Coursera

Accounts Payable & Receivable Operations Specialization

Coursera

Accounts Payable & Receivable Operations Specialization

Streamline AR/AP Operations for Financial Success. Learn AR/AP workflows to optimize cash flow, prevent errors, and strengthen financial controls.

Hurix Digital
John Whitworth

Instructors: Hurix Digital

Access provided by Interbank

Get in-depth knowledge of a subject

from 8 reviews of courses in this program

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

4 weeks to complete
at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
Get in-depth knowledge of a subject

from 8 reviews of courses in this program

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

4 weeks to complete
at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Execute complete AR/AP workflows from invoice capture through payment reconciliation using QuickBooks

  • Implement financial controls including three-way matching, dual authorization, and fraud detection

  • Analyze cash flow through aging reports, DSO metrics, and systematic reconciliation procedures

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Taught in English
Recently updated!

January 2026

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Specialization - 7 course series

What you'll learn

  • Document recognition ensures accurate payments and prevents misallocation of customer funds.

  • Systematic payment application maintains accurate balances and financial integrity.

  • Aging reports reveal cash flow trends and support proactive collection management.

  • Verifying receipts with bank deposits prevents errors and safeguards against fraud.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Accounts Receivable
Category: QuickBooks (Accounting Software)
Category: Cash Flow Forecasting
Category: Billing & Invoicing
Category: Document Management
Category: Accounting Records
Category: Invoicing
Category: Cash Management
Category: Record Keeping

What you'll learn

  • Applying billing policies ensures compliance, accuracy, and steady cash flow while reducing disputes and delays.

  • Aged-receivables and DSO metrics provide insight for proactive, targeted collections.

  • Data-driven collection prioritization boosts recovery rates and improves resource use.

  • Accurate billing plus strong collection analytics supports long-term cash-flow health.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Payment Processing and Collection
Category: Prioritization
Category: Financial Data
Category: Business Metrics
Category: Billing
Category: Invoicing
Category: Cash Management
Category: Data Validation
Category: Accounts Receivable
Category: Compliance Management
Category: Cash Flows
Category: Accounting

What you'll learn

  • Standardized accounts payable workflows are fundamental to maintaining accurate financial records and strong vendor relationships.

  • Systematic invoice processing with proper capture, coding, and routing prevents costly errors and ensures timely payments.

  • Visual process documentation serves as both a communication tool and quality control mechanism for AP teams.

  • Digital tools enhance traditional AP processes but require structured procedures to maximize effectiveness.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Invoicing
Category: Project Documentation
Category: Payment Processing and Collection
Category: Vendor Relationship Management
Category: Standard Accounting Practices
Category: Workflow Management
Category: Accounts Payable
Category: Digital Transformation
Category: Procedure Development
Category: Accounting and Finance Software
Category: Business Process Automation
Category: Document Control
Category: Accounting
Category: Billing & Invoicing
Category: Process Mapping

What you'll learn

  • Dual authorization deters fraud by requiring multiple approvals for high-value transactions, making it difficult for 1 person to misuse funds.

  • Systematic verification with standardized checklists ensures consistent controls & creates reliable audit trails for compliance and accountability.

  • Separating financial approval tasks is fundamental risk management that protects Organizations and employees from potential fraud allegations.

  • Proper documentation and verification create sustainable control environments that scale with growth and evolving regulatory requirements.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Verification And Validation
Category: Document Control
Category: Fraud detection
Category: Standard Accounting Practices
Category: Internal Controls
Category: Regulatory Documents
Category: Transaction Processing
Category: Auditing
Category: Compliance Auditing
Category: Accounting
Category: Financial Controls
Category: Payment Processing and Collection

What you'll learn

  • Bank reconciliation is a vital control that detects errors, prevents fraud, and ensures accurate cash data for decisions.

  • Timing differences between company books and bank statements are expected and require consistent identification and documentation.

  • Effective reconciliation combines manual verification skills with automated software tools to achieve both accuracy and efficiency.

  • Regular monthly reconciliation practices prevent small discrepancies from becoming major financial problems that impact business operations.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Reconciliation
Category: Accounting Records
Category: Auditing
Category: General Ledger
Category: Ledgers (Accounting)

What you'll learn

  • Three-way matching prevents incorrect, duplicate, and fraudulent payments by checking invoices against purchase orders and receiving records.

  • Reconciliation uses a systematic method; matching finds issues, but identifying timing, errors, fees, or fraud guides correct resolution.

  • Accurate records rely on strong control processes and attention to detail; small discrepancies may signal bigger problems if not caught early.

  • Tools like QuickBooks make reconciliation faster, but technology supports rather than replaces the judgment needed to resolve complex variances.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Variance Analysis
Category: Reconciliation
Category: Verification And Validation
Category: Spreadsheet Software
Category: Accounting Records
Category: QuickBooks (Accounting Software)
Category: Financial Auditing
Category: Payment Processing
Category: Financial Controls
Category: Fraud detection
Category: Analysis
Category: Investigation
Category: Accounts Payable
Category: Financial Statements

What you'll learn

  • Structured communication protocols prevent costly misunderstandings and strengthen vendor relationships in accounts payable operations.

  • Visual workflow diagrams serve as tools for consistent escalation management and ensure no critical steps are missed during issue resolution.

  • Standardized documentation & communication templates create accountability, maintain audit trails & enable efficient knowledge transfer across teams.

  • Proactive vendor communication management reduces payment disputes, improves cash flow accuracy, and supports overall financial health.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Business Communication
Category: Vendor Relationship Management
Category: Stakeholder Communications
Category: Vendor Management
Category: Payment Processing
Category: Billing & Invoicing
Category: Procedure Development
Category: Workflow Management
Category: Process Flow Diagrams
Category: Accounts Payable and Receivable
Category: Accounts Payable
Category: Standard Operating Procedure
Category: Communication
Category: Document Management

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Instructors

Hurix Digital
Coursera
281 Courses 18,536 learners
John Whitworth
Coursera
24 Courses 824 learners

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Coursera

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