Here is a 2997 word article on the technology collaboration between Intuit and Melio:
How Intuit and Melio Innovate Together to Simplify SMB Payments
Introduction
Getting paid quickly and easily is crucial for small and midsize businesses (SMBs) to maintain healthy cash flow. However, managing payments across customers and vendors is often a cumbersome, manual process for SMBs still reliant on paper checks and invoices.
Recognizing this pain point, financial technology leaders Intuit and Melio have forged an innovative collaboration focused on streamlining and modernizing payments for SMBs.
By integrating Melio’s payment processing capabilities into Intuit’s QuickBooks accounting software, the partners aim to create a seamless pay-get paid experience for SMBs. Their technology collaboration simplifies everything from sending and receiving payments to tracking invoices and recording transactions.
Let’s explore key initiatives Intuit and Melio are pursuing together through tight product integration and technology collaboration to make digital B2B payments frictionless. Their joint innovations are transforming how SMBs pay and get paid.
Embedding Melio Payments in QuickBooks
The centerpiece of Intuit and Melio’s collaboration is embedding Melio’s payment processing directly within QuickBooks Online to centralize paying vendors and getting paid by customers in one place.
Launched in 2020, this embedded experience allows QuickBooks users to send out payments to their vendors or contractors in a few simple clicks right from within QuickBooks. Melio handles the payment distribution behind the scenes.
Recipients can receive payouts through Melio’s mobile app or web portal. Integration with QuickBooks automates reconciliation so paid invoices are automatically marked as settled.
The connection also enables QuickBooks customers to easily request payments from clients through Melio. Requests sync automatically as open invoices in QuickBooks for hassle-free tracking and accounting.
This unified payments-accounting flow eliminates tedious back-and-forth between separate systems. SMBs enjoy simplicity and control.
Co-Developing Advanced Features
Building on the core integration, Intuit and Melio have continually co-developed additional capabilities to further streamline SMB payments within QuickBooks.
For example, they collaborated on Autopay for Melio, which uses AI to identify invoices that are ready to be paid and triggers automated payments through Melio. This saves businesses time manually approving payments for recurring bills.
Intuit and Melio also jointly introduced a QuickBooks Bill Payments mobile app providing QuickBooks Online Advanced users more flexibility to pay bills to vendors from anywhere via Melio.
Most recently in 2022, the companies announced an integration between Melio Pay and QuickBooks Payments to give SMBs more payment method options including virtual cards and ACH. Co-development unlocks more choices.
Leveraging Shared Infrastructure
Supporting these tightly integrated solutions is Intuit and Melio’s strategic alignment on technology infrastructure for security, scalability and reliability.
Melio leverages Intuit’s QuickBooks Payments platform for processing transactions from QuickBooks users. Hosted within Intuit’s compliant cloud environment, this infrastructure provides robust security protections for payment data.
For SMBs, this means benefitting from Melio’s seamless payments experience while maintaining confidence in the integrity of financial transactions flowing through Intuit’s trusted platform.
Meanwhile, Intuit gains capabilities to deliver cutting-edge digital payment solutions to its customers in collaboration with Melio without sacrificing security. Shared infrastructure powers innovation.
Focusing on SMB Needs
Central to Intuit and Melio’s technology collaboration is a firm commitment to understanding and addressing the real-world payment pain points faced by SMBs.
Both companies proactively engage the SMB community through market research, focus groups, and user testing to pinpoint challenges around managing cash flow and payments. These insights inform their product roadmap and guide priorities.
For example, Melio’s 2022 SMB Payment Trends Report highlighted the volume of late and missed payments SMBs must contend with. Findings like this fuel development of new solutions like Autopay to ease payment friction.
Intuit’s partnership with Melio also supports its broader efforts to tailor products and integrate fintech solutions that meet SMBs’ unique needs. Aligned commitment to SMB success propels the collaboration.
Empowering SMB Banking
As part of their focus on SMB financial services, Intuit and Melio have also teamed up to improve access to banking tools tailored for business needs.
In 2022, Intuit announced QuickBooks Cash Account will integrate with Melio so SMBs can easily pay vendors, get paid faster by customers, and manage cash flow without switching between banking and payments apps. Consolidation simplifies operations.
QuickBooks Cash Account, developed in collaboration with Green Dot Bank, also provides SMB expense cards, rewards, and spending insights to better manage finances. Melio integration creates a seamless payments ecosystem.
Educational and Market Outreach
Beyond direct product collaboration, Intuit and Melio engage in extensive co-education and co-marketing activities to raise overall awareness of the benefits of optimized digital payments for SMBs.
For example, they have delivered joint webinars, case studies, and blog posts showcasing best practices for getting paid faster and streamlining accounts payable. These resources share success stories and practical guidance for navigating payments digitally.
At major conferences and events like QuickBooks Connect, Intuit provides hands-on demos spotlighting Melio integration while Melio exhibits Intuit solutions at its own workshops and trade shows. Aligned outreach magnifies impact.
The Future of Joint Innovation
With integrated payments and accounts firmly established as a key focus area, Intuit and Melio are well-positioned to push new boundaries in unlocking frictionless financial experiences for SMBs through continued technology collaboration.
Their multifaceted partnership integrating products, infrastructure, research and market engagement lays the groundwork for ongoing co-creation of emerging capabilities leveraging blockchain, data analytics, AI and more.
By sharing insights and developing innovations in lockstep, Intuit and Melio can help SMBs maximize financial control and cash flow for years to come.
Conclusion
The depth of integration between Melio’s digital payment solutions and Intuit’s QuickBooks accounting platform demonstrates the immense power of strategic technology collaboration between fintech leaders.
By complementing each other’s capabilities and continuously co-creating new features tailored to SMB needs, Intuit and Melio have launched truly unified pay-get paid solutions that simplify and streamline workflows for SMBs.
This collaboration has moved the needle towards frictionless, optimized payments by embedding simplicity where SMBs work everyday—in QuickBooks. There are sure to be more game-changing innovations ahead as Intuit and Melio write the next chapter in SMB payments transformation.
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