Melio has launched Agent Mel, an AI-powered assistant designed to help accountants, bookkeepers and small and medium-sized businesses access payment information more quickly and make financial decisions with greater efficiency.
The New York-based accounts payable and receivable platform announced the release on 28 January, positioning the tool as a response to growing demand for automated financial support as AI adoption accelerates across B2B sectors. Industry forecasts suggest that 40% of enterprise applications will be integrated with task-specific AI agents by the end of 2026.
Agent Mel is a conversational, embedded assistant that allows users to ask natural-language questions related to bills, payments, vendors and product features. Common prompts include queries such as payment status, outstanding balances, vendor history and how to configure approval settings. The tool also supports cash flow oversight by highlighting overdue payments and surfacing payment trends and vendor activity.
The assistant is fully integrated into Melio’s existing workflow and does not require additional setup. By providing real-time visibility into financial operations through a chat-based interface, the company says Agent Mel reduces time spent searching for information and allows finance teams to focus on higher-value planning and analysis.
“Agent Mel gives accountants and small businesses swift access to the data they need, eliminating hours of manual searching and empowering them to make smarter decisions faster,” said Matan Bar, CEO of Melio. “It’s another step toward our mission of simplifying payments and freeing businesses to focus on what really matters.”
Melio said the new assistant builds on its existing AI capabilities, including automatic bill capture and data entry. The company framed the launch as part of its broader strategy to improve visibility, control and efficiency for businesses managing accounts payable and receivable.
Examples of questions already being directed to Agent Mel include requests for the status of recent vendor payments, the number of payments currently in progress for a client, and summaries of top vendors paid in the previous year. Users can also ask for explanations of platform settings and guidance on configuring payment approval policies.
Founded in 2018, Melio has scaled to serve nearly 100,000 businesses in the US. The platform integrates with financial institutions to synchronise payment data and reduce manual entry, and also operates as a technology service provider for vertical SaaS platforms and financial institutions. Through partnerships and syndication models, Melio aims to extend its reach to millions of small businesses.
The company continues to operate as a standalone platform following its acquisition by Xero, while drawing on Xero’s global scale to support further growth and product development.
About Melio
Melio, a Xero company, serves U.S. SMBs and accounting firms with accounts payable, receivable, and cash flow management solutions. Founded in 2018, Melio has scaled rapidly to serve nearly 100,000 businesses. Melio’s leading platform integrates with and maintains partnerships with financial institutions, allowing businesses to sync payment data and avoid manual entry. Melio also acts as a technology service provider for vertical SaaS platforms and financial institutions, including Capital One and Shopify, as well as distribution partners such as Fiserv, through a syndication model. This enables Melio to potentially reach millions of small businesses to provide embedded accounts payable and receivable products. Melio continues to operate as a standalone platform while leveraging Xero’s global scale.
