At Journey, we worked with 44 accounting SaaS companies last year, helping them sharpen their positioning, build strategic marketing campaigns, and create stronger connections with their audience. One of the biggest differentiators between SaaS companies that thrive and those that struggle is control points - the unique aspects of a product that make it indispensable to users.
While many SaaS companies focus on new feature releases or competitive pricing, the real power lies in control points - the things that keep customers locked in, drive retention, and ultimately increase lifetime value.
What are control points in accounting SaaS?
A control point is a feature, integration, or functionality that makes your product a core part of a user’s workflow - something they can’t easily remove without significant disruption. These create stickiness, ensuring that once a customer starts using your software, it becomes incredibly difficult for them to switch to something else.
In the accounting SaaS space, common control points include:
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Deep integrations with accounting software – If your product connects seamlessly with Xero, QuickBooks, or MYOB and eliminates manual work, users will be reluctant to move away.
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Automation of critical workflows – Features that save time and eliminate repetitive tasks create dependencies.
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Compliance and regulatory requirements – If your product helps accountants stay compliant, it becomes a non-negotiable tool.
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Data ownership and history – If your platform holds years of client records, transactional data, or approval histories, moving to another tool becomes a costly and painful process.
How accounting SaaS companies use control points to win
At Journey, we’ve seen the best accounting SaaS companies leverage control points to drive growth, reduce churn, and protect their market position. Some real-world examples include:
1. ApprovalMax – Compliance as a control point
ApprovalMax integrates deeply with Xero and QuickBooks, ensuring businesses stay compliant with financial approval processes. Because compliance is not optional, ApprovalMax becomes a key control point for businesses that need structured approval workflows. Once an accountant or bookkeeper builds their approval hierarchy in ApprovalMax, switching away would require recreating an entire compliance framework from scratch - making it unlikely they’ll ever leave.
2. Pinch – Payment automation as a control point
Pinch payments doesn’t just process payments—it integrates directly into accounting workflows, ensuring recurring payments, direct debits, and reconciliation happen automatically. Because payments are tied to cash flow and client relationships, moving away from Pinch would mean retraining staff, adjusting workflows, and dealing with potential disruptions to billing.
3. Dext – Document processing as a control point
Dext (formerly Receipt Bank) processes invoices, receipts, and bank statements, pushing clean data into accounting systems. Their AI-driven automation, historical transaction data, and workflow dependencies mean that once a firm starts using Dext, switching to a competitor would be a major disruption, requiring staff retraining and risking potential errors.
How to leverage control points in your marketing
It’s not enough to simply have control points - you need to market them effectively. Here’s how leading SaaS companies ensure their control points are front and centre in their sales and marketing efforts.
1. Make your control points the core of your messaging
Many SaaS companies focus too much on features rather than the unique value they provide. Your messaging should highlight why your product is essential rather than just “nice to have.”
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Instead of: “Our platform integrates with Xero.”
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Say: “We eliminate manual data entry and automate reconciliation, saving firms 10+ hours per week.”
2. Position your control points as industry standards
Reinforce that your control points aren’t just a convenience—they’re the expected way of doing business in the industry.
- Example: “Thousands of firms rely on [your software] for compliance automation—don’t risk falling behind.”
3. Use control points to strengthen sales & retention
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In the sales process, highlight how painful switching would be for a prospect (without making it sound like a trap).
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In customer retention strategies, reinforce the long-term benefits of staying with your platform, such as continuous improvement, industry partnerships, or compliance updates.
How to identify and strengthen your control points
If you’re not already using control points to your advantage, now is the time to start. Here’s a simple framework to assess and leverage them:
Step 1: Identify your strongest control points
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What key processes break if your product is removed?
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Where does your software integrate into an accountant’s daily workflow?
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What data, history, or compliance needs does your product