PODCAST · business
APNow
by Mary Schaeffer
Worried about keeping up with changing best practices, fraud, technology, regulatory concerns, and new processes impacting your accounts payable function? The AP Now podcast, hosted by Mary Schaeffer, one of the leading accounts payable experts, is for you. Mary will be joined by other thought leaders and practitioners for some episodes. In others, she’ll examine a prevailing issue or trend by herself. This weekly broadcast is especially designed to provide the needed business intelligence related to the payment and accounts payable functions. It’s for those who work in, manage, have responsibility for, or provide services to the accounts payable function. Find the AP Now podcast wherever you listen to podcasts or head over to www.ap-now.com, and sign up for our ezine to be alerted to new issues.
Episodes
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The Hidden AP Manager Skills That Separate Top Performers from Everyone Else
Want to advance your accounts payable career? Learn the specific skills that separate average performers from top AP managers. #accountspayablemanager #accountspayable #accounting The role of an accounts payable manager often requires more than just technical knowledge of invoice processing…
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The Small Habits That Make or Break Your Professional Presence
What are the small, everyday behaviors that make people see us as rude, difficult, or unprofessional — often without us even realizing it? #JobInterviewTips #CommunicationSkills #ProfessionalBehavior In this conversation, we talk with Deborah Thomas Nininger, author of I See Rude People, about…
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The Real Reason Your PO and Invoice Don’t Match (And How to Fix It) (Tough AP Interview Question)
f you work in Accounts Payable, you already know this headache: the invoice doesn’t match the PO — and suddenly everyone is looking at AP to fix it. Whether you’re preparing for an AP interview or dealing with this mess in real life, this video breaks down exactly what strong AP pros do when the…
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The 10 Most Overlooked Accounts Payable Best Practices from My Book
If you work in Accounts Payable, these 10 overlooked AP best practices can completely transform your workflow, reduce errors, and make your entire AP process faster, cleaner, and more accurate. These are the strategies AP teams think they’re doing right — but usually aren’t. In this video, I walk...
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Travel Dos, Don’ts & Weird Taboos You Never Knew
Business travel seems straightforward… until you realize there are unspoken rules, cultural taboos, and everyday habits that quietly create problems for travelers. In today’s episode, Mary sits down with Deborah Thomas-Nininger, author of Travel Etiquette: Dos, Taboos, and Who Does That?, to...
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Cutoffs, Accruals, and Reversals in Accounts Payable: A Complete Month End Guide
Cutoffs, accruals, and reversals are three of the most critical concepts in Accounts Payable — and they directly impact the accuracy of your month‑end close and financial statements. In this complete AP month‑end guide, you’ll learn how cutoff timing works, why GR/IR issues happen, how…
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Accounts Payable Interview Prep 10 Questions You MUST Be Ready to Answer
Prepare for your accounts payable interview by mastering the essential AP questions hiring managers ask most often, including processes, internal controls, pricing, quantity verification, payment terms, and sales tax calculations . This video shows you how to explain the full invoice lifecycle…
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Accounts Payable Basics (Update) A Guide to Almost Everything
If you work in Accounts Payable, Accounting, Finance, or you’re preparing for an AP role, this 2027 guide walks you through everything you need to know. From invoice workflows to 3 way match, internal controls, fraud prevention, month end close, and AP automation—this video covers the full AP...
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5 AP Practices You Think You’re Doing Right… But Aren’t
Every time someone says, “How complicated could Accounts Payable really be?” you can bet the organization is already losing money — through preventable errors, weak controls, and overlooked compliance risks. In this video, we break down 5 foundational AP practices that accounting and finance…
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Stop Supplier Invoice Errors Before They Hit AP
Supplier invoice errors are one of the biggest hidden drains on AP productivity — and they hit your workflow long before anyone notices. In this video, we break down the most common supplier invoice mistakes that create rework, slow approvals, and increase the risk of overpayments: duplicate...
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Why AP Automation Projects Fail — And the Simple Fixes That Prevent Disaster
Most AP automation projects don’t fail because of the solution purchased — they fail because of a few predictable, easy to fix issues inside the AP process. Whether you’re looking for a new AP automation solution or trying to rescue one you already have, the same failure points show up again and...
