Blog

Insights, guides, and best practices for hospitality accounts payable teams.

Chart of Accounts Numbering: A Code Structure That Survives Growth
Operations

Chart of Accounts Numbering: A Code Structure That Survives Growth

Account numbers are a sort order and a namespace, not decoration. How to pick digit width, leave gaps, mirror revenue against cost, and avoid the location-in-the-account-number mistake that doubles your chart every time you open a site.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··14 min read
COGS vs Operating Expenses: Where Hospitality Costs Actually Belong
Operations

COGS vs Operating Expenses: Where Hospitality Costs Actually Belong

The general rule is easy and the hard cases are where the money is. Why kitchen labor sits outside cost of sales, why delivery commission is not COGS, and why to-go containers are, with the reasoning behind each call.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··13 min read
The 1099 Reporting Threshold Is Now $2,000: What Changed for Tax Year 2026
Compliance

The 1099 Reporting Threshold Is Now $2,000: What Changed for Tax Year 2026

The 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC reporting threshold rose from $600 to $2,000 for tax year 2026. What changed, when it takes effect, the tax-year versus filing-year trap, and what to do about it.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··13 min read
Best Payout Software for Creator and Talent Agencies in 2026: A Buyer's Guide
Buyer's Guide

Best Payout Software for Creator and Talent Agencies in 2026: A Buyer's Guide

A 2026 buyer's guide to creator and influencer payout software. The evaluation criteria that matter for talent agencies, how the four categories of tools compare, real pricing, and the red flags that turn January into a fire drill.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··13 min read
BILL (Bill.com) Pricing in 2026: What It Actually Costs, and 7 Alternatives
Buyer's Guide

BILL (Bill.com) Pricing in 2026: What It Actually Costs, and 7 Alternatives

BILL's published 2026 pricing, the transaction fees that sit on top of the per-user subscription, worked total-cost examples at three company sizes, and seven alternatives with an honest read on who each one fits.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··13 min read
Best Client Credit Card Storage for Travel Agencies in 2026: A Buyer's Guide
Buyer's Guide

Best Client Credit Card Storage for Travel Agencies in 2026: A Buyer's Guide

How travel agencies should store client credit cards in 2026. What PCI DSS actually requires when you keep card data on file, the four categories of tools agencies use, the evaluation criteria that matter, and the red flags that turn into chargebacks.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··14 min read
Credit Card Authorization Forms for Travel Agencies: How to Collect Them Without Creating a PCI Problem
Compliance

Credit Card Authorization Forms for Travel Agencies: How to Collect Them Without Creating a PCI Problem

What belongs on a travel agency credit card authorization form, the three ways agencies collect them today, why emailed PDFs are the riskiest option, and how to build a process that actually holds up in a chargeback dispute.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··11 min read
How to Pay Creators at Scale in 2026: Payouts, W-9s, and the New $2,000 1099 Threshold
Compliance

How to Pay Creators at Scale in 2026: Payouts, W-9s, and the New $2,000 1099 Threshold

The 1099-NEC reporting threshold rose from $600 to $2,000 for payments made in 2026. What that changes for creator and talent agencies, what it does not change, and how to build a payout process that does not collapse in January.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··11 min read
How Executive Assistants Should Store and Manage Client Card Information
Security

How Executive Assistants Should Store and Manage Client Card Information

A practical guide for executive assistants who hold someone else's credit card. Why email, spreadsheets, and password managers fail, what PCI DSS actually requires, and the storage methods that keep you out of scope.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··13 min read
5 Ways Finance Teams Are Using AI in Accounts Payable
Strategy

5 Ways Finance Teams Are Using AI in Accounts Payable

Where AI actually earns its keep in AP: line-item GL coding, duplicate detection, real-time budget tracking, year-round 1099 prep, and a clean sync into your accounting system.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··7 min read
Best Bill Pay Software for Bars and Nightclubs in 2026: A Buyer's Guide
Buyer's Guide

Best Bill Pay Software for Bars and Nightclubs in 2026: A Buyer's Guide

A 2026 buyer's guide to bill pay software for bars and nightclubs: liquor-distributor coding, three-tier rules, 1099 contractor pay, and real pricing.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··17 min read
Best Bill Pay Software for Catering and Event Companies in 2026
Buyer's Guide

Best Bill Pay Software for Catering and Event Companies in 2026

A 2026 buyer's guide to bill pay software for catering and event companies: contractor onboarding, W-9/1099 automation, job costing, rails, and pricing.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··18 min read
Best Bill Pay Software for Hotels in 2026: A Buyer's Guide
Buyer's Guide

Best Bill Pay Software for Hotels in 2026: A Buyer's Guide

A 2026 buyer's guide to hotel bill pay and AP software: multi-property structure, department GL coding, PMS sync, rails, and real pricing.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··18 min read
How to Pay 1099 Contractors as a Restaurant: The Compliance Details Most Operators Get Wrong
Compliance

How to Pay 1099 Contractors as a Restaurant: The Compliance Details Most Operators Get Wrong

Most restaurant 1099 mistakes happen before the payment, not at year-end. A practical guide to the reporting threshold, W-9 timing, backup withholding, and which vendors actually trigger a filing requirement.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··13 min read
Best Bill Pay Software for Restaurants in 2026: A Buyer's Guide
Buyer's Guide

