Top 12 Accounts Receivable Clerk Skills to Put on Your Resume

In today’s hiring jungle, an Accounts Receivable Clerk rises above the noise by showing precise, relevant skills that prove you can move money accurately, keep aging clean, and solve hiccups before they sting. The right mix on your resume signals speed and judgment, mastery of tools, and a habit of closing loops that boost cash flow and trust.

Accounts Receivable Clerk Skills

1. QuickBooks
2. Excel
3. SAP
4. Oracle
5. Invoicing
6. Collections
7. Reconciliation
8. Data Entry
9. ERP Systems
10. Financial Reporting
11. Cash Handling
12. Customer Service

1. QuickBooks

QuickBooks is accounting software that helps you invoice, record payments, reconcile activity, and track customer balances so receivables stay current and clean.

Why It's Important

It centralizes invoices and cash application, automates reminders, and produces aging and exception reports—fewer errors, faster collections, tighter cash control.

How to Improve QuickBooks Skills

1. Automate billing: Set up recurring invoices, payment links, and scheduled reminders to reduce manual churn.

2. Tighten templates: Customize invoices with clear terms, PO references, and item details to cut disputes.

3. Use AR aging dashboards: Review aging weekly, filter by risk, and prioritize follow-ups with notes and next steps.

4. Bank feeds and rules: Connect accounts, create match rules, and speed reconciliation with consistent naming.

5. Reconcile routinely: Lock in a weekly cadence so variances are small, traceable, and quickly resolved.

6. Roles and controls: Limit delete/void permissions, require approvals, and keep an audit trail tight.

7. Keep learning: Explore newer features (e.g., receipt capture, workflow approvals) and practice in a sandbox or sample file.

How to Display QuickBooks Skills on Your Resume

2. Excel

Excel is the grid where receivables data gets shaped—sorting, cleansing, reconciling, and reporting—so trends and exceptions light up fast.

Why It's Important

It accelerates analysis, supports ad hoc checks, and turns raw exports into aging, DSO, and dispute summaries your team can act on.

How to Improve Excel Skills

1. Modern lookups: Use XLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, and SUMIFS to stitch datasets without fragile formulas.

2. PivotTables: Slice balances by customer, region, collector, or terms; drill into delinquencies in seconds.

3. Power Query: Automate data cleaning and recurring imports from CSVs/ERP exports to cut manual prep.

4. Conditional formatting: Flag overdue buckets, short pays, or missing POs at a glance.

5. Data validation: Lock fields to lists and formats to stop typos and rogue entries.

6. Macros (carefully): Record or write small routines for repetitive tasks like monthly rollups or statements.

7. Shortcuts and layouts: Speed through navigation, and design sheets with clear headers, filters, and frozen panes.

How to Display Excel Skills on Your Resume

3. SAP

SAP (including S/4HANA) is an integrated system that runs invoicing, cash application, disputes, and reporting in one controlled environment.

Why It's Important

It ties receivables to the general ledger with strong controls, supports dunning, collections, and cash forecasting, and reduces reconciliation noise.

How to Improve SAP Skills

1. Lean on Fiori apps: Use role-based tiles for disputes, collections worklists, and customer insights with fewer clicks.

2. Automate: Configure dunning levels, correspondence, and payment advice processing to speed resolution.

3. Use SAP Collections/Dispute Management: Centralize promises-to-pay, root causes, and escalations.

4. Data hygiene: Clean customer masters (terms, contacts, tax data) to prevent downstream errors.

5. Analytics: Build AR aging variants, KPIs (DSO, CEI), and exception reports to steer the week.

6. Training and updates: Review new release notes, practice in test clients, and document local procedures.

How to Display SAP Skills on Your Resume

4. Oracle

Oracle (notably Oracle Cloud ERP) includes Receivables modules for billing, collections, cash application, and reporting—all integrated with the ledger.

Why It's Important

It streamlines invoice creation, automates cash application, improves accuracy, and surfaces live metrics that sharpen collection efforts.

