How it runs for marketing agencies and consultancies
Every promise to pay is logged, every enterprise client's AP portal is worked, and an aged receivables report reaches you weekly. The client relationship stays with your account team; we handle the follow-up so they do not have to.
What is accounts receivable outsourcing?
Accounts receivable outsourcing means a remote team manages the money your customers owe you: tracking invoices from issue to payment, sending statements and reminders, logging disputes, and reporting aging and days sales outstanding. The provider works inside your accounting software under your brand. You keep the customer relationship and decide on credits, holds and escalations.
What we handle for marketing agencies and consultancies
- Send pre-due courtesy notes and post-due reminders on a cadence you approve
- Make first-party billing calls in your agency's name, never as a collector
- Submit and track invoices in client AP portals like Coupa and Ariba
- Log every promise to pay and chase it on the promised date
- Report aged receivables weekly with disputed amounts separated
The KPI that matters here
Days sales outstanding under 45 and no undisputed invoice older than 60 days without a logged contact.
Agencies compliance notes
1099 contractor reporting
Agencies rely on freelancers, and the IRS requires Form 1099-NEC for nonemployee compensation above the annual threshold, which is $2,000 for payments made in 2026. We collect W-9s at vendor setup, code every contractor payment, and hand your preparer a reconciled 1099 report each January. Your firm reviews and files; we do not sign.
Retainers and deferred revenue
A retainer billed before the service period is a liability until the work is delivered. We keep a deferred revenue schedule that releases each retainer to income as hours are logged or the month ends, so your P&L matches the work actually performed.
WIP and unbilled revenue
Work delivered but not yet invoiced is an asset that lenders and buyers ask about. We reconcile unbilled hours from Harvest or your PM tool against the ledger monthly, so WIP is real, aged and collectible.
Gross versus net for media
ASC 606 and IFRS 15 ask whether the agency is principal or agent for media it buys on a client's behalf. We apply the treatment your CPA or accountant chooses and keep the pass-through account reconciled to platform statements so the answer is documented.
Agencies software we work in
More for marketing agencies and consultancies
Other services for agencies
Accounts receivable in other industries
Frequently asked questions
Will you call our clients about overdue invoices?
Yes, as a first-party billing desk operating under your agency's name and rules. Calls are courteous, scripted around the invoice facts and made only after the email cadence you approve. We are not a collection agency and never present ourselves as one. Call recording and outbound rules follow each country's requirements, such as TCPA in the US and Ofcom guidance in the UK.
How do you work with enterprise client AP portals?
We register your invoices in Coupa, Ariba, Tipalti or the client's own portal, attach the PO and backup, and track status until payment is scheduled. Portal rejections are fixed the same day. A weekly reconciliation compares portal status with your accounting file, so an invoice that was never accepted does not sit as a plain receivable for 60 days.
Can you pause collections for a client we are negotiating with?
Yes, any client can be placed on hold in LedgerDesk by your account lead and the cadence stops immediately. Held invoices still appear on the aged report with the reason so cash forecasting stays accurate. When the hold is lifted the cadence resumes from the next step rather than restarting from the beginning.
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