What does a cash application specialist do?

Cash Application Specialists handle a variety of tasks related to company finances. They manage the organization of the company's financial records and oversee the overall cash inflow. They may also be assigned to handle payment collection, preparation of invoices, and receipts' issuance. They manage their relationship with their counterparts in client organizations to ensure a harmonious work relationship. This will help them follow up payments, communicate better, and resolve any concerns. Cash application specialists are also in charge of updating client records and ensuring that clients' payments are accurate. They also process refunds and facilitate other financial transactions.
Cash application specialist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real cash application specialist resumes:
- Manage documents for staff collaboration and training in SharePoint.
- Work with private, work comp, auto, Medicare and Medicaid insurance companies as well as other payers.
- Post daily payments including checks, wires, and automate clearing house (ACH) credit transfers to customer accounts.
- Run weekly GL and TB reports.
- Contact commercial and Medicaid payers regarding payment issues.
- Process non-sufficient funds (NSF) /Chargeback documentation.
- Assist with billing new and existing Medicaid and private insurance claims.
- Research and resolves unapply payments, NSF checks and credit card declines.
- Train personnel, design process modules, perform root-cause analysis, and conduct ISO audits.
- Interpret insurance EOB's, apply adjustments and discounts, charge-backs and claim denials per line item.
- Operate process machines, perform quality checks, troubleshoot problems, line train new employees, operate forklift
- Provide documentation for incoming cash payments against receivables and ensure proper application of cash, wire, and ACH payments.
- Prepare reports that need further work, print EOB's for those invoices and provide them to the billing staff.
- Task with ensuring that all lockboxes, correlations, G/L and checks are clear and balance on a monthly basis.
- Maintain and troubleshoot product displays to ensure functionality and performance.
Cash application specialist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 14% of Cash Application Specialists are proficient in Customer Service, Cash Application, and Patients. They’re also known for soft skills such as Computer skills, Detail oriented, and Integrity.
We break down the percentage of Cash Application Specialists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 14%
Provided clients with superior customer service; delivered all projects to asset manager and financial institutions accurately and on deadline.
- Cash Application, 8%
Participated in ongoing process improvements and ideas to improve the efficiency and productivity in policies and procedures in Cash Applications Department.
- Patients, 6%
Worked with coordinators updating and entering compliance and demographic information for nurses and patients.
- Data Entry, 6%
Performed data entry, bookkeeping, and accounting responsibilities for all monetary transactions coinciding with bankruptcy litigation.
- ACH, 5%
Posted payments that included checks, credit cards, ACH and wires - Completed write offs and maintenance applications for the Collectors
- Customer Accounts, 5%
Credit Card Processing and Reconciliation, Posting/Researching of Cash Receipts, Maintenance and Reconciliation of Customer Accounts, GL Reconciliation
Common skills that a cash application specialist uses to do their job include "customer service," "cash application," and "patients." You can find details on the most important cash application specialist responsibilities below.
Computer skills. One of the key soft skills for a cash application specialist to have is computer skills. You can see how this relates to what cash application specialists do because "bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks need to be comfortable using computer spreadsheets and bookkeeping software." Additionally, a cash application specialist resume shows how cash application specialists use computer skills: "cash application obtains computer generated batch numbers that identifies each batch with a unique number. "
Detail oriented. Another essential skill to perform cash application specialist duties is detail oriented. Cash application specialists responsibilities require that "bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks are responsible for producing accurate financial records." Cash application specialists also use detail oriented in their role according to a real resume snippet: "scan ach remittance detail to sharepoint and file cash reports on a daily basis. "
Integrity. This is an important skill for cash application specialists to perform their duties. For an example of how cash application specialist responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks have control of an organization’s financial documentation, which they must use properly and keep confidential." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a cash application specialist: "maintain integrity during reconciliation process to insure proper balancing when posting batches through online lockboxes. ".
