ApproveThis manages your Invoice Crowd approvals.

When Invoicing Meets Approval Automation

Invoice Crowd simplifies invoicing. ApproveThis streamlines approvals. Together, they remove bottlenecks in financial workflows that slow down getting paid, managing budgets, and keeping projects moving. This integration isn’t about replacing your existing tools—it’s about connecting them in a way that makes every team faster, more compliant, and less likely to drown in email threads.

Why This Integration Changes the Game for SMBs

Small and mid-sized businesses often struggle with ad-hoc approval processes. A client invoice gets stuck because the project manager is OOO. An estimate goes unchecked, leading to scope creep. A new customer’s contract lingers in someone’s inbox. Connecting Invoice Crowd with ApproveThis via Zapier adds guardrails without bureaucracy.

ApproveThis handles the decision-making layer: who needs to approve what, when, and under which conditions. Invoice Crowd remains your source of truth for financial data. The magic happens in the handoff between systems—automatically triggering reviews when invoices are created or pushing approved requests into actionable invoices.

Real-World Use Cases (Not Just Theory)

1. Eliminate Invoice Approval Delays

The Problem: Marketing agencies often bill clients for variable costs like ad spend or subcontractors. Without automated approvals, finance teams waste time chasing down department heads for verification.

The Fix: When a new invoice is created in Invoice Crowd, ApproveThis automatically routes it to the correct approver based on project budget thresholds. If an invoice exceeds $5K, it escalates to the CFO. Otherwise, the project lead approves directly from their email. Approved invoices sync back to Invoice Crowd with an audit trail.

Teams That Benefit: Finance (faster payments), Operations (clear budgets), Account Managers (client transparency).

2. Estimates That Don’t Get Lost in the Shuffle

The Problem: Construction companies send dozens of estimates weekly. Without a formal review process, errors in labor or material costs can slip through, eroding margins.

The Fix: New estimates in Invoice Crowd trigger approval requests in ApproveThis. The system routes them to estimators and project managers for dual sign-off. Approved estimates auto-convert into invoices; rejected ones loop back to sales with comments.

ApproveThis Advantage: Use calculated fields to flag estimates exceeding historical project costs by 15%, prompting extra scrutiny.

3. Client Onboarding Without the Paper Chase

The Problem: Consulting firms need client approval on SOWs before creating invoices. Manually sending PDFs back-and-forth delays billing cycles.

The Fix: Initiate an approval request in ApproveThis with the SOW attached. Once approved, Zapier auto-creates the client in Invoice Crowd and generates the first invoice. Bonus: Approvers (even external clients) don’t need Invoice Crowd licenses—they just click “Approve” in their email.

4. Scaling Approval Chains as You Grow

The Problem: A startup’s 2-person approval process becomes a 5-department gauntlet as they scale. Manual routing leads to missed requests and frustrated vendors.

The Fix: Configure sequential approval groups in ApproveThis. A procurement request might route from procurement manager → controller → CFO, with each step auto-escalating after 24 hours. Approved requests trigger Invoice Crowd PO creation; denials notify the requester with reasons.

Setup Basics: Less Than 15 Minutes

Step 1: Create a Zapier account (if you don’t have one).

Step 2: Connect Invoice Crowd and ApproveThis as Zapier apps.

Step 3: Choose a trigger event (e.g., “New Invoice in Invoice Crowd”).

Step 4: Set the action (“Create Approval Request in ApproveThis”).

Step 5: Map invoice fields (amount, client, due date) to ApproveThis. Use calculated fields to set approval rules (e.g., “Route to CFO if >$10K”).

Pro Tip: Start with one workflow (e.g., invoice approvals). Expand to estimates and customer onboarding once comfortable.

Why Teams Actually Stick With This Integration

Finance Teams: Control Without Micromanaging

Enforce approval thresholds automatically instead of nagging employees. Real-time dashboards show pending requests, so cash flow forecasts stay accurate.

Sales Teams: Less Admin, More Closing

Proposals convert to approved estimates faster. Automatic reminders prevent deals from stalling because someone forgot to approve a discount.

Operations: Stop Being the Middleman

Field teams submit purchase requests via forms connected to ApproveThis. Approved requests sync to Invoice Crowd for payment—no more spreadsheets or forwarded emails.

Critical Features You’ll Actually Use

Email Approvals: Approvers don’t need another login. Click “Approve” or “Reject” in their inbox—even from mobile.

Vacation Delegation: If your controller is out, approvals auto-reassign to their deputy. No more resubmitting requests.

Audit Trails: Every decision is logged with timestamps and comments. Simplifies compliance during audits.

The Bottom Line

ApproveThis + Invoice Crowd isn’t about fancy tech—it’s about getting paid faster, reducing errors, and scaling processes that don’t require babysitting. Whether you’re a 10-person agency or a 200-employee manufacturer, this integration closes the gap between making a decision and acting on it.

Ready to stop chasing approvals? Start a free trial of ApproveThis or explore Invoice Crowd’s plans. For a personalized walkthrough, book a demo to see how approval automation fits your specific workflows.