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Master These 10 Accounts Payable Concepts Before Your Next Interview
Most people can do Accounts Payable… but very few can explain the core concepts clearly. And that’s exactly what separates average AP staff from true professionals. In this video, I’m breaking down 10 essential Accounts Payable concepts that instantly reveal whether someone actually knows what...
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Managing Accounts Payable: What They Never Tell You About the Job
Everyone thinks AP is just “paying bills” — until they have to manage it. Then they discover how complicated and far reaching the function really is. Let’s take a quick look at the seven core components that make AP management far more challenging than it first appears. How important is it that…
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IRS Tax Forms in Accounts Payable: What You're Missing
you work in, manage or have responsibility for accounts payable in the US or for a US organization, you need to understand a handful of IRS tax forms. You don’t have to be experts – unless of course, they are your primary responsibility – but you do have to know what they are and when each should...
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The 8 Invoice Red Flags AP Teams Miss Every Day
f you can read an invoice quickly and accurately, you instantly become one of the most valuable people in AP. They never miss the red flags that signal an inaccurate or worse fraudulent invoice. Here are the 8 checks the successful pros never skip. Link to 5 Quick Tips for Faster Invoice…
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Is Accounts Payable a Good Career? The Truth No One Tells You
Stop viewing accounts payable as simple data entry. Learn why accounts payable is a vital function for cash flow and your finance career. Many professionals misunderstand the strategic value of accounts payable. This overview clarifies why this department sits at the center of company operations,...
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Accounts Payable Career Path Explained: Clerk → Supervisor → Asst Manager → Manager → Director → VP
Have you ever wondered if Accounts Payable is actually a good career path? Can you grow beyond data entry? And how do people move from entry level position in AP to Manager — or even into senior finance leadership? Or other roles. In this video, we’re breaking down the Accounts Payable Career…
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Check Fraud: Are Your AP Controls Actually Working?
Criminals are stealing checks from mailboxes, altering payee information, and using sophisticated techniques to drain business and personal accounts. The good news is that a few simple precautions can dramatically reduce your risk. In the next few minutes, we'll cover the most common check fraud...
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ACH vs Wire Fraud: What You Need to Know to Stay Safe
very day, businesses of all sizes are targeted by increasingly sophisticated electronic payment fraud schemes. From fake invoices and business email compromise to account takeovers and payment diversion scams, cybercriminals are constantly finding new ways to exploit weaknesses in payment...
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NACHA 2026 Phase 2: Don't Get Caught Off Guard by These Changes
Nacha Phase 2 hits every company that originates ACH payments — even small Accounts Payable teams that previously had zero monitoring requirements in their accounting and accounts payable process. The impact is operational, technical, and compliance driven. We should all be talking about this –…
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Why Your Company Bleeds Money in Silence — The AP Basics No One Talks About
Link to Journal Entries A Guide to Almost Everything https://youtu.be/ONc03wC1zFA Thumbnail: Silent AP Failures or Hidden AP Failures The Costs You Miss Stop the Bleeding Your company is losing money right now — and no one can see it happening. Not leadership. Not procurement. Not even finance.…
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Purchase Orders vs Purchase Requisitions: What Is The Difference
urchase recs and purchase orders: These two very basic instruments with similar sounding names have related but very different uses with the organization. Let’s start by looking at them at the macro level. #purchaseorder #purchaserequisition #purchasereq Link to Purchase Orders: Why You Didn't…
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Journal Entries A Guide to Almost Everything A Complete Guide to Journal Entries in AP
Everything in accounting (including accounts payable) — the general ledger, trial balance, financial statements, audits, ratios, KPIs — is only as accurate as the journal entries feeding the system. If the journal entry is wrong, everything downstream is wrong. That’s why we put together this…
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Automation in Accounts Payable: 10 Questions to Test Your Knowledge
Test your AP automation knowledge with this professional Accounts Payable skills quiz. Whether you’re an AP specialist, AP manager, or someone working with invoice workflows, OCR, 3‑way match, ERP systems, and automation tools, this episode challenges your understanding of modern AP processes. We...
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Not-So-Obvious Best Practices
Let's take a look at critical, and often overlooked, accounts payable best practices that every accounting and finance professional should be aware of and incorporate into their operations. #accounting #accountspayable Link to AI Shortcuts That Save Hours of Soul-Crushing Work...
