Overview

Ramp AP brings invoice capture, approvals and vendor payments into one accounts-payable workflow. It is best suited to finance teams that want configurable controls and room to automate more work as they grow. Its free tier is a practical starting point, but payment charges and Plus’s team-size-based platform fee can change the cost calculation.

Bill Pay can operate without Ramp corporate cards or expense management, and vendors do not need Ramp accounts to receive payments. Ramp says its AP agents can reduce manual work by coding invoices, flagging suspicious vendor activity and recommending approvals; these tools make the product more compelling for teams with repeatable invoice volumes than for businesses seeking only occasional bill payment.

Key features

Invoice capture and approvals

OCR extracts invoice details and line items with a stated 99% accuracy, while purchase-order matching helps connect bills to purchasing records. Configurable routing sends bills to the appropriate approvers. Administrators can control who may view, approve or pay, supporting separation of duties. That combination gives finance teams more oversight than an informal email approval process, though it still calls for configuring roles to match internal policy.

Ramp’s AP agents can auto-code invoices, flag suspicious vendor activity, recommend approvals and identify invoices eligible for card payment. Plus adds auto-coded line items and AI approval recommendations. These functions are most useful where invoice review is repetitive; teams with simpler needs may not benefit enough to justify the paid tier.

Payments and integrations

Bill Pay supports ACH, same-day ACH, cards, checks, domestic wires and international wires. Vendors can be paid without joining Ramp, which avoids making the payment recipient adopt another account. The trade-off is that several payment methods carry transaction charges, so teams should compare their usual payment mix with the fees before relying on them at scale.

Ramp names accounting connections including QuickBooks Online, Xero, NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Acumatica and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, alongside 200+ integrations across accounting, banking, HR and payroll, procurement, productivity, receipt automation and travel. Custom CSV exports and an open API provide another route when a specific connection is unavailable. Ramp also supports W-9 collection, tax-box mapping, and direct IRS and eligible-state filing for 1099 compliance.

Pricing

Free

The Free plan is free, billed monthly, and includes accounts payable features, automated invoice extraction, configurable approval workflows, and bill payments by ACH, card, check and wire. It is suited to smaller teams that want core bill-pay controls without a monthly software fee. The listed payment methods do not make every transaction free: standard ACH costs $0.59, checks $1.99, same-day ACH $10, domestic wires $15 and SWIFT USD wires $20. Overnight check delivery costs $20 per transaction, and check attachments cost $1 per page.

Free includes 24/7 chat support. Ramp provides a free 30-day Plus trial, and users can switch plans anytime, giving teams a way to assess paid automation before committing.

Plus

Plus costs 15.00 USD per month, billed at $15/mo/user plus a platform fee based on team size; annual billing saves 20%. It adds auto-coded line items, AI approval recommendations, automated batch payments and payment release approvals. The plan is a better fit for teams seeking to reduce manual invoice work, but the platform fee means the per-user price alone is not the whole software cost. Plus includes 24/7 phone support.

Enterprise

Enterprise has custom pricing with annual billing. It adds Workday and Oracle Fusion integrations, local-currency card issuing in 30+ countries, a dedicated account manager, priority 24/7 global support and custom implementation. It is aimed at organizations that need customization or those specific enterprise connections; teams that do not need them can start with the simpler Free or Plus plans.

Platforms

Ramp supports Android, iOS, web, an API and an extension. Mobile apps are available for iOS and Android, but there is no native Mac or Windows desktop app. Teams that require a dedicated desktop application should account for that constraint; web access remains an option. Users can also complete expenses and ask policy questions via SMS or Slack.

Who it's for

Ramp AP suits small and fast-growing companies that want a free entry point, mid-sized finance teams that need configurable approvals and automation, and multi-entity organizations with more complex accounting needs. Its standalone operation and broad integrations make it viable for teams that do not use Ramp cards. It is less compelling for businesses with few invoices, teams that need a native desktop app, or organizations whose payment mix would make transaction charges costly.

Pros and cons

Pros: Free core Bill Pay includes OCR, configurable approvals and payment execution, so smaller teams can establish a structured AP workflow without a monthly software fee.
Pros: Role-based routing, admin permissions and PO matching support stronger oversight and separation of duties.
Pros: Standalone use, vendor payments without vendor accounts, and 200+ integrations give teams flexibility in how they connect AP to their operations.
Cons: Payment fees vary by method, with same-day ACH at $10 and domestic wires at $15, among other charges; frequent use can add up.
Cons: Plus adds a platform fee based on team size on top of its $15/mo/user price, complicating cost estimates.
Cons: There is no native Mac or Windows desktop app, which may not fit teams that expect one.

Alternatives

Consider Melio if you want a free option limited to one user with five free ACH payments each month and a $0.50 charge per ACH after that; it also supports Android, iOS and web. Nanonets Accounts Payable Automation is worth considering if an AP-focused freemium tool with API and web access fits better; its Starter plan supports up to three users, and its Starter paid-usage plan is $100.00 USD per month for 100 credits.

Flowie may fit teams that prefer a free tier capped at 24 documents per month (300 per year), with one entity and basic processing but no workflows. For an AP and AR subscription rather than a free AP tier, consider BILL Accounts Payable, whose Essentials plan is 49.00 USD per month, billed monthly.

Relay Bill Pay is another free option, with its Starter plan supporting 20 checking accounts; teams seeking batched vendor payments can compare its Grow plan at 30.00 USD per month. OpenEnvoy offers a free tier of 800 tokens, with Essentials and Scale plans for teams comparing token-based options. For enterprise AP automation, Hyland AP Automation and SAP Concur Invoice are alternatives with custom pricing.

Verdict

Ramp AP is a strong choice for finance teams that want configurable invoice controls, multiple payment methods and a free way to begin, with Plus automation available as needs grow. Choose it when that flexibility and its standalone workflow outweigh payment charges and the added Plus platform fee. Look elsewhere if a native desktop app is essential or your payment volume makes transaction fees a poor fit.

	Ramp AP	Relay Bill Pay
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial		Yes
Paid from	$15/mo	$30/mo
Platforms	Android, api, extension, iOS, Web	Android, iOS, Web
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Paid from	$15/mo	$30/mo
Invoice capture	ocr	ai
Approval workflows	Yes	Yes
PO matching	Yes
Accounting integrations	2 integrations	2 integrations
Payment execution	Yes	Yes
Multi-entity support	Yes	Yes

Ramp AP vs Relay Bill Pay

Ramp AP

Relay Bill Pay