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Pay bills with Apron in QuickBooks Online

by Intuit• Updated 2 weeks ago

Learn how to pay your supplier bills directly from QuickBooks using Apron, our UK payments partner.

When you pay a bill, Apron opens right inside QuickBooks. The first time you use it, you'll complete a short verification step to link your account; after that, you won't need to sign in separately. Apron always pays your supplier by bank transfer, even if the supplier doesn't take card payments, and QuickBooks updates the bill status automatically once the payment goes through.

Note: This feature is available to UK-registered companies on QuickBooks Online Essentials, Plus, or Advanced. You need admin access to pay bills directly. If you don't have admin access, you can request payment permissions from your account owner or admin.

Before you start

  • You, or an admin on your account, need to complete a short business verification check (KYB) the first time you pay a bill. This usually happens the same day, or within one business day.
  • Have your unpaid bills entered in QuickBooks before you start.

Who can use it

RequirementDetail
RegionUK-registered companies only
QuickBooks Online Essentials, Plus, or Advanced
Account typeAdmin users can pay bills directly; other users may need payment permissions granted by the account owner/admin

Pay a bill for the first time

The first time you pay a bill with Apron, you'll go through a one-time verification step to link your account.

  1. Go to Expenses & Bills, then select Bills, then select the Unpaid tab.
  2. Select one or more bills to pay.
  3. Select Pay now. Apron opens inside QuickBooks.
  4. Verify your account. Apron links to your QuickBooks sign-in, so you don't need to enter your business details again.
  5. Complete a short know-your-business check (KYB). If Apron needs more information, they'll email you directly.
  6. Review the payment details, then submit the payment.
Note: If you close the window partway through verification, you can pick up where you left off. Select Pay now again in QuickBooks, or sign in at getapron.com and go to Settings, then Company settings, then Company details.

Pay a bill after your first payment

Once you've completed verification, paying bills is quicker.

  1. Go to Bills, then select the Unpaid tab. Select one or more bills, or select Pay now on a single bill.
  2. Review the payment details, then choose your payment method.
  3. If someone else needs to approve the payment, assign them as an approver or payer.
  4. Review and submit the payment.

Approvals

If a payment needs sign-off from someone else, you can assign an approver or payer during the payment flow. Once they've reviewed it, Apron updates the payment status and lets you know by email.


Result

Apron processes the payment and QuickBooks updates the bill status automatically, so you don't need to match anything up yourself.


Payment methodTypical processing time
Open BankingUsually minutes, up to a day for domestic UK bank transfers
Manual bank transferUsually minutes, up to a day (domestic); up to 5 days for international transfers
Credit cardProcessed the next working day around 2pm. Card payments do not process on weekends or bank holidays

Regardless of the method you choose, Apron always pays your supplier by bank transfer, so it works even if a supplier doesn't accept card payments.

You can track paid bills in two places:

  • In QuickBooks: go to Bills, then select the Paid tab, to see bill statuses update automatically.
  • In Apron: sign in at getapron.com, then go to Bills, then Payments, to see full payment and audit details.
Note: If a bill shows as paid in QuickBooks but you don't see a matching bank transaction yet, this is expected. The bill status updates first, and the transaction appears once your bank feed catches up.

Each Apron account connects to one accounting platform. If you already use Apron with Xero or FreeAgent, for example, you'll need a separate Apron account for QuickBooks. This is created automatically the first time you select Pay now.

If a team member can't see or make payments in Apron, they may need to be added to your company's Apron account, or have their payment permissions updated.

  1. Select Send request in the payment panel.
  2. Your account owner or admin gets a notification and can add you or update your payment permissions.

Get help

For questions about your QuickBooks bills or account, contact QuickBooks Support as usual.

For questions about a specific payment, verification, or subscription plan, or anything else Apron handles directly, contact Apron's support team:

  • Live chat, from the Apron payment window in QuickBooks or the Apron app
  • Email: support@getapron.com
  • Hours: Monday to Friday, 7am–7pm UK time. An AI assistant is available at all other times.
  • Apron Help Centre
QuickBooks Online EssentialsQuickBooks Online PlusQuickBooks Online Simple Start