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Accounts Payable Interview Questions and Answers | Process-Based Scripts to Get Hired
Are you ready to ace your next job interview? This video provides valuable career advice and guidance on common accounts payable interview questions and answers that will help you get hired. Learn how to navigate the interview process effectively with essential interview tips and prepare for a...
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The Biggest Three-Way Match Mistakes in Accounts Payable
Your Three-Way Match isn't working; here's why. Most three-way match problems don't come from complicated issues, but from common, preventable errors. This video breaks down some of the most frequent three way match mistakes, explaining why they happen and, crucially, how to stop them before they...
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Three Way Match Explained (Fast + Clear)
Three way match every Accounts Payable (AP) and accounting team should master. Link to The Parts of an Invoice https://youtu.be/pVq_0BACFZI Subscribe for more tips and insights like this: https://www.youtube.com/APNow?sub_confirmation=1 Looking for more of the most current business intelligence...
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The AP Process Flaws That Catch Everyone Off Guard
Most AP teams don’t fail because they’re careless — they fail because they trust the wrong things. An official looking invoice. A familiar process from a previous job. An email that “seems” like it came from a supplier. An automation tool that feels foolproof. These tiny assumptions slip into the...
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Trial Balance: A Guide to Almost Everything
Link to Quick Reconciliation Tricks that Work https://youtu.be/gCXFs3EcEZc Trial balance serves as the underpinning of any organization’s financial statements. It is a critical tool used to ensure accurate financial statements. So, let’s take a look at what it is and how it is used in both...
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Can You Pass This ACH Basics Quiz: 10 Questions to Test Your Knowledge
hink you understand ACH? Let’s find out. I’ve got 10 quick questions that trip up even experienced accounting pros. Keep track of your score — you might be surprised by what you don’t know. #ACH #achpayment #payment #paymentinnovation Link to ACH or Wire: Which is Better...
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When Lying Is Preferable: Job Interviews
This podcast challenges the conventional advice of always being 100% honest in job interviews. The speaker explains that certain questions are designed as traps, and revealing too much truth in these instances can jeopardize a job offer. Learn how to navigate these situations with our expert...
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Practical Accounts Payable: A Guide that Prevents Basic Mistakes
This video discusses the complexities of accounts payable, highlighting challenges such as "the invoice nightmare," "the duplicate headache," and dealing with resistance. It also touches upon vendor data, technology and AI, and related accounting issues, emphasizing that these functions require...
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Improve Your Accounts Payable Process: Moonwalking with Einstein
Once I realized that the techniques used for training for the World Memory Championships could also help improve your business processes, I knew I had to share them with our community. I’ve got 5 process improvement tips from a place you probably never thought to look – Moonwalking with Einstein…
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Improve Your Accounts Payable Process: Moonwalking with Einstein
Once I realized that the techniques used for training for the World Memory Championships could also help improve your business processes, I knew I had to share them with our community. I’ve got 5 process improvement tips from a place you probably never thought to look – Moonwalking with Einstein…
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5 AP Blunders Many Best Practice Organizations Still Make
Let’s take a look at 5 basic Accounts Payable concepts or principles used at best practice organizations AND more importantly the Big Mistake that even best practice organizations STILL make related to these very basic processes. And sadly, these mistakes cost the organization hundreds of…
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Smart Invoice Management: What to Verify before Paying
Anyone who thinks that all you have to do with an invoice is pay it, is in for a rude awakening. We’ve got a list of 9 things that need to be verified before the payment is made. Plus, I want to go over the one piece of information that folks often think they can take directly from the invoice –...
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Seven Deadly Interview Mistakes – And How to Avoid them
Have you ever thought you aced a job interview – and then NOTHING, no request for a follow up interview and worse, no job offer? So, what went wrong? The answer is quite simple. There is a decent chance you made one of the deadly mistakes of job interviewing and didn’t realize it. We’re going to...
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6 Surprisingly Simple AI Shortcuts: Eliminate Tedious Tasks and Help Solve Real Life Problems
I’m about to show you six ridiculously simple AI tricks that saved me hours of boring, soul-sucking work — including one that’s so embarrassing I almost didn’t record this video. And of course, it’s the one that will probably save you the most time and aggravation. #aishorcuts #aiatwork...
