Cash flow keeps MSPs alive—and too many still leak dollars in AR. In this episode, Josh Peterson and Ryan Alter talk with Nicholas from Alternative Payments about practical ways to speed up collections, reduce aging, and make “quote-to-cash” truly automatic for MSPs.

✅ Enjoyed this episode? Like, subscribe, and share your biggest takeaway below. https://beringmckinley.com/bering-mckinley-podcast-blog

Nicholas, Partnerships Manager at Alternative Payments, joins the BMK Vision Podcast to unpack the everyday realities of MSP cash flow—and how disciplined AR automation transforms margins. We dig into why so many providers still chase checks, when to pass on credit card fees (and how to do it ethically), and the simple workflow shifts that pull cash in faster without straining client relationships. You’ll hear real talk on lines of credit, deposits for hardware-heavy projects, and how to design payment options that meet clients where they are while protecting your bank balance.

👉 The MSP AR reality: why invoices often pay 20+ days past due—and the levers that reliably shrink it to near-zero with auto-pay and ACH. 👉 Payment options that work: transparent card fees, ACH by default, and project financing as a value-add (not a crutch). 👉 Quote-to-cash done right: capture payment details at signature, reconcile PSA ↔ accounting, and eliminate onboarding gaps that stall revenue. 👉 Project cash flow: deposits, disciplined procurement, and maintaining bank relationships/LOCs before you need them. 👉 Operational hygiene: activation rates, license reconciliation, and clean AR reports that your banker (and CFO) actually trust. Visit https://beringmckinley.com for more MSP resources.

🔗 Resources & Links • Nicholas Reimer- Alternative Payments: https://alternativepayments.com @alternativepayments • Ryan Alter - Silver Stream AV: http://www.silverstreamav.com • Bering McKinley MSP Consulting: https://beringmckinley.com

⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – Welcome & series context 01:05 – Guest intro: Nicholas, Alternative Payments 02:10 – Scale & responsibility of payments 05:40 – Credit card fees vs ACH, cash discounts 09:30 – Points talk & why redemption value matters 12:55 – Passing fees & offering three payment options 16:30 – AR realities in MSPs (aging & activation rates) 18:05 – Driving auto-pay adoption 20:50 – Cash flow for big projects & LOCs 24:50 – Municipal/education clients & checks 25:50 – bill.com vs MSP-specific AR workflows 27:10 – Closing the loop: AP on the horizon 33:10 – Quote-to-cash: from quote to collection 35:20 – Onboarding gaps that delay cash 40:40 – Sales flow: sign now, pay now 42:05 – Bookkeeper horror story & controls 47:30 – Onboarding as client experience 52:20 – Being known for AR automation (not “just payments”) 54:30 – Final takeaways & sign-off

🔍 Primary Keywords msp cash flow, accounts receivable automation, msp ar collections, payment processing for msps, connectwise quickbooks integration, ach payments msp, quote to cash msp, auto pay msp

🔍 Secondary Keywords alternative payments, credit card surcharge vs cash discount, net terms b2b payments, license reconciliation msp, psa integration, onboarding msp clients, line of credit for projects, msp project deposits

#️⃣ Hashtags #beringmckinley #bmkvisionpodcast #msp #managedservices #cashflow #accountsreceivable #payments #ach #creditcards #connectwise #quickbooks #quotetocash #mspgrowth #mspsales #mspfinance #arautomation #recurringrevenue #psa