Once you've added a client to your practice, the next step is ensuring that the business owner can access their account. Here's how to make this process smooth and successful.
Understanding the Owner role
When a practice adds the first company member to a client account, they're automatically assigned as Owner. The Owner is the primary contact from the client's side with full visibility over the account and access to all product features, including the ability to pay bills.
Here's what you need to know:
The Owner appears as pending until they accept their invite and sign up
It's possible to resend the Owner's invite before it's accepted from the Settings > Company settings > Members section
The Owner must accept the email invitation to complete account activation and log in
When a business and payments are involved, we need to ensure there's a primary contact from their side with full visibility. That's also why they need to accept the invite before features tied to their user - such as their personal forwarding email - can be activated.
How to send invitations
Automatic invite – When you add a client and enter the business owner's email address, they automatically receive an email invitation to join Apron and complete the onboarding process.
In the email, your client will see that you invited them to sign up and connect their company through Apron, along with a short summary of the benefits of using Apron.
Resending invites – You can resend the invitation at any time by going to Settings > Company settings > Members and clicking Resend invite next to the client.
What business owners can do
Document management – Upload invoices and receipts through our web app, mobile app, email, or WhatsApp. They can also review and update documents before processing.
Payment oversight – Review all transactions and payment activity. Set up approval workflows for better financial control. Process payments directly.
Team management – Add additional team members to their company account. Assign roles and permissions to team members. Manage access levels for different features.
What happens during client activation
Account verification – When the business owner accesses Apron via the invitation link, they'll be prompted to sign up and complete the sign-up process.
Setup completion – Once they complete the sign-up process, the account becomes active, and they can start using Apron's features immediately.
Why is an Owner needed?
Adding an Owner is required if you'd like to use the Payments feature for the company, but a client account without an owner can still use our Capture product.
Why can't practice members be the Owner?
The Owner role must be held by someone from the client's business. Financial services regulations require us to identify and verify the actual business owners for compliance purposes.
Practice members can have full administrative access to manage the account, but the Owner role ensures there's a primary contact from the business side with ultimate accountability.