Accrual Bookkeeping for Vertical SaaS
Investor-grade books for companies processing payments, running transactions, and billing usage. Payments matched, accounts reconciled, and books closed by the 5th–10th business day, every month.
Financials that inform strategic decisions
Accurate to nearest $0.01
- Card fees, subscriptions, and usage revenue recognized correctly
- Stripe Connect, clearing, and merchant accounts reconciled
- ASC 606-compliant across contract and usage revenue
Always updated
- Billing, payroll, and spend tools integrated into your books
- Connected with your data warehouse for real-time analysis
- Live view of payments & revenue — not a monthly snapshot
Delivered by 10th
- Delivered by the 5th–10th business day, every month
- Standardized close checklist — consistent and auditable
- Documented process built for scale
From messy books to numbers you can trust — in 30 days
Every engagement starts with a cleanup. Then we own the process — reconciling weekly, closing monthly, delivering on time.
We rebuild your books to accrual standards, fix revenue recognition, and restructure your chart of accounts. Your accounting system gets connected to Stripe and the rest of your stack.
Deliverables
- Books converted to accrual basis
- Revenue recognition corrected across all streams
- Payments-specific chart of accounts configured
- Stripe and tools integrated into your accounting system
We reconcile bank accounts, cards, and Stripe on a weekly basis. We reach out proactively for business context so nothing surprises us at close.
Deliverables
- Weekly bank, card, and Stripe reconciliation
- Proactive management outreach for business context
- Discrepancies flagged and resolved before month-end
- Clean data ready for the close
A standardized close checklist covers every step. Your complete financial package lands by the 5th–10th business day, every month.
Deliverables
- P&L, Balance sheet, and Cash flow statement
- Month-over-month changes, anomalies flagged
- Gross and net revenue, runway and burn
- ARR waterfall, unit economics, sales efficiency
One-time cleanup from $4,750
Ongoing from $2,750 / month
Fixed pricing based on transaction volume and revenue complexity.
Accrual books — for making informed decisions
Cash books mean decisions based on your bank balance. Accrual shows true revenue, profitability, and cash conversion — so you can grow, spot issues, and fix them.
Integrated with your stack for real-time insights
We connect directly to the tools your business runs on — so your books reflect reality in real time.
Common Questions
What's different about accounting for vertical SaaS?
Payments businesses have revenue and balance sheet complexity that generalist bookkeepers aren't built to handle. At Bridges, we specialize in exactly this.
- Card fees, subscription revenue, and usage billing each follow different recognition rules
- Stripe settlements, reserves, and in-transit funds must be reconciled separately from operating cash
- Revenue appearing in Stripe doesn't always equal revenue earned — the difference matters for your P&L
What's the difference between cash and accrual books for a vertical SaaS company?
Cash books mean decisions based on your bank balance. At Bridges, we convert payments companies to accrual — the only method that accurately reflects how a payments business performs.
- Stripe revenue: cash recognizes when the payout hits the bank; accrual recognizes when the transaction occurs
- Annual contracts: cash books the full payment upfront; accrual spreads it evenly over the contract term
- Deferred revenue: invisible on cash books; tracked as a liability on accrual
- Accounts receivable: invisible on cash; tracked, aged, and reported on accrual
How do you reconcile Stripe payouts for a vertical SaaS company?
Stripe deposits a single lump sum — net of fees — that doesn't match individual invoices. At Bridges, we reconcile Stripe weekly so nothing surprises us at month-end close.
- Map each payout to its underlying transactions
- Book gross revenue and Stripe fees separately
- Reconcile Stripe balance, in-transit funds, and reserves against the bank
- Flag and resolve discrepancies before the monthly close
How do you recognize Stripe revenue for a vertical SaaS company?
Revenue recognition depends on your business model. At Bridges, we apply the correct treatment across every revenue stream from day one.
- Transaction fees: recognized when the transaction occurs — not when Stripe pays out
- Subscriptions: spread evenly over the subscription period under ASC 606
- Annual contracts: deferred on the balance sheet and recognized monthly
- Platform and Connect fees: recognized as earned, gross if principal, net if agent
Should a vertical SaaS company record gross Stripe revenue or net deposits?
Always record gross revenue — not the net deposit Stripe sends. At Bridges, we structure every client's books to report all three layers investors expect to see.
- Book the full transaction amount as revenue
- Book Stripe fees separately as a COGS or operating expense line
- Recording only the net deposit understates both revenue and expenses
- Investors expect gross revenue, processing costs, and net revenue as distinct lines
Get books your investors can trust
Start with a 15-minute call. We'll review your setup, identify what needs to change, and tell you exactly what onboarding looks like.