We’re having a conversation with Tanner Fritz, Co-Founder and General Manager of Payments at Aiwyn. After five years of working closely with firms as our Chief Customer Officer, Tanner has shifted his focus to lead Aiwyn’s core solution: Aiwyn Payments.
As one of the most critical components of the Aiwyn platform - and a major area of continued investment - Aiwyn Payments sits at the center of how we help firms streamline operations and deliver a better client experience. In this edition of Behind the Build, Tanner shares his vision for what’s ahead, the evolving needs he’s hearing from firms, and what customers and prospects can look forward to in the months ahead.
Q: What’s one of the key initiatives that you’re focused on related to Aiwyn Payments?
A: One of the biggest initiatives we’re focused on right now is expanding our in-app reporting and dashboarding capabilities. Firms are drowning in spreadsheets and external BI tools just to get a basic sense of how they’re performing. We’re changing that.
With the new dashboards, firm leaders will have real-time visibility into critical metrics like AR trends, DSO performance, Smart Statement engagement (open and click rates), collections efficiency by team or client, and invoice/payment velocity.
The goal is simple: give firms the insights they need to make faster, smarter decisions—without needing a data analyst. The early feedback has been especially strong from finance leaders who want to benchmark their progress and proactively identify gaps in collections. For many firms, this is the kind of visibility they’ve never had before.
Q: What’s on the Aiwyn Payments roadmap that firms should be excited about this year?
A: We’re doubling down on transparency and automation this year and it’s showing up in a big way on the Aiwyn Payments roadmap. Everything we’re building is designed to help firms accelerate cash flow, reduce manual effort, and scale collections without needing to grow headcount.
Some of the highlights firms can expect to see include:
- Expanded multi-currency support
- Apple Pay, Google Pay, and buy now, pay later (BNPL) options
- Smarter late fee enforcement
- Client grouping in statement reminders
- Enhanced AutoPay and recurring payment capabilities
- Faster payouts to reduce reliance on credit lines
Each of these updates is designed to remove friction, improve flexibility, and give firms more control over how they manage and grow their cash flow.
Q: What are firms asking for that they weren’t a year ago?
A: Compared to a year ago, the conversation with firms has noticeably shifted. They’re no longer just asking for better tools, they’re asking for more control, automation, and insight.
Client-grouped statements and more advanced recurring payment controls are top of mind, but what’s really standing out is the growing demand for self-service options that lighten the load on billing staff. Firms want clients to take action without requiring constant follow-up.
There’s also a rising interest in visibility metrics. It’s no longer enough to know who paid. They want to know who opened a statement, who clicked the payment link, and who hasn’t engaged at all. It’s part of a broader shift we’re seeing across the industry: AR management is becoming more data-driven, more proactive, and more accountable.
Q: How do you ensure the voice of the customer stays central to product development?
A: Keeping the voice of the customer at the center of product development is a constant discipline. We stay close to firm leaders and billing teams through structured cohort programs, regular feedback loops, and ROI-focused interviews that help us understand not just what they need, but why it matters.
We also pay close attention to product usage data. Things like feature adoption, open and click rates for Smart Statements, and the time savings our tools are generating. That real-world behavior helps validate what’s working and where we can improve.
A lot of what ends up on the roadmap comes directly from these conversations and insights. It’s how we make sure we’re building tools that drive real value, not just checking boxes.
Q: Are there any surprising ways that firms are using Aiwyn Payments?
A: One of the more surprising (and creative) ways firms are using Aiwyn Payments is with Quick Payment Links. We designed them to simplify payments, but firms are taking that flexibility and running with it.
During peak seasons, we’ve seen firms use Quick Payment Links to accelerate retainers and one-off tax payments, cutting down on back-and-forth and speeding up cash collection. One firm even uses them for payments tied to their affiliated wealth management business, bypassing the traditional invoice workflow entirely.
Because Quick Payment Links allow firms to collect funds upfront and assign payments afterward, they’ve become a smart, flexible entry point for capturing cash that might otherwise lag behind client service delivery.
Q: Why do some firms delay modernizing payments? What typically changes their mind?
Firms often delay modernizing payments for two main reasons: change fatigue and fear of disrupting clients. There’s a mindset of ‘what we have works well enough,’ or hesitation around introducing a new portal that might cause confusion.
What typically shifts that thinking is a tipping point like rising DSO, burnout on the AR team, or a wave of client complaints about how hard it is to pay. These moments force firms to reevaluate the status quo.
But the real catalyst is leadership. When a forward-thinking partner or executive decides it’s time to prioritize long-term efficiency over short-term comfort, everything changes. Once they see how seamlessly Aiwyn integrates with their practice management system - and that it can deliver ROI in under six months - resistance fades fast.
Q: What’s one thing every firm should do to get the most out of Aiwyn Payments?
A: One of the smartest moves a firm can make is fully activating Smart Statements and AutoPay right out of the gate. These are two of the highest-leveraged tools in Aiwyn Payments for accelerating cash flow and cutting down manual effort.
When firms lean into these features and automate their outreach cadence, we consistently see 30 to 50 percent reductions in DSO and 5 to 10+ hours of admin time saved weekly. It’s a simple shift, but it unlocks significant operational efficiency.
Q: How does Aiwyn Payments connect with other parts of the Aiwyn platform?
A: Aiwyn Payments is deeply connected with our Engagement Letters module, which kicks off the billing lifecycle and creates a seamless connection from engagement to cash. As soon as an engagement letter is signed, Aiwyn can automatically generate a payment link, trigger reminders, and push reconciled data back into the firm’s practice management system.
This kind of automation eliminates delays, improves handoffs between teams, and gives firms a truly connected billing experience. It’s not just about getting paid faster, it’s about managing the entire engagement-to-cash cycle in one connected platform.
