Forwardly launches API to embed AP and AR into SaaS and banks

Forwardly on Oct. 27 launched the Forwardly Developer API, a new way for software platforms and financial institutions to embed accounts payable, accounts receivable and business payments inside their own products. The move targets a long-standing pain point for businesses and could help partners launch faster while reducing manual work and fraud exposure.

Why it matters: - Businesses want to manage bills, invoices and payments inside the software they already use. - Forwardly’s new API lets SaaS platforms and financial institutions add those workflows without building the full payments stack from scratch. - The launch could help reduce manual handoffs tied to emailed invoices, rekeyed data and shared banking details. - The offering also gives partners a faster path to market for embedded financial tools.

What happened: - Forwardly launched the Forwardly Developer API on Oct. 27, 2026. - The API lets software platforms and financial institutions offer accounts payable and accounts receivable natively inside their own products. - The launch is aimed at vertical SaaS platforms, B2B marketplaces, financial institutions and accounting and ERP providers. - Forwardly says the API supports embedded, white-label and co-branded experiences. - Sandbox access is available so development teams can build and test before going live.

The details: - Embedded accounts payable includes AI-powered bill capture and coding, configurable approval workflows and vendor payment scheduling. - AP payment options include instant bank transfers via FedNow or RTP, same-day ACH, next-day ACH, standard ACH and card payments. - AP data can sync to accounting systems or ERPs. - Embedded accounts receivable includes invoice creation and delivery, payment links, recurring billing, automated payments, collection reminders and real-time payment status. - AR also syncs with accounting systems or ERPs. - The Forwardly Network supports system-to-system invoice and bill exchange between verified businesses across nine accounting and ERP platforms. - Invoices arrive in the recipient’s system as structured data instead of emailed PDFs. - Forwardly is SOC 2 certified. - Forwardly integrates with QuickBooks Online, Xero, Sage Intacct, Campfire, Oracle NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and more. - Forwardly says the platform uses transaction-based pricing and revenue share options for partners.

Between the lines: - Business email compromise hit 74% of organizations in 2025, according to the Association for Financial Professionals’ 2026 Payments Fraud and Control Survey. - Moving AP and AR into the software where invoices and bills already live reduces the manual steps that often create fraud risk. - For vertical SaaS providers, embedded AP and AR can make payments a natural extension of an industry-specific workflow. - For banks, credit unions and neobanks, the API could add modern business payments without requiring customers to leave the bank’s digital experience. - Forwardly is positioning the API as infrastructure, not just a user-facing tool, by handling payment rails, compliance and fraud controls behind the scenes.

What's next: - Partners can begin building and testing in sandbox before launching live integrations. - Forwardly will look to expand adoption among software platforms, marketplaces and financial institutions that want embedded AP and AR. - As partner volume grows, transaction-based pricing and revenue share could make the platform more attractive for distribution-focused partners.

The bottom line: - Forwardly is trying to make embedded business payments easier to launch by packaging AP, AR and payment infrastructure into one developer API.