# Melio

Melio is B2B bill payment and AP automation for SMBs, rated 4.5/5 on G2 (~250 reviews) and 4.5/5 on Capterra (~400 reviews). Profile: funding $706M, pricing, leadership.

**Category:** B2B bill payments / accounts payable automation for SMBs  
**Vendor:** Melio Payments Inc.  
**Founded:** 2018  
**HQ:** New York City, New York, US  
**Website:** https://meliopayments.com  


## About

Melio is a B2B payments platform that lets small and medium-sized businesses pay their vendors and bills by bank transfer (ACH), debit card, or credit card, regardless of how the vendor accepts payment. The core insight is that a business can pay with a credit card even if the vendor only accepts checks, with Melio cutting a physical check and mailing it on the buyer's behalf while the buyer earns card rewards. Founded in 2018 in New York City by Matan Bar, Ilan Atias, and Ziv Paz, Melio raised $706 million across several rounds and reached a $4 billion valuation at its Series D in late 2021. The product integrates tightly with QuickBooks Online and Xero, positioning it as the AP automation layer that small businesses attach to their accounting software rather than a full accounts payable suite. Melio also operates a vendor-facing receivables product and has expanded into international payments.

## Ratings

| Source | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| G2 | 4.5/5 | 250 |
| Capterra | 4.5/5 | 400 |
| Gartner Peer Insights | 4.3/5 | 22 |
| TrustRadius | 8.0/10 | 40 |

## Funding

~$706M across 5 disclosed rounds (through Series D, late 2021)

| Round | Amount | Date | Lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seed | $3M | 2019 | Aleph |
| Series A | $12M | Nov 2019 | Aleph, Bessemer Venture Partners |
| Series B | $80M | Jun 2020 | Accel, Bessemer Venture Partners |
| Series C | $110M | Jan 2021 | Coatue Management |
| Series D | $501M | Dec 2021 | Thrive Capital, General Atlantic, Coatue ($4B valuation) |

## Viability

Moderate-to-low risk. Melio raised $706M total, which provides substantial runway, but it was valued at $4B at its Series D in late 2021 when fintech valuations were at peak. A down-round or restructuring is possible in any future raise at more normalized multiples. The platform's tight QuickBooks Online integration and growing Xero relationship make it a genuine workflow lock-in for small business finance teams, and the free-to-send-ACH model keeps top-of-funnel healthy. The main risks are competitive pressure from QuickBooks' own bill pay features and broader SMB fintech consolidation.

## Pricing

Melio's core ACH-to-ACH payment is free with no monthly subscription. The 2.9% credit card fee is the only per-transaction charge that stings. QuickBooks Online users get Melio's full feature set through the QBO integration at no additional cost, which is the most common onboarding path. A Melio Business plan with added controls and team features is available at a monthly fee, but most small businesses start and stay on the free tier. Always verify the current fee schedule at meliopayments.com/pricing, as the structure has shifted.

| Plan | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Free (ACH) | $0/mo | SMBs paying vendors via bank transfer; no monthly fee, no transaction volume caps |
| Credit card payments | 2.9% per transaction | Businesses that want to float payables on a card or earn rewards on vendor spend; vendor receives check or ACH regardless |
| Melio Business | Custom / subscription | Larger SMB teams needing approval workflows, multiple users, spend controls, and priority support |

## What reviewers say

_~250 G2 reviews at 4.5/5 and ~400 Capterra reviews at 4.5/5, plus TrustRadius and Gartner data_

**Praised:**
- Paying vendors via credit card when the vendor only accepts check is the most-cited use case: small business owners earn card rewards on every bill while the vendor gets a paper check mailed same-day
- QuickBooks Online sync eliminates manual data entry; multiple reviewers describe setting up the Melio-QBO connection and not touching bill payment manually again
- The free ACH tier is genuinely free with no monthly fee or transaction cap, which reviewers contrast positively with traditional bank bill pay and competing tools

**Complaints:**
- Payment holds and fraud flags are the dominant frustration: new accounts or unusually large payments frequently trigger a hold that can delay vendor payment by days, with limited visibility into the review timeline
- International payment support is narrower than promised at launch; vendors in specific countries or currencies still fall outside the supported scope despite marketing copy suggesting broad coverage
- Customer support response times slow noticeably when a payment is flagged or delayed, exactly when users need fast resolution

## Compliance

- **SOC 2:** Yes (SOC 2 Type II)
- **GDPR:** Yes
- **HIPAA:** No
- **SSO:** Yes (on team accounts)

## Integrations

- QuickBooks Online
- Xero
- FreshBooks
- Sage
- Gusto
- Gmail
- Slack
- Zapier
- American Express
- Capital One

## FAQs

### Is Melio actually free?

ACH bank-to-bank transfers are free with no monthly fee. The only cost is 2.9% if you choose to pay with a credit card. QuickBooks Online users access Melio functionality through the QBO integration at no extra charge. A premium business plan exists for teams that need approval workflows and additional users, but most small businesses operate on the free tier indefinitely.

### How does Melio's credit card payment work?

You pay Melio with your business credit card. Melio then pays the vendor via their preferred method, whether ACH or a physical check mailed on your behalf. The vendor never knows you paid by card. Melio charges you 2.9% for this, which you need to weigh against your card's rewards rate. For cards returning 1.5-2% cash back, the math rarely works in your favor. For travel or points cards with higher effective returns, it can make sense on large bills.

### How much has Melio raised?

Melio has raised approximately $706 million across five rounds through its Series D in December 2021, which valued the company at $4 billion. Investors include Thrive Capital, General Atlantic, Coatue Management, Accel, and Bessemer Venture Partners. No public rounds have been announced since the Series D.

### Does Melio integrate with QuickBooks?

Yes, and this is Melio's strongest integration. The QuickBooks Online connection syncs bills bidirectionally so that bills you enter in QBO appear in Melio for payment, and paid bills reconcile back to QBO automatically. QuickBooks Online subscribers also get Melio's feature set through this integration without paying Melio's subscription fee separately.

### Is Melio safe for business payments?

Melio is SOC 2 Type II certified and holds appropriate money transmitter licenses in US states where required. Payments are processed over encrypted connections. The main safety complaint from reviewers is not a security breach but rather the payment hold process: Melio's fraud-detection system sometimes flags legitimate payments, causing delays. Those holds are a business risk management decision on Melio's part, not a security failure, but they can disrupt vendor relationships.


## Sources

- [G2: Melio reviews](https://www.g2.com/products/melio/reviews): rating 4.5/5, ~250 reviews
- [Capterra: Melio](https://www.capterra.com/p/232264/Melio/): rating 4.5/5, ~400 reviews, sub-scores
- [TrustRadius: Melio](https://www.trustradius.com/products/melio/reviews): score 8.0/10, ~40 reviews
- [Melio pricing page](https://meliopayments.com/pricing): ACH free, credit card 2.9%
- [Crunchbase: Melio](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/melio): ~$706M total funding, Series D valuation $4B, investor list
- [LinkedIn: Melio company page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/meliopayments/about/): employee count, HQ, founded, industry
- [TechCrunch: Melio Series D announcement](https://techcrunch.com/2021/12/14/melio-raises-250m-at-a-4b-valuation/): Series D $501M, $4B valuation, Dec 2021
- [Melio blog](https://meliopayments.com/blog/): product changelog and feature announcements