Nearly half of organizations are already using AI or planning adoption within the next 12 months.
Birmingham, UK – June 24th 2026 – Artificial Intelligence (AI) is emerging as the next phase of Accounts Payable (AP) transformation, according to new global research published by the Institute of Financial Operations & Leadership (IFOL) in partnership with SAP Concur.
The Accounts Payable Automation Trends Report 2026 reveals growing momentum behind AI adoption. Nineteen percent of organizations already use AI within AP and a further 30% plan to adopt within the next 12 months.
The findings suggest that organizations are increasingly moving beyond experimentation and focusing on practical, operational use cases that address long-standing challenges in invoice processing, approvals and fraud detection.
AI Adoption Moves Beyond Experimentation
Among organizations already using AI within AP, the most common applications include invoice data capture and extraction (58%), invoice matching and approvals (49%), and duplicate invoice or fraud detection (40%).
While AI adoption continues to grow, the research indicates that most organizations remain in the early stages of their AI journey. Only 16% report broad or fully embedded use of AI across AP workflows, although 67% are either using AI, piloting AI initiatives or actively exploring its potential.
The report suggests that finance leaders increasingly view AI as a practical tool for improving efficiency, reducing manual effort and enabling teams to focus on higher-value activities.
Sam Hitchen-Rae, CEO of IFOL, said:
“For many years, the conversation around accounts payable transformation has centred on digitisation and automation. Our 2026 research suggests the focus is increasingly shifting toward AI. While adoption remains at an early stage, organizations are beginning to move beyond experimentation and apply AI to real operational challenges, from invoice processing and approvals through to fraud detection.”
“The findings show that finance teams recognise the potential of AI to drive efficiency, improve visibility and support more strategic ways of working. The opportunity now is to combine automation, AI and process improvement to unlock the next phase of AP transformation.”
Manual Invoice Processing Remains a Significant Challenge
Despite growing interest in AI, significant operational challenges remain. The study found that 77% of organizations still manually enter invoices into their accounting systems. Only 19% describe their AP function as mostly or fully automated.
Process inefficiencies continue to place pressure on finance teams, with invoice exceptions, data discrepancies and manual data entry cited among the most common challenges. Approvals were identified as the single biggest bottleneck within AP workflows.
The report also found that 72% of organizations are planning to automate or further enhance AP processes, highlighting continued investment in finance transformation initiatives despite ongoing operational challenges.
Finance Teams See AI as a Route to More Strategic Work
The research highlights growing expectations around the future role of Accounts Payable. Seventy percent of respondents believe automation and AI would enable finance teams to spend more time on strategic work, helping AP evolve from a transactional function into a contributor to business insight, supplier performance and financial resilience.
According to IFOL, organizations that combine process redesign, automation, AI adoption and workforce development will be best positioned to transform AP from an operational bottleneck into a strategic driver of efficiency, control and business insight.
The Future of AI in Accounts Payable Transformation
Sherri Bebee, Senior Marketing Director, SMB North America at SAP Concur, commented:
“SAP Concur customers have been realizing the benefits of AI across accounts payable and spend management processes for years. What’s especially exciting now is the emergence of agentic AI. Technologies such as Joule can help users complete AP tasks, surface recommendations, and navigate complex processes more efficiently. As these capabilities continue to evolve, AP teams will have even greater opportunities to increase productivity and focus on higher-value work.”
Access the Full Research Report
The full Accounts Payable Automation Trends Report 2026 is available to download now.
About IFOL
The Institute of Financial Operations & Leadership (IFOL) is the professional body for financial operations professionals, supporting individuals and organizations through qualifications, research, best practice guidance and professional development.
About SAP Concur
SAP® Concur® is the world’s leading brand for integrated travel, expense, and invoice management solutions, backed by the industry’s largest global partner ecosystem. Powerful AI embedded across our products can anticipate needs, reduce manual work, and transform data into insights, and guide employees, administrators, and budget owners through every interaction and decision. Agentic AI goes further to understand your goals, interpret context, and autonomously complete tasks within defined policy and compliance rules. Secure, scalable, and built for organizations of any size, SAP Concur is committed to a world where travel and expenses practically manage themselves. Learn more at concur.com.
