Accounting & Finance

5 Top-Rated Accounting Apps for Sales Teams

Dec 9, 2017

If you're in a sales-driven industry, you face unique accounting challenges. Check out our 5 top-rated accounting apps for sales teams to help address them!

Abhishek Singh and Karan DhingraContent Analyst

What are the biggest accounting challenges your team faces?

If you're in a sales-driven industry, you might struggle to get accurate records of expenses and closed deals from sales reps who are constantly traveling, which can cause bottlenecks when it comes to budget planning and paying out commissions and incentives.

To help address these challenges, look for an accounting tool that fits within your sales workflow and uses automation for key sales-related functionality, including:

  • Tracking expenses during a sales campaign

  • Planning your sales budget

  • Managing sales incentives and commissions

  • Keeping track of sales invoices

Here, we're taking a look at the five the top-rated accounting apps your sales team can use to streamline their accounting functions. We've shortlisted these five apps after analyzing accounting software reviews from users in the sales industry.

(Please note: The feedback given in each of the "Common user feedback trends" sections are the opinions of GetApp's reviewers, and do not represent the opinion of GetApp. Read more about our methodology at the bottom of this article.)

1. QuickBooks Online: Boost expense management efficiency

With QuickBooks Online, you can keep accounting information related to budgeting and expenses in a centralized database and monitor performance and effectiveness of sales campaigns through the reporting dashboard.

QuickBooks Online also offers a centralized place where sales reps can upload expense reports and view their pending incentives and commissions.

Key features of QuickBooks Online for sales teams include:

  • Invoice management: The software automatically adds tax and discounts to invoices. Personalize invoices by adding your company's logo, choosing a font and layout, and adding a background image. You can also send invoices in batches or individually.

  • Mobile app: Eliminates the need to save paper receipts. Take a picture of each receipt from the road with your mobile phone, and store it for future reference to claim your expenses.

Managing expenses in QuickBooks Online(Source: quickbooks.intuit.com)

Common user feedback trends

Based on analysis of user reviews on GetApp from accounting software users in the sales industry, here's an overview of the areas of QuickBooks Online they like best, as well as those they feel could use improvement.

What users like

  • Efficient expense management: GetApp reviewers like that scanned receipts are text searchable to track specific itinerary expenses. The software helps sales reps track miles and expenses and upload receipts directly from their mobile device to the receipt portal of QuickBooks Online.

  • Intuitive user interface: Most GetApp reviewers indicate that the software is easy to install and has an intuitive user interface due to customized drop-down menus and easy navigation between the receipt and expense tabs.

  • Customizable expense reports: Reviewers appreciate that QuickBooks Online allows them to customize their expense and incentive management reports for each sales campaign by adding new field entries. Users also like that they can customize the look of invoices to match the company's branding, which is useful when sending sales quotes to customers.

User recommended improvements

  • Reduce response time for customer support: Most GetApp reviewers would like to see a shorter wait time for issue resolution, as some report waiting for about 25 to 30 minutes. Additionally, reviewers don't like that they're sent to the frequently asked questions (FAQs) when they reach out for support, citing difficulty finding the exact topics they need help with.

  • Improve the tax module: GetApp reviewers indicate that the platform's tax module experiences some glitches while calculating sales tax. They say they've had to double check the numbers manually to be sure they're correct.

  • Fix compatibility issues for Mac: Reviewers cite problems when operating QuickBooks Online on a Mac, such as plug-in issues when exporting data, crashes when adding a new payor or vendor, and no option to enable recurring payments.

Who should consider QuickBooks Online?

If your organization has a team of sales reps that travel the majority of the time, and you struggle with accurate and efficient expense management, you should consider QuickBooks Online. It offers the ability to scan and upload receipts from a mobile device, and then automatically syncs that data to the platform.

2. Sage One Accounting: Robust invoicing capabilities

Sage One Accounting helps sales reps and sales managers track invoices, statements, and quotes sent to customers through the software's dedicated invoicing dashboard. Users can track how many invoices have been generated and resolve overdue balances.In addition, Sage One can sync with your bank accounts, so bank data automatically updates in the platform. This ensures accurate cash flows, so a constant supply of funds is maintained.

