Returns and tier-1 CS are one seat. This is the other: the person in QBO chasing supplier invoices, freight, and the 3PL bill that never matches Shopify orders.
AP seat. Not a chatbot. Calculator is the door.
What the seat touches
- Supplier / COGS invoices
- 3PL and freight bills vs rate cards
- Credit memos and short-ships
- Month-end that ops swears was already paid
For returns + CS, see Ecommerce returns + CS. For general AP mechanics, Automating an Accounts Payable Team: What Actually Happens.
Owner math (illustrative)
A full-time AP / bookkeeping seat costs about $68K–$74K a year in wages and benefits (our estimate from BLS 2025/2026 data). Leverwork pricing is a fixed-price setup plus a monthly retainer, scoped on a 20-minute call. Complex when Shopify + 3PL + QBO must agree.
Who
Owner-operated ecommerce / DTC, 20–80, already paying an AP or vendor-bills seat. Not dropshippers. Not CPA firms.