Enterprise Payment Automation ComparisonLast updated March 2026
Cleo Pay vs. Corpay: Transparent AP Automation for Hospitality
Cleo Pay is a hospitality-focused AP automation platform with no extra fee for standard ACH, same-day payments on Growth and higher plans, and transparent pricing. Corpay (formerly Nvoicepay) is an enterprise-focused payment automation platform with opaque, custom-quoted pricing and a 2 to 3 business day standard ACH timeline. For restaurants, venues, and hotels, Cleo Pay offers purpose-built features like AI category matching, one-link vendor onboarding, W-9 collection with 1099-NEC preparation, and multi-location P&L segmentation. Corpay lacks W-9 collection, 1099 filing, and hospitality-specific workflows.
Max plan: 5 seats x $99 = $495/mo, 300 payments included
Custom quote required. No public rate card
ACH Transaction Fees
No extra fee (200 payments fit in Max's 300)
Estimated $1-$3/payment x 200 = $200-$600/mo
Expedited Payments (10/mo)
Same-day available on Max
Custom pricing. Not publicly disclosed
Monthly Total
$495/mo
Estimated $400-$900+/mo (varies by contract)
Annual Total
$5,940/year
Estimated $4,800-$10,800+/year
3-Year Cost (no growth)
$17,820
Estimated $14,400-$32,400+
Corpay does not publish pricing, so any cost estimate requires a sales conversation. Their revenue model relies heavily on virtual card rebates and FX spreads rather than transparent per-transaction fees. For a restaurant group that primarily pays domestic vendors via ACH, the rebate model offers less value, and opaque pricing makes it impossible to budget accurately before signing a contract.
Payment Speed
When Do Your Vendors Get Paid?
Standard ACH
Cleo PayStandard ACH timingNo extra fee
Corpay2-3 business daysCustom pricing
Accelerated ACH
Cleo PayN/AN/A
CorpayNext-day ACH availableCustom pricing
Same-Day ACH
Cleo PaySame-day on Growth and higher plansIncluded in Growth and higher plans
CorpayAvailable through the platformCustom pricing
Instant Transfer / Wire
Cleo PayN/AN/A
CorpayDomestic wire: same-day/next-day. International: 1-4 days$10-$75 per wire
The Pay screen: what you paid, what is coming up, what is overdue, and a Pay button on every unpaid bill.
See it on your own invoices.
Bring three to five real bills to the call.
We scan and code them live, QuickBooks sync included.
Both platforms integrate with QuickBooks, and both offer AI-powered categorization. Cleo Pay's integration is purpose-built for hospitality charts of accounts with native class and location code mapping. Corpay offers a broader ERP integration portfolio (Oracle NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Microsoft Dynamics) alongside QuickBooks, but lacks hospitality-specific mapping intelligence.
QuickBooks Integration comparison between Cleo Pay and Corpay
Automatic sync between Corpay and accounting platform
Payment Reconciliation
Auto-marked as paid in QB
Transaction data synced back to accounting system
Multi-Location Mapping
Native class/location code mapping
Multi-entity support. No hospitality-specific reporting
ERP Breadth
QuickBooks Online
NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Dynamics, and more
1099 Compliance & Tax Filing
This is one of the most significant differences between the two platforms. Cleo Pay covers the 1099 workflow: W-9 collection during vendor onboarding, IRS TIN matching, and 1099-NEC forms prepared from your payments and e-filed with the IRS. Vendors provide their tax info through the self-service portal, so W-9s are captured before the first payment is ever made. Corpay does not offer W-9 collection, 1099 generation, or e-filing as part of its platform. Businesses using Corpay must rely on their accounting software or a separate tax compliance tool to handle 1099 workflows. For hospitality businesses that rely heavily on 1099 contractors for event staff, musicians, maintenance workers, and freelance vendors, this gap creates significant manual overhead.
Vendor Onboarding
Cleo Pay provides a one-link vendor portal. Share a single URL with vendors and they enter their own banking details, W-9 information, and payment preferences. No back-and-forth emails, no spreadsheets. Vendors are ready to be paid once they finish setup. Corpay takes a white-glove approach: their in-house vendor enrollment team contacts vendors by mail to enroll them in ACH or virtual card payments. While this reduces internal workload, the process takes 3-5 business days for card enrollment and 5-10 business days for ACH validation. If a vendor does not respond, payments default to mailed checks. For restaurants that frequently onboard new local suppliers and need payments flowing quickly, the multi-day enrollment lag and check fallback create real friction.