Math skills. A big part of what cash application specialists do relies on "math skills." You can see how essential it is to cash application specialist responsibilities because "bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks deal with numbers daily and should be comfortable with basic arithmetic." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical cash application specialist tasks: "prepare various cash application spreadsheets, reports and statistics. "
The three companies that hire the most cash application specialists are:
- Robert Half26 cash application specialists jobs
- Uline16 cash application specialists jobs
- Advance Auto Parts7 cash application specialists jobs
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Cash application specialist vs. Payment processor
A payment processor is responsible for managing and informing the clients of their payment obligations for the services offered by a financial institution or other related organizations. Payment processors record transactions and ensure the timely completion of account statements. They discuss the terms and conditions of the service contract with the clients and respond to their inquiries and concerns. A payment processor must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in coming up with repayment plans and solutions for clients who are not able to pay services in time.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a cash application specialist are more likely to require skills like "reconciliations," "cash receipts," "cash handling," and "medicare." On the other hand, a job as a payment processor requires skills like "phone calls," "lockbox," "securities," and "powerpoint." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Payment processors really shine in the insurance industry with an average salary of $38,534. Comparatively, cash application specialists tend to make the most money in the transportation industry with an average salary of $39,650.payment processors tend to reach similar levels of education than cash application specialists. In fact, payment processors are 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Cash application specialist vs. Finance clerk
Finance clerks are financial professionals who are responsible for performing various administrative tasks such as keeping financial records, preparing bills, and delivering excellent customer service. These clerks are required to process bills, checks, receipts, and other documents to ensure that they are all properly signed and distributed. They must verify financial and other data so that they can enter those data into the database and maintain updated records. Finance clerks must also assist with account reconciliations and should report the status of accounts and discrepancies to the management.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that cash application specialist responsibilities requires skills like "customer service," "cash application," "patients," and "ach." But a finance clerk might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "purchase orders," "hr," "credit card," and "telephone calls."
Finance clerks may earn a higher salary than cash application specialists, but finance clerks earn the most pay in the government industry with an average salary of $40,090. On the other hand, cash application specialists receive higher pay in the transportation industry, where they earn an average salary of $39,650.In general, finance clerks achieve similar levels of education than cash application specialists. They're 0.8% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Cash application specialist vs. Accounting representative
Account representatives are in charge of making sales. Their primary duties include designing and maintaining customer accounts, as well as being a liaison between the organization and clients. They constantly communicate with clients, respond to their concerns, and monitor transactions as well as payments. Also, they develop company invoices, regularly keeping track of client's transactions, maintaining records of the client's account, and routinely auditing them. The job requirements include strong communication and negotiation skills, relevant experience in sales, and confidence.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from cash application specialist resumes include skills like "cash receipts," "cash handling," "patient payments," and "medicare," whereas an accounting representative is more likely to list skills in "payroll," "computer system," "insurance claims," and "insurance verification. "
Accounting representatives make a very good living in the automotive industry with an average annual salary of $47,306. On the other hand, cash application specialists are paid the highest salary in the transportation industry, with average annual pay of $39,650.accounting representatives typically earn similar educational levels compared to cash application specialists. Specifically, they're 1.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Cash application specialist vs. Billing and insurance coordinator
A billing and insurance coordinator is responsible for coordinating with employees from different departments of an organization for billing and insurance processing purposes. Billing and insurance coordinators sort mail for distribution to appropriate personnel, performing administrative and clerical duties as needed, managing and releasing of invoices under the manager's supervision, and responding to employees' inquiries and concerns. A billing and insurance coordinator must be highly analytical, as well as have excellent knowledge of the insurance disciplines and processes to assist the employees with their payments and benefits.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between cash application specialists and billing and insurance coordinators, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a cash application specialist might have more use for skills like "ach," "credit card payments," "reconciliations," and "cash handling." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of billing and insurance coordinators require skills like "work ethic," "strong work ethic," "billing issues," and "medical billing. "
Billing and insurance coordinators enjoy the best pay in the professional industry, with an average salary of $58,069. For comparison, cash application specialists earn the highest salary in the transportation industry.billing and insurance coordinators reach similar levels of education compared to cash application specialists, in general. The difference is that they're 0.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of cash application specialist
Updated January 8, 2025