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Master Accounting Basics for Accounts Payable in LESS than 12 Minutes
Modern business demand that the professionals working for them have good understanding not only of their immediate responsibility but of the basics of all related functions as well. Working, managing or having responsibility for the accounts payable function, the accounts receivable function,...
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ACH Payment Returned Here’s Exactly What to Do (With Examples)
ACH payments are fast and convenient — until they fail. In this video, we break down **the most common ACH return codes** (like R01, R02, R10, and R29), explain **what each code means**, and show you **exactly how to fix the issue** quickly and efficiently. Whether you're in **accounts payable,...
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Career Mistakes Smart People Still Make in Accounting
You may be sabotaging your own career - without realizing! Let’s examine five common mistakes professionals sometimes make that stall their careers. Sadly, it can take years to recover from these silent killers. And stick around for Career Killer #5—it’s something that’ll either skyrocket your...
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Navigating ACH Like a Pro Avoid the Common Pitfalls
One of the many benefits of making ACH payments is that when they fail, you know almost immediately. And while they fail far less frequently than checks get lost, bounce or are stolen, it does happen. And when that occurs, the ACH payment is returned, hence the term, ACH returns. A good...
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Costly Accounts Payable Mistakes that Many Don’t Realize They Are Making
Think your AP process is airtight? You might be leaking money and not even know it. Accounts Payable mistakes are quietly draining organizations—sometimes by millions—without setting off a single alarm. And here's the kicker: most teams have no idea it’s happening. These seemingly 'small'...
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Mastering the Core Principles of Accounts Payable: Unlock the Secrets Behind Every Invoice
Are you ready to elevate your accounting game and streamline your financial operations? In this video, we dive deep into the core principles of Accounts Payable (AP)—the backbone of every successful accounting and finance department. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out,...
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Why AccountingAccounts Payable Needs a Clear Policy and Procedures Manual—And How to Build One
Unclear accounting and accounts payable policies and procedures can lead to costly errors, compliance risks, and team confusion. This session dives into the essential role of a well-crafted policy and procedures manual in accounting and accounts payable departments. Learn how to streamline...
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How To Save Yourself When You Don't Know The Answer in a Job Interview
What do you say in a job interview when you’re hit with a question you completely blank on? Freeze, fake it, or finesse it? Today, I’ll show you how to handle this situation like a pro — without tanking your chances. What can you do? We’ve got a few suggestions that will help you maneuver out of...
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Expert Reveal: 5 Simple Mistakes Costing You PROFITS
Here’s the simple, yet shocking truth that no one talks about: Over one-third of all invoices are not accurate … and you know which way those errors are going … not in your favor. Compounding the problem are invoices that get paid twice – and no, the supplier doesn’t automatically return the…
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The Hidden Truth In Notes to Financial Statements Exposed!
I’m sure most high-level executives would not agree (at least in public) with what I am about to say about Financial Statements, but that isn’t going to stop me. Here it is. When a public company has unpleasant information that it is obliged to divulge to its shareholders and would prefer not to…
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Purchase Orders Explained: What Accounting Professionals Need to Know
Purchase orders are those very common documents that impacts many different departments within an accounting organization – from the purchasing professionals who create them, to the sales department who receives them and sees to the fulfillment of the order, to the billing department who creates...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Worried about keeping up with changing best practices, fraud, technology, regulatory concerns, and new processes impacting your accounts payable function? The AP Now podcast, hosted by Mary Schaeffer, one of the leading accounts payable experts, is for you. Mary will be joined by other thought leaders and practitioners for some episodes. In others, she’ll examine a prevailing issue or trend by herself. This weekly broadcast is especially designed to provide the needed business intelligence related to the payment and accounts payable functions. It’s for those who work in, manage, have responsibility for, or provide services to the accounts payable function. Find the AP Now podcast wherever you listen to podcasts or head over to www.ap-now.com, and sign up for our ezine to be alerted to new issues.
HOSTED BY
Mary Schaeffer
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does APNow have?
APNow currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is APNow about?
Worried about keeping up with changing best practices, fraud, technology, regulatory concerns, and new processes impacting your accounts payable function? The AP Now podcast, hosted by Mary Schaeffer, one of the leading accounts payable experts, is for you. Mary will be joined by other thought...
How often does APNow release new episodes?
APNow has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to APNow?
You can listen to APNow on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts APNow?
APNow is created and hosted by Mary Schaeffer.
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