Customer Support & Experience
Corpay's support is available Monday through Friday, 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM PT via phone, email, and live chat. Enterprise clients generally report better experiences, with some describing support as "top shelf." However, other users report next-business-day reply times and describe the ACH enrollment process as frustrating. The limited review count (37 Capterra reviews vs. hundreds for other platforms) makes it harder to assess consistency. Cleo Pay offers a dedicated support team with deep hospitality industry knowledge, founded by operators who understand the urgency of vendor payments in events and F&B. Direct access with no ticket queues or callback scheduling.
Honest Positioning
Who Should Use What
Cleo Pay is best for...
Restaurant groups, venues, hotels, and event production companies
No extra fee for standard ACH
Same-day vendor payments on Growth and higher plans
W-9 collection and 1099-NEC forms prepared from your payments and e-filed with the IRS
One-link vendor onboarding where vendors add their own bank and W-9
Transparent pricing with no sales call required to understand costs
A support team that understands the pace of hospitality
Corpay may work for...
Mid-market to enterprise companies processing high volumes of virtual card payments
Businesses that want to generate meaningful rebate revenue from virtual cards
Organizations needing international payments across multiple currencies
Companies with complex ERP environments (NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Dynamics)
Enterprises that prefer a white-glove, team-managed vendor enrollment process
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cleo Pay better than Corpay for restaurants?
Cleo Pay is purpose-built for hospitality, with features like one-link vendor onboarding, W-9 collection with 1099-NEC preparation, and AI category matching designed for restaurant, venue, and hotel workflows. Corpay is an enterprise-focused platform that excels at virtual card rebates and multi-currency payments, but it lacks W-9 collection, 1099 filing, and hospitality-specific workflows.
How much does Corpay cost?
Corpay does not publish pricing. All plans are custom-quoted based on transaction volume, payment mix, and services selected. There is no public rate card, and you must speak with a sales representative to get a quote. Corpay's revenue model relies on payment processing margins and virtual card rebates rather than transparent subscription fees.
How long does Corpay take to pay vendors?
Standard ACH payments through Corpay take 2 to 3 business days after authorization. Next-day and same-day ACH options are available at additional (undisclosed) cost. Virtual card payments are near-instant once the vendor is enrolled. New vendor enrollment, however, can take 5 to 10 business days for ACH validation.
Can I switch from Corpay to Cleo Pay?
Yes. Cleo Pay is designed for fast onboarding. You can connect your bank account and QuickBooks Online, import vendors, and start paying. Your existing vendor relationships transfer seamlessly, and Cleo Pay's one-link vendor portal lets suppliers update their banking details on their own schedule.
Does Cleo Pay work with QuickBooks?
Yes. Cleo Pay offers a native QuickBooks Online integration with AI-powered category matching and automatic vendor sync. Unlike platforms that require expensive ERP connectors, Cleo Pay's integration intelligently maps your hospitality chart of accounts from the start.
What's the best AP automation for restaurants?
The best AP automation for restaurants should offer no extra fee for standard ACH, same-day vendor payments, W-9 and 1099 support, and multi-location support. Corpay is built for mid-market and enterprise organizations with complex multi-currency needs. Cleo Pay was built by hospitality operators specifically for restaurants, venues, and hotels, with same-day payments on Growth and higher plans.
Does Corpay handle 1099 filing and W-9 collection?
No. Corpay does not offer W-9 collection, 1099 generation, or e-filing as part of its platform. Businesses using Corpay must rely on their accounting software or a separate compliance tool for tax filing. Cleo Pay collects W-9s during vendor onboarding, runs IRS TIN matching, and prepares 1099-NEC forms from your payments.
More Comparisons
See how Cleo Pay stacks up against other AP automation platforms.
No extra fee for standard ACH. Same-day payments on Growth and higher plans. Transparent pricing built for hospitality teams, not enterprise sales cycles.