How to Improve Oracle Skills

1. Master core features: AutoInvoice, AutoCash rules, and AutoAccounting reduce manual edits and misposts.

2. Dunning and strategies: Configure dunning letters, call cycles, and scoring to prioritize outreach.

3. Receivables Workbench: Use worklists, disputes, and notes so actions are tracked—not lost in email.

4. Bank statement automation: Tune matching rules and remittance formats for faster, cleaner application.

5. Security and roles: Separate duties (billing vs. application), and lock risky actions behind approvals.

6. Practice and learn: Explore sandboxes, read release highlights, and maintain quick-reference SOPs.

How to Display Oracle Skills on Your Resume

5. Invoicing

Invoicing is the creation and delivery of accurate bills with clear terms so customers know what they owe, why, and when to pay.

Why It's Important

Strong invoicing shortens payment cycles, limits disputes, and anchors reliable reporting.

How to Improve Invoicing Skills

1. Standard templates: Include PO, itemization, ship/serve dates, tax treatment, and unambiguous due dates.

2. Clear terms: Spell out net days, discounts, late fees, remittance details, and escalation paths.

3. Send fast: Bill as soon as delivery or milestones hit; delay invites disputes and aging creep.

4. E-invoicing: Offer electronic delivery and acceptance; track opens and confirmations.

5. Multiple payment options: ACH, card, wire, portal—meet customers where they pay.

6. Follow-up cadence: Schedule pre-due reminders, day-of notices, and aging-based nudges.

7. Dispute playbook: Triage root causes (price, quantity, tax), assign owners, and set turnaround targets.

8. Audit regularly: Spot-check invoices for accuracy and completeness; fix patterns, not just incidents.

How to Display Invoicing Skills on Your Resume

6. Collections

Collections is the structured chase for overdue balances—persistent, respectful, documented, and tuned to risk.

Why It's Important

It fuels cash flow, reduces bad debt, and keeps customer relationships steady even when payments slip.

How to Improve Collections Skills

1. Segment accounts: Prioritize by balance, days past due, risk rating, and history of broken promises.

2. Set a cadence: Pre-due courtesy notes, day-1 nudges, then calls and dunning as buckets age.

3. Document everything: Log calls, emails, disputes, and promises-to-pay with next actions and dates.

4. Offer options: Payment plans, partials, or settlement when appropriate—get movement, not stalemate.

5. Tighten terms: For chronic late payers, adjust credit limits, require deposits, or move to stricter terms.

6. Escalate cleanly: Involve sales or management early; for long-overdue accounts, consider third-party collections per policy.

7. Measure: Track DSO, CEI, promise-keep rates, and right-party contact rates. Iterate your approach.

How to Display Collections Skills on Your Resume

7. Reconciliation

Reconciliation is matching subledger activity to the general ledger and bank data, spotting gaps, and fixing them so balances tell the truth.

Why It's Important

It protects accuracy, catches misapplied cash and duplicate entries, and keeps month-end from turning into a fire drill.

How to Improve Reconciliation Skills

1. Define a schedule: Daily or weekly mini-recons beat a month-end pileup.

2. Three-way match: Customer ledger, GL, and bank/lockbox files—align all three, not just two.

3. Standardize rules: Naming conventions, reference fields, and memo formats that support auto-match logic.

4. Exception buckets: Separate short pays, unidentified cash, and chargebacks with clear owners and SLAs.

5. Check cutoffs: Confirm timing around month-end so revenue and receipts land in the correct period.

6. Controls: Segregate duties, require approvals for write-offs and adjustments, and retain audit trails.

7. Review aged items: Escalate anything stale; recurring patterns deserve root-cause fixes.

How to Display Reconciliation Skills on Your Resume

8. Data Entry

Data entry is the careful input of customer, invoice, and payment details so systems reflect reality—accurately, consistently, fast.

Why It's Important

Clean data shrinks errors, speeds posting, and prevents disputes that siphon time and cash.

