Tipalti vs Dots: The Next Evolution of Global Payments Infrastructure

Tipalti helped finance teams automate payables. But businesses today don’t just send vendor invoices, they run entire ecosystems of payees: contractors, creators, sellers, annotators, affiliates, and suppliers.

Managing all of them requires something bigger than AP software.

That’s why modern platforms are moving from accounts payable tools to unified payment infrastructure: systems that handle every type of outbound payment, from ERP workflows to programmatic payouts.

That’s where Dots comes in.

1. From a Finance Tool to a Payment Platform

Tipalti was built for the finance back office with invoice approvals, supplier management, tax forms, and ERP integrations. It’s great for accounting teams.

Dots takes that same foundation — automated AP, tax compliance, ERP sync — and expands it into programmable infrastructure for every other part of the business.

You can manage traditional supplier payments and automate creator payouts, affiliate commissions, or gig disbursements, all from one platform.

Tipalti focuses on payables. Dots unifies payables, payouts, and platform payments.

2. Enterprise-Grade AP, and Then Some

Dots includes everything you’d expect from enterprise-grade AP automation:

• Invoice ingestion and approval workflows
• ERP syncs with NetSuite, QuickBooks, and Xero
• Vendor onboarding with automated W-9/W-8 collection
• Batch and scheduled payments

But unlike legacy AP systems, Dots isn’t limited to invoices.

The same infrastructure can also:

• Trigger payouts through API calls
• Route payments across 190+ countries and 150+ currencies
• Use local rails like UPI, PIX, and M-PESA, and 300+ more
• Handle tax compliance and KYC/KYB for individuals and entities

That means finance, ops, and product teams finally share one payment stack.

3. ERP-Connected and API-Driven

Where Tipalti connects to your ERP, Dots connects through and beyond it.

You can sync ledgers and vendors like a traditional AP platform, or use Dots’ APIs and SDKs to embed payments directly into your product.

Example:

• Finance uses Dots to pay suppliers and contractors.
• Engineering uses the same system to trigger payouts automatically from the app.

One backend. Two use cases. Zero silos.

4. Compliance and Risk, Unified

Dots automates what both finance and compliance teams care about:

• KYC/KYB verification
• OFAC screening
• W-9 / W-8BEN collection
• 1099 creation and e-filing
• Custom risk rules (e.g., “country mismatch” or “blocked entity”)

Instead of piecing these together across vendors, everything runs through one infrastructure layer, built for scale and auditability.

5. Global Coverage and Local Rails

Both Tipalti and Dots support global payments, but Dots goes further.

Beyond wires and cards, Dots integrates local rails (UPI, PIX, M-PESA, ACH, RTP, Cash App, Venmo) so you can pay anyone, anywhere, in the method they actually use.

This local-first model means:

• Faster payments
• Lower FX drag
• Fewer failed transfers
• Happier recipients

6. Built for Finance and Product Teams

Tipalti was built for accountants.Dots was built for teams that move money.

Finance teams can automate AP, stay compliant, and reconcile seamlessly. Product teams can integrate APIs, trigger payouts, and build new revenue models.

Everyone operates from one source of truth, without any duplicate systems or data drift.

7. Choosing the Right Platform

If your only goal is invoice management, Tipalti remains a solid choice.

But if your business:

• Onboards global vendors, contractors, or creators
• Needs both ERP workflows and programmable payouts
• Wants to automate compliance across all payment types

Then you’ve outgrown single-purpose AP automation.You need Dots, the unified layer for global payments, compliance, and payout infrastructure.

From AP Automation to Payment Infrastructure

The last decade was about automating invoices. The next one is about orchestrating every type of payment safely, globally, and programmatically.

Dots gives modern platforms that power with ERP-connected AP, instant payouts, 190+ countries, and 150+ currencies. One infrastructure for every way your business moves money.

Book a demo to see how Dots replaces fragmented AP and payout systems with a single, programmable layer for global payments.