2 min
Disputes Resolution: A Non-Negotiable in 2026
By: Daniel Shore
Imagine if you bought a piece of clothing online. It arrived, but it wasn't the look you wanted in person or didn't fit the way you envisioned. You went online to see the return policy and there was none. No way to exchange, return, nothing.
You'd feel upset, aggravated, and taken advantage of.
Many AP technology providers do the equivalent: they provide no support when it comes to disputes resolutions. While technology providers would love for you to think otherwise, disputes are not a side issue separate from the AP process. A dispute is actually the clearest signal of a broken AP process, resulting in daily friction between buyers and suppliers. And disputes, like returns for a clothing retailer, are a key, daily pain point for many large enterprises.
78% of buying organizations found that disputes cost them more time and resources than any other part of the AP process.
But let's take a step back. What are disputes? Disputes happen when suppliers are short paid and initiate contact with the buying organization because the payment doesn't match the invoice.
For example, a supplier may send a customer hundreds of Christmas ornaments for resale. But 10% of these ornaments were delayed and delivered after the holiday. The buyer then only feels obligated to pay for 90% of the invoiced amount. This type of situation leads to a dispute.
And the way disputes play out are predictable. A supplier immediately contacts the buyer, a back and forth takes place over email, phone, or other channels. Because each dispute is unique, there's no blanket policy that will work – each solution needs to be bespoke. The individualized nature of these disputes cost buyers and suppliers time, resources, and money.
In fact, a recent Direct Commerce survey found that 78% of buying organizations found that disputes cost them more time and resources than any other part of the AP process. One study found that nearly one third of accounts receivable teams’ days are spent resolving invoice disputes (31% on average). AP and finance leaders know this anecdotally from their own experiences. And yet, we hear so little about disputes from AP automation solutions.
Why is that? The answer is simple: disputes are complex and they're not profitable for these providers. They are eager to talk about accelerating early payments (where they can skim off the top) or optimizing processes (so they can charge buyers a hefty subscription fee). Disputes aren't tied to the same financial upside for them – and yet daily dispute friction takes a toll on your supply chain, your AP team, and your bottomline.
It's another example of how the model is broken – it's never "free for suppliers" as these providers will say. If these suppliers have to submit a dispute manually through web forms, sending screenshots, forwarding email chains to multiple AP team members, that's not supplier-first. That puts the entire burden on the supplier, causing them frustration and costing them time.
At Direct Commerce, we believe in order to be Supplier-First there needs to be a seamless dispute process. Disputes are never going to be entirely painless, but they do not need to be this painful. Technology can simplify and expedite the process, creating a win-win for buyers and suppliers alike.
There is no disputing it anymore: In 2026, every serious AP department needs to have a clean and reliable way to submit, route, and handle disputes. Teams still relying on email chains and manual workarounds aren't just inefficient, they're burning out staff, straining supplier relationships and dragging down their bottomline.
Want to learn more about solving your disputes? Reach out to Direct Commerce.