How to Improve Data Entry Skills

• Standard fields: Use templates, required fields, and drop-downs to end guesswork and typos.
• Automate capture: Apply OCR/imports where possible to reduce manual keying.
• Validate: Apply format checks (dates, terms, tax IDs) and cross-checks (PO vs. invoice).
• Shortcuts and ergonomics: Learn hotkeys; design screens and workflows that flow in the right order.
• Spot audits: Sample entries weekly; coach quickly and fix system-wide issues.
• SOPs: Keep procedures current with screenshots and examples to ensure consistency across the team.

How to Display Data Entry Skills on Your Resume

9. ERP Systems

ERP systems connect invoicing, cash, GL, and reporting into one source of truth so work flows instead of fragments.

Why It's Important

They reduce rekeying, enforce controls, and deliver real-time visibility into balances, disputes, and cash.

How to Improve ERP Systems Skills

1. Automate repetitive work: Recurring billing, reminders, and auto-application where feasible.

2. Integrate: Tie ERP to CRM, payment gateways, and document management so data travels once.

3. Better reporting: Build dashboards with AR aging, DSO, write-offs, and collector productivity.

4. Usability: Customize screens, favorites, and saved queries to cut clicks and errors.

5. Compliance and security: Enforce MFA, role-based access, approvals, and change logs.

6. Training and support: Offer refreshers after upgrades; keep quick tips embedded where work happens.

How to Display ERP Systems Skills on Your Resume

10. Financial Reporting

Financial reporting transforms AR activity into statements and schedules that reflect what’s owed, what’s collected, and what’s at risk.

Why It's Important

It underpins cash forecasts, closes the books accurately, and supports decisions on credit, collections, and reserves.

How to Improve Financial Reporting Skills

1. Close cadence: Use a month-end checklist—cutoffs, reconciliations, aging tie-outs, and review steps.

2. Key metrics: Monitor DSO, bad-debt trends, allowance coverage, and percent current.

3. Data accuracy: Align subledger and GL, validate mappings, and lock periods after close.

4. Narratives: Pair numbers with concise commentary on movements, risks, and actions.

5. Consistency: Standardize report formats and timing so stakeholders know where to look.

6. Cross-team sync: Coordinate with sales, operations, and FP&A on large deals, credits, and cutoffs.

How to Display Financial Reporting Skills on Your Resume

11. Cash Handling

Cash handling covers receiving, safeguarding, recording, and depositing payments—physical cash, checks, and in-person card slips.

Why It's Important

Tight cash controls prevent loss, speed deposits, and ensure records match what hit the bank.

How to Improve Cash Handling Skills

1. Standard procedures: Count, record, and deposit with dual verification; no shortcuts.

2. Security: Lock drawers, restrict access, and use tamper-evident bags; separate keys and codes.

3. Daily deposits: Bank funds promptly; reconcile receipts to deposit slips and the ledger.

4. Counterfeit and variance checks: Train on detection, log over/short, and investigate quickly.

5. Segregation of duties: Different people collect, post, reconcile, and review.

6. Shift digital: Encourage ACH and electronic methods to cut handling risks and errors.

7. Surprise audits: Periodic counts and process reviews keep the system honest.

How to Display Cash Handling Skills on Your Resume

12. Customer Service

Customer service in AR means clear, calm communication that resolves billing questions and keeps payments moving without burning bridges.

Why It's Important

It reduces disputes, builds loyalty, and often gets you paid faster than hard pressure ever will.

How to Improve Customer Service Skills

1. Active listening: Hear the concern behind the words; confirm understanding before proposing fixes.

2. Professional tone: Firm on terms, flexible in approach; write and speak with clarity and empathy.

3. Knowledge base: Keep FAQs, policy summaries, and invoice examples ready to share.

4. Follow-through: Summarize agreements in writing with dates and responsibilities; then check in.

5. Escalation paths: Know when to involve sales, pricing, or management to unlock approvals.

6. Feedback loop: Track recurring issues and recommend fixes to upstream teams.

How to Display Customer Service Skills on Your Resume