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ACCOUNTING STACK |
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TUE · SEP 29 · EDITION |
Ramp expands beyond spend management, and QuickBooks keeps moving
Two product stories this week pull in opposite directions: Ramp is growing its footprint by adding accounts receivable to a platform that started with expense cards, while Intuit is consolidating its QuickBooks user base through price increases and a platform shift toward its Enterprise Suite. The Frazier & Deeter acquisition of Machen McChesney and FocusPay Solutions points to a third pattern - firms absorbing payment and advisory capabilities rather than building them. The QuickBooks pricing piece from SWK Tech is worth reading before any client renewal conversation, regardless of when the increases landed.
LEAD ITEM
Frazier & Deeter Snaps Up Machen McChesney, FocusPay Solutions in Alabama
Sep 28, 2026 · cpapracticeadvisor.com
Frazier & Deeter's acquisition of Machen McChesney brings in a full accounting and business advisory practice, and FocusPay Solutions adds a payments arm - both based in Auburn, AL. For a Top 50 firm, picking up a payments-adjacent company alongside a traditional CPA practice signals that service line breadth, not just headcount, is driving M&A logic right now.
FEATURE AND AI RELEASES
Feature and AI releases
Ramp Rolls Out Accounts Receivable Product
Sep 24, 2026 · cpapracticeadvisor.com
Ramp has launched an accounts receivable product that lets finance teams create invoices without manual entry, draft AI-assisted collection follow-ups tied to their collections policy, and reconcile incoming payments. The move takes Ramp well outside its spend-management origins and puts it on the same field as dedicated AR tools - worth watching for any team that already runs Ramp for payables and wants to consolidate vendors.
QuickBooks Online New Features and Improvements-September 2026
Sep 10, 2026 · one8solutions.com
The September 2026 QuickBooks Online Advanced release, covered by One8 Solutions, adds management report templates that pull live KPIs and dashboards into board packages and lender reports, plus two-way spreadsheet sync that lets live reports push into Excel or Google Sheets and allows edits to flow back into QBO. Both features are aimed squarely at firms trying to shift billable time toward advisory work rather than report assembly.
2026 QuickBooks Price Increases - What They Mean for Your Renewal
Sep 14, 2026 · swktech.com
SWK Tech's coverage of the 2026 QuickBooks price increases details two waves: Desktop Pro Plus and Mac Plus moved from $999 to $1,149 per year effective February 1, and QBO Essentials, Plus, and Advanced saw increases at renewals on or after August 1. The piece ties the pattern to Intuit's push toward its Intuit Enterprise Suite as the flagship product - useful context for any firm advising clients approaching a renewal conversation.
THIS WEEK ON ACCOUNTINGSTACK.AI
How to automate bank reconciliation with BlackLine
BlackLine automates bank reconciliation through templates, matching rules, and risk-based certification - but only if ERP and bank feeds arrive clean and on
Covers the matching-rule and risk-based certification setup that BlackLine requires before automation actually holds - worth reading before scoping an implementation.
ApprovalMax review 2026: a control layer for Xero, QBO and NetSuite
ApprovalMax scores 72/100 on Audit Friendly and fits Xero and QBO SMBs well, but a pricing model change and two beta features warrant a check before committing.
Per Audit Friendly's ApprovalMax review, the product scores 72/100 and fits Xero and QBO SMBs well, but a pricing model change and two beta features are worth checking before you commit.