Best Bill Pay Software for Restaurants in 2026: A Buyer's Guide

A practical 2026 buyer's guide to restaurant bill pay software. The evaluation criteria that actually matter (OCR, multi-location, COGS coding, rails, pricing), how the four main categories compare, and the red flags that kill implementations.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··15 min read
The True Cost of Paying Restaurant Vendors by Check in 2026
Operations

The True Cost of Paying Restaurant Vendors by Check in 2026

Checks look cheap at $0.10 of stock plus a stamp. The real cost, once you add labor, fraud, float, and errors, is closer to $6-$22 per payment. A hard look at check economics for restaurants in 2026, with an interactive calculator.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··11 min read
Bill Pay for Restaurant Groups: Paying Vendors Across Multiple Locations Without the Chaos
Operations

Bill Pay for Restaurant Groups: Paying Vendors Across Multiple Locations Without the Chaos

Restaurant groups hit a wall when AP scales past one location: separate entities, consolidated vendors, per-location approvals, inter-company allocations. A practical playbook for running bill pay across a multi-unit operation.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··12 min read
QuickBooks Bill Pay for Restaurants: Where It Breaks and What to Do About It
Tools

QuickBooks Bill Pay for Restaurants: Where It Breaks and What to Do About It

QuickBooks Online's built-in bill pay handles basic vendor payments but breaks under restaurant-specific needs: line-item coding, multi-location, restaurant invoice OCR, and recipe costing sync. Here's where it falls short and how to fix it.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··12 min read
How Restaurants Should Handle Bill Pay in 2026: A Practical Operator's Guide
Strategy

How Restaurants Should Handle Bill Pay in 2026: A Practical Operator's Guide

Restaurant bill pay is not generic B2B AP. Thin margins, 40+ vendors, and perishable inventory change what 'good' looks like. A practical 2026 guide to the rails, workflows, and tooling that actually fit how restaurants operate.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··14 min read
Why Your Restaurant's P&L Is Lying to You (And How to Fix It With Proper Invoice Categorization)
Strategy

Why Your Restaurant's P&L Is Lying to You (And How to Fix It With Proper Invoice Categorization)

42% of restaurants were unprofitable in 2025 despite record sales. The problem isn't revenue, it's knowing where money goes. Learn how proper invoice categorization and a detailed chart of accounts turn your P&L into a real management tool.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··9 min read
The Complete Guide to 1099 Compliance for Restaurants & Hotels
Compliance

The Complete Guide to 1099 Compliance for Restaurants & Hotels

Learn IRS 1099 filing rules for hospitality businesses. Covers 1099-NEC vs 1099-MISC, contractor classification, deadlines, penalties, and automation tools.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··10 min read
AP Automation ROI: How Much Time and Money Can You Save?
Strategy

AP Automation ROI: How Much Time and Money Can You Save?

Calculate the real ROI of accounts payable automation for hospitality businesses. Includes cost breakdowns, time savings, and a framework for your own analysis.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··11 min read
How to Close Your Event P&L Faster with Payment Automation
Operations

How to Close Your Event P&L Faster with Payment Automation

Learn how payment automation helps event producers and venues close event P&L statements in days instead of weeks. Includes a real-world 500-person event example.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··12 min read
How to Collect W-9s from Contractors: A Step-by-Step Guide
Compliance

How to Collect W-9s from Contractors: A Step-by-Step Guide

A practical guide to collecting W-9 forms from contractors in hospitality. Covers timing, common mistakes, digital collection, and automation tools.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··12 min read
Food Festival Revenue: How Taco Fests, Seafood Events, and Wine Festivals Make Money
Strategy

Food Festival Revenue: How Taco Fests, Seafood Events, and Wine Festivals Make Money

A breakdown of how food festivals generate revenue through ticket sales, sponsorships, vendor fees, and ancillary spending. Includes cost structures, pricing models, and real numbers.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··7 min read
Multi-Location Vendor Payment Management Playbook
Operations

Multi-Location Vendor Payment Management Playbook

A practical guide to managing vendor payments across multiple restaurant, hotel, or venue locations. Covers centralized AP, approval workflows, and reporting.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··11 min read
Payment Fraud Prevention for Restaurants and Venues
Security

Payment Fraud Prevention for Restaurants and Venues

Protect your hospitality business from payment fraud. Covers fake invoices, BEC scams, vendor impersonation, dual-approval workflows, and prevention checklists.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··15 min read
Same-Day ACH vs Standard ACH: What Hospitality Businesses Need to Know
Payments

Same-Day ACH vs Standard ACH: What Hospitality Businesses Need to Know

Understand the differences between same-day and standard ACH payments for restaurants, hotels, and venues. Covers timelines, costs, Nacha rules, and use cases.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··11 min read
Vendor Onboarding Best Practices for Hospitality
Operations

Vendor Onboarding Best Practices for Hospitality

Streamline vendor onboarding for restaurants, hotels, and venues. Covers W-9 collection, banking setup, insurance verification, and automation strategies.

Duncan AbdelnourDuncan Abdelnour
··12 min read