Want to see it in action? Book a demo and explore how Centime’s customer portal transforms your collections.

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**Deposit placement through ICS is subject to the terms, conditions, and disclosures in the applicable agreements. Although deposits are placed in increments that do not exceed the FDIC standard maximum deposit insurance amount (“SMDIA”) at any one destination bank, a depositor’s balances at the institution that places deposits may exceed the SMDIA (e.g., before settlement for deposits or after settlement for withdrawals) or be uninsured (if the placing institution is not an insured bank). The depositor must make any necessary arrangements to protect such balances consistent with applicable law and must determine whether placement through ICS satisfies any restrictions on its deposits. A list identifying IntraFi network banks appears at https://www.intrafi.com/network-banks. The depositor may exclude banks from eligibility to receive its funds. IntraFi and ICS are registered service marks, and IntraFi Cash Service is a service mark, of IntraFi Network LLC.

^††3.0% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) as of 01/07/25. Deposit rate may adjust to current market rate and may change daily. Fees may reduce earnings.

*Centime is not a bank and is not authorized by any federal or state agency to engage directly in core banking activities.
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*All banking products and services available through Centime are provided by FNBO and are governed by the applicable agreements and related disclosures provided to you by FNBO. Member FDIC.
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‍*While Centime facilitates traditional banking activities (such as the acceptance of deposits or extensions of credit), these services are actually provided by our banking partner, FNBO.
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*Centime may provide support services to FNBO, as permitted by applicable law, to facilitate the delivery of its bank products and services.

**Deposit placement through ICS is subject to the terms, conditions, and disclosures in the applicable agreements. Although deposits are placed in increments that do not exceed the FDIC standard maximum deposit insurance amount (“SMDIA”) at any one destination bank, a depositor’s balances at the institution that places deposits may exceed the SMDIA (e.g., before settlement for deposits or after settlement for withdrawals) or be uninsured (if the placing institution is not an insured bank). The depositor must make any necessary arrangements to protect such balances consistent with applicable law and must determine whether placement through ICS satisfies any restrictions on its deposits. A list identifying IntraFi network bank

Why an AR Customer Portal Is the Key to Faster, Easier Payments

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