PORTSMOUTH, N.H., Feb. 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bottomline, a global leader in business payments, today announced it has been named a Market Leader in the 2026 AP Automation and Payments Technology Advisor report from Ardent Partners. The report also names Bottomline as an Emerging Performer in AI Innovation. These recognitions highlight the strength of Paymode, Bottomline’s B2B payments network and AP automation solution.
Ardent’s evaluation praised Paymode for making it easier for AP teams to receive, route and pay invoices in one connected process. The Paymode network connects more than 600,000 businesses, giving AP teams a reliable way to manage their vendor payments and lower the risks that can come with handling payments digitally and at scale.
The report also highlights how artificial intelligence (AI) is used in Paymode to improve tasks like data capture and handling exceptions. Ardent recognized the practical AI already in place that helps improve accuracy, supports human judgment and builds confidence in day-to-day AP work. The assessment noted Bottomline’s continued work to strengthen its AI capabilities, helping deliver clearer visibility and tighter automation controls for customers.
Andrew Bartolini, Founder and Chief Research Officer at Ardent Partners, said, “Bottomline continues to show strong performance across AP automation and payments. Its position as a Market Leader reflects mature capabilities, enterprise scale and consistent execution. The company’s focus on payments, supported by its established network and secure architecture, gives AP teams a dependable foundation for managing invoices and vendor payments with confidence.”
For customers, these recognitions reinforce the value of having AP automation and payments connected in one place. With Paymode bringing buyers and vendors together through a secure network, AP teams gain clearer visibility, fewer manual steps and stronger protection against payment fraud. Ardent also pointed to Bottomline’s use of AI for risk scoring, coding accuracy and exception handling, all delivered through a trusted, human-guided approach.
Eve Aretakis, Chief Revenue Growth & Operations Officer - Paymode, said, “We are proud to be recognized again by Ardent Partners. Our team puts a lot of effort into helping customers run AP with less friction and strengthening a B2B payments network they can trust every day. These acknowledgments mean a lot because they reflect the progress our customers are making with us and the responsibility we feel to keep supporting them as their AP needs grow and change.”
Paymode is also offered through Bottomline’s Digital Banking platform, giving financial institutions a way to extend integrated AP automation and business payment capabilities to their commercial customers.
About Bottomline
Bottomline helps businesses transform the way they pay and get paid. A global leader in business payments and cash management, Bottomline’s secure, comprehensive solutions modernize payments for businesses and financial institutions globally. With over 35 years of experience, moving more than $16 trillion in payments annually, Bottomline is committed to driving impactful results for customers by reimagining business payments and delivering solutions that add to the bottom line. Bottomline is a portfolio company of Thoma Bravo, one of the largest software private equity firms in the world, with more than $181 billion in assets under management. For more information visit www.bottomline.com.
Bottomline, Paymode, and the Bottomline logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Bottomline Technologies, Inc. All other trademarks, brand names or logos are the property of their respective owners.
Contact: Heather Pavliga
Bottomline
pr@bottomline.com
