Our Payment Links are different
Use your Payment Gateway
Use Multiple Payment Gateways/Methods
Not tied to any product, invoice or amount
Pre-authorize, capture payment or save a card
If you’re trying to modernise your AR process, the choices can feel overwhelming.
Should you implement a full Accounts Receivable platform with dashboards, workflows, portals, and automation? Or can you solve 80% of the problem with something simpler — like smarter payment links?
The answer depends on your goals, your systems, and just how “broken” your current AR really is.
In this article, we’ll break down when you need a full platform — and when payment links alone can give you the automation, visibility, and speed you’re looking for.
🏗 What Is a Full AR Platform?
Let’s start with what a full AR platform usually includes:
Invoice creation and delivery
Customer payment portals
Automated reminders and escalation workflows
Payment method integrations (card, ACH, Open Banking, etc.)
Reconciliation and reporting dashboards
Credit scoring, risk management, and dispute handling (in some cases)
These systems often position themselves as all-in-one solutions. And they are — but they come with baggage:
High implementation cost
IT involvement and integration work
Complex user onboarding
Change management across teams
If you’re a 500+ person business with multi-entity invoicing, high volumes, and bespoke approval flows, they might be a great fit.
But if you’re like most mid-sized businesses, that’s overkill.
🔗 What Are Smarter Payment Links?
Smarter payment links give you many of the same benefits — without the overhead.
Instead of replacing your whole AR process, they enhance what you already do. You send an invoice (from Xero, QuickBooks, NetSuite, etc.), and Shuttle turns that into a branded, trackable payment link that:
Offers multiple payment methods (card, ACH, Open Banking, Pay by Bank)
Is delivered via email, SMS, WhatsApp or CRM
Tracks views, clicks, and payments in real-time
Connects to your existing tools (Zapier, Make.com, Salesforce, etc.)
Reconciles automatically
You don’t need to install a new system. You don’t need to migrate data. You just need to start sending links.
🤔 So, Which One Do You Need?
Here’s a breakdown to help you decide:
| If You… | You Probably Need… |
|---|---|
| Send 50–1000 invoices/month | Smart Payment Links |
| Use Xero, QuickBooks, NetSuite, Sage | Smart Payment Links |
| Have 1–5 people in finance/AR | Smart Payment Links |
| Want to reduce chasing and speed up payment | Smart Payment Links |
| Need dashboards, approval flows, credit risk | Full AR Platform |
| Manage large enterprise contracts | Full AR Platform |
| Have complex billing rules (usage, subscriptions) | Depends — could need hybrid |
| Need a solution live in under a week | Smart Payment Links |
💸 The Cost Difference
| Option | Cost | Setup Time | Maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full AR Platform | High (£10k–50k+/year) | 2–6 months | Ongoing support, admin |
| Smart Payment Links (e.g. Shuttle) | Low | < 1 week | Minimal |
If your AR team is spending time chasing payments, reconciling references, and fielding “how do I pay this?” emails — you don’t need a full suite. You just need better delivery and a smoother customer experience.
🧠 Think Function, Not Features
You’re not trying to win a software award. You’re trying to:
Get paid faster
Spend less time chasing
Improve visibility
Give your customers a better experience
If you can do that without disrupting your team or your systems — that’s a win.
🚀 Wrapping Up
Full AR platforms are powerful, but they’re not always the answer.
For most mid-sized businesses, the real gains come from solving the last mile of payment — how the invoice gets delivered, how easy it is to pay, and how quickly you know what’s been paid.
That’s where smarter payment links shine.
