The Zip Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Zip in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Zip
The Insider’s Guide
Purchase requests, approvals and invoice payment in one workflow
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among spend and bill pay tools, read from Zip’s own pages.
Made by Zip · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Zip’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Zip’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
1.8
GPA, above 7 of the 51 other spend and bill pay tools we grade
Zip is a procurement platform that starts with an employee's purchase request and carries it through approvals, purchase orders, invoice processing and payment. It adds AI agents for invoice coding and exception handling, and an optional vendor card add-on. It is sold to mid-size and enterprise finance and procurement teams through a demo.
To get you started, here are 7 things to know about Zip, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No price is published, and Vendor Cards and Global Payments are add-ons.
- 1
Best for purchase requests and procure-to-pay at big companies
Zip routes purchase requests through approvals into payments, with AI agents for invoices and vendor cards.
- 2
It runs on Web
Web.
- 3
Purchase request intake
Requests are collected as structured data and routed through approval flows, and that data then fills in purchase orders and invoices.
- 4
Procure-to-pay automation
Handles purchase orders, invoice processing and payments in one workflow, with invoice coding based on the request and PO already captured.
- 5
AI agents for invoices
Agents answer emails in the AP inbox, extract invoices, code them, flag duplicates and contract mismatches, and route exceptions to the right person.
- 6
A 1.8 GPA, above 7 of 51
That is against the other spend and bill pay tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 7
Keep it
To replace Zip you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Zip at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Zip, since 2020
- Category
- Spend & Bill Pay
- Our grade
- 1.8 GPA, weak
The report card
Best for purchase requests and procure-to-pay at big companies
Zip routes purchase requests through approvals into payments, with AI agents for invoices and vendor cards. No price is published, and Vendor Cards and Global Payments are add-ons.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | No price is published; the site only offers a demo request. Middle by default against the category's $7.50, $12 and $20. |
| Free plan and trial | F | No free plan and no trial on record, so nothing to try before paying. |
| Features | C | Purchase request intake, procure-to-pay, AI agents for invoices, payments and vendor cards. It is a procurement tool, and Vendor Cards and Global Payments are listed add-ons. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. Intake forms, approvals and integrations to build. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only on record, with seven integrations and an API. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Zip is for
- Fits if purchase requests and approvals are the pain, more than expense claims
- Works for large teams with a procurement function
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you can't see a price, as the site only offers a demo
- Too light for expense reports, as it is built for procurement and payments
- Watch out: Vendor Cards and Global Payments are add-ons, not part of the core product
- Watch out: vendor card spend limits, merchant locks and receipt requirements apply to cards issued through the add-on
Good to know
Good for
- Finance and procurement teams that want requests, POs and invoices in one place
- Companies with an ERP such as SAP, Oracle or Workday to sync approved spend into
Worth knowing
- No prices are published; the site only offers a demo request, so the cost cannot be compared here.
- Vendor Cards and Global Payments are listed as add-ons, not as part of the core product.
- Vendor card spend limits, merchant locks and receipt requirements apply to the virtual cards issued through that add-on.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Zip's current pricing could not be confirmed from its own site.
No price is published; the site only offers a demo request.
We could not confirm Zip’s current prices from its own site, so this guide lists no plans. zip.com has them.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Purchase requests, approvals and invoice payment in one workflow. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, workflow automation, bill pay, company cards.
Purchase request intake, procure-to-pay, AI agents for invoices, payments and vendor cards.
- Purchase request intake
- Requests are collected as structured data and routed through approval flows, and that data then fills in purchase orders and invoices.
- Procure-to-pay automation
- Handles purchase orders, invoice processing and payments in one workflow, with invoice coding based on the request and PO already captured.
- AI agents for invoices
- Agents answer emails in the AP inbox, extract invoices, code them, flag duplicates and contract mismatches, and route exceptions to the right person.
- Payments and vendor cards
- The product page cites 79+ international payment rails and virtual cards. Vendor Cards is a separate add-on, issued by Celtic Bank and powered by Stripe.
- Integrations and API
- A marketplace lists 100+ integrations for ERP, contract and risk tools. Zip also offers REST APIs, flat-file imports and an MCP server.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- SAP S/4HANA
- SAP Ariba
- Oracle
- Workday
- Slack
- Microsoft Teams
- Outlook
Zip is made by Zip, and has been around since 2020.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
7/51
Other spend and bill pay tools it is graded above
Zip's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 7 of the 51 other spend and bill pay tools we grade, and level with 18.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 9 of 51) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 52 spend and bill pay tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Zip’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 3 of 51
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 51
- CFeaturesAbove 3 of 51
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 51
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 9 of 51
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Zip you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 26 of the 51 other spend and bill pay tools grade higher.
What you could not
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- Money moved between bank accounts, which takes a licensed payments partner.
- Cards issued through a bank.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Zip’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Procurify, Airbase, Stampli and AvidXchange
The 4 tools Zip is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 1.8GPA
Procurify
Paid
Purchasing, payables and spend cards with approval workflows.
- Only Procurify lists iOS and Android apps.
- Procurify also covers expense tracking.
- 1.8GPA
Airbase
Paid
Spend management now sold as Paylocity for Finance.
- Airbase also covers expense tracking.
- 1.8GPA
Stampli
Paid
Procure-to-pay platform for invoices, payments and cards.
- Stampli also covers expense tracking.
- 1.8GPA
AvidXchange
Paid
Accounts payable automation and supplier payments.
- Zip also covers company cards.
- AvidXchange also covers reports.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
11
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Zip free?
No. Zip is a paid product.
What platforms does Zip work on?
Zip is available on Web.
Does Zip have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Zip is listed for Web.
Does Zip have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Zip is listed for Web.
Is Zip open source?
Zip is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Does Zip have an API?
Yes. Zip offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Zip integrate with?
Zip's listing names SAP S/4HANA, SAP Ariba, Oracle, Workday, Slack, Microsoft Teams and Outlook.
Who makes Zip?
Zip is made by a company of the same name. It dates from 2020.
What are the alternatives to Zip?
The closest alternatives to Zip in our directory are Procurify, Airbase, Stampli and AvidXchange.
How does Zip compare with other spend and bill pay tools?
Zip's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 7 of the 51 other spend and bill pay tools we grade, and level with 18.
Could I make my own version of Zip?
To replace Zip you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Zip’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Zip's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Zip. Prices change, so check zip.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Zip, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/zip
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Zip: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/zip
Know someone choosing between spend and bill pay tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/zip/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded spend and bill pay tools after Zip, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Spend & Bill Pay Insider's GuideEvery one of the 52 spend and bill pay tools we grade, compared
- Brex Insider's GuideCorporate cards, expenses, bill pay and travel for growing companies3.6 GPA
- Ramp Insider's GuideCorporate cards, expenses, travel and bill pay, with a free plan3.6 GPA
- Airwallex Insider's GuideMulti-currency business accounts, cards, bill pay and expenses3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Zip’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Zip is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Zip. Prices and plans change: check zip.com before you buy.