Key features of Sage One Accounting for sales teams include:

  • Cloud accounting and invoicing : All information related to sales, expenses, and taxes is stored in the cloud, so users can access this information on their desktop or mobile device, regardless of location.

  • Forecast cash flows: Through the cash flow dashboard, Sage One Accounting helps you forecast the amount of money that your business might need to have on hand.

  • Efficient payment processing integration: The payment gateway lets you accept payments from customers directly, with the help of Sage Payment Solutions or third-party integrations, such as PayPal.

Sage One Accounting 's invoice dashboard (Source: sageone.com)

Common user feedback trends

Based on analysis of user reviews on GetApp from accounting software users in the sales industry, here's an overview of the areas of Sage One Accounting they like best, as well as those they feel could use improvement.

What users like

  • Useful invoicing and email templates: Users like that the software includes predefined templates for invoices, statements, and emails, so sales reps can save time and avoid entering data manually.

  • Granular reporting capabilities: GetApp reviewers say that Sage One offers strong business intelligence features, since the invoice reporting feature integrates various fields such as expense and budget allocation. There are multiple reporting dashboards, which allow users to drill down to detailed reports.

User recommended improvements

  • Address the steep learning curve: GetApp reviewers indicate that some features of the reporting tool take more time to learn than expected.

  • Improve the accounts payable module: Reviewers report that they are unable to see digitally scanned invoice documents in the payables tab. They also say it can be difficult to export data from accounts payable to Excel.

Who should consider Sage One Accounting?

If you send a large volume of invoices, Sage One Accounting's dedicated invoice management dashboard can help you streamline the process. It automatically generates and sends invoices to customers. It also records payments received based on invoice number, and you can locate invoices quickly in the database to address customer queries.

3. Xero: Easy sales tax management

Xero is a cloud-based accounting app that offers features such as billing, invoicing, and expense management. Xero also helps small businesses ensure they are charging and reporting sales tax correctly.

Key features of Xero for sales teams include:

  • Sales tax management: Set a default sales tax rate. Also, add your own rates for recording sales tax in bills, invoices, and transactions. Tax rates can be adjusted based on your business and divided into components such as sales and state tax.

  • Expense management: Team members can submit expense reports through their mobile phones while on the go. You can also limit the access level of employees in different roles, so, for example, reps can submit expenses without having access to confidential financial details.

  • Multicurrency accounting: Make and receive payments in over 160 currencies with the help of the multicurrency accounting module.

Xero's sales accounts dashboard (Source: GetApp)

Common User Feedback Trends

Based on analysis of user reviews on GetApp from accounting software users in the sales industry, here's an overview of what they like about Xero software, as well as those areas they feel could use improvement.

What users like

  • Smooth reconciliation process: GetApp reviewers say that reconciling transactions between their bank account and the software is easy. They like that the software automatically syncs with their bank accounts, which helps them manage details related to invoices, payroll, leave management, time sheets, etc.

  • Useful mobile app: Reviewers like that Xero's Android and iOS mobile apps allow them to take pictures of sales invoices and bills, which can be stored in the system for further processing, while on the go.

User recommended improvements

  • Add new support options and reply more quickly: GetApp reviewers say that it takes weeks to get an email reply to requests for support, and that there should be more customer support through phone rather than email alone.

  • More automation for entering enter sales and invoicing data: Reviewers indicate that storing inventory information related to sales and invoices must be done manually, and find it to be a long and tedious process.

Who should consider Xero?

If your sales department needs extra support with issues related to sales tax and charging the correct rate, Xero can simplify your sales tax issues through its dedicated sales tax module.

4. Wave: Simple payroll for paying out sales incentives and commission

Wave's accounting dashboard provides a comparative analysis of income versus expenses to track financial transactions. It also aims to streamline payroll, thereby simplifying payouts of sales incentives and commissions.

Key features of Wave for sales teams include:

  • Collaboration on financial reports: Invite external accountants or financial experts to manage your bookkeeping, while you control the access.

