Every business owner and accounting manager asks the same question: How can I bill and collect more money with less hassle?

Surveys show that half of all small businesses have trouble collecting money regularly. So I called Eric Remer, CEO of PaySimple, a company that specializes in automating regular billing processes and collections, to find out about the company’s just released services and software upgrade.

“We found about 50% of U.S. households pay one or more monthly bills automatically, like cable service,” said Remer. “Why can't small businesses be as efficient with something like car payments as the cable company is with automatic billing?”

While PaySimple handles every kind of invoice, it focused on recurring payments for companies like health clubs, schools of all kinds, security services and even Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) providers. Just about any company or government agency with recurring billings can save time with PaySimple's services.

The upgrade focuses on four areas: payment processing, batch operations, transaction reports and system management. Clients use Web forms to manage the SaaS-based PaySimple, and can create one-of invoices or schedule a regular invoice for a nine month school year or a sixty month car payment. Payments through the system can be made by the customer clicking on a button in their invoice and paying with a credit card, or electronic bill presentment through the Automatic Clearing House (ACH) system like big companies.

Invoices can restrict payment to one option or let the customer pay a different way each month, if they wish. Restrictions go as deep as limiting which particular credit card account may be used to pay a bill, which helps stop the unfortunate sneaky practice of company insiders redirecting or appropriating customer payments.

Some companies use PaySimple as a CRM application, tracking ordering and payment history online through the customer overview tools. A limited amount of e-mail marketing comes with the package, including an option to send a note a few days before the automatic withdrawal so the customer’s bank account isn't caught short. E-mail templates, including adding images and logos, help your customers appreciate the professional process, as do optional thank you e-mails.