  • Secure payment transactions: Cash flow transactions are secured with 256-bit encryption.

  • Payment scheduling: Schedule payouts of incentives and commissions, as well as other bonuses, to be deposited directly to employees' bank account.

Setting up employee direct deposit in Wave(Source: GetApp)

Common User Feedback Trends

Based on analysis of user reviews on GetApp from accounting software users in the sales industry, here's an overview of the areas of Wave they like best, as well as those they feel could use improvement.

What users like

  • Easy connectivity with banks: GetApp reviewers indicate that linking a bank account with Wave is easy and doesn't require much technical assistance. They like that accounting reports such as trial balance , profit and loss (P&L), and balance sheets are easy to connect with bank accounts and credit cards.

  • Simplified invoicing with recurring billing: The most highly rated aspect of Wave, according to GetApp reviewers, is the ability to create and manage recurring invoices. The software automatically invoices customers and sends reminders through email when payment is due.

User recommended improvements

  • Make payroll process less manual: GetApp reviewers indicate that the payroll feature of the software doesn't automatically fill out certain redundant details such as payee name, and say the payroll feature should be more intuitive to reduce manual data entry.

Who should consider Wave?

Wave is a good option for teams that want to stay focused on sales, but also want to streamline payroll. The platform offers direct deposit to distribute paychecks, incentives, commissions, and bonuses quickly, as well as a self-service payroll feature, where employees can access pay stubs and other records. The platform aims to simplify payroll and accounting functions, while letting you grant access to external accountants and bookkeepers to handle more in-depth accounting needs.

5. Zoho Books: Helpful inventory management support

Zoho Books is a double entry accounting system, so it automatically creates a ledger entry for debit and credit transactions, thus eliminating manual data entry of payments made or received.

Key features of Zoho Books for sales teams include:

  • Expense tracking: Zoho Books automates expense management by capturing credit card transactions and enhancing expense report approvals by automatically assigning reports to the correct person.

  • Sales order processing: The software offers a sales order feature, which cross-checks the sale of items with customers before shipping to provide up-to-date order tracking, and it sends your sales team real-time order updates.

  • Inventory tracking: Users can automatically track inventory levels in real time. Zoho Books helps you create and send sales orders, verify shipment of products, and keep your production team synced.

Zoho Books' accounting dashboard (Source: GetApp)

Common user feedback trends

Based on analysis of user reviews on GetApp from accounting software users in the sales industry, here's an overview of the areas of Zoho Books software they like best, as well as those they feel could use improvement.

What users like

  • Lots of integrations: Most users like that the software's multiple integration options with other sales and CRM software help them manage expenses and invoices.

  • Useful inventory management functionality: Users find it useful that Zoho Books offers an inventory management tab, which helps manage sales, inventory, and purchasing, and automatically tracks low stock levels.

User recommended improvements

  • Add automated syncing with a bank account: While setting up a bank account with the platform, users don't like that they have to manually sync their bank or credit card, and would like to see this process be automated.

Who should consider Zoho Books?

Your sales team should consider Zoho Books if you maintain physical inventory and want to integrate inventory management with your accounting platform. In addition, Zoho Books should be on your shortlist if you want to maintain transparency into the sales order process from start to finish.

Next steps

If you want more information on accounting apps for sales operations, check out some additional GetApp resources:

Methodology

The solutions highlighted in this article are the accounting software with the highest average overall user rating from sales professionals. For this article, we evaluated five accounting software with approximately 1,217 user reviews (exclusively from the sales specialty) from GetApp.

The criteria to shortlist the top five products is:

  • To shortlist top accounting solutions, we analyzed the reviews from users in the accounting segment.

  • From the shortlisted software, we considered only those which are listed on GetApp.

  • The "common user feedback" sections include "what users like" and "user recommended improvements" for each product, based on feedback from users who left reviews.

  • The "who should consider this software" section is a summary of analysis conducted on the general comments from software users. This section highlights the most popular features of the software product and recommends who should consider buying that product and why.

About the author

Abhishek Singh and Karan Dhingra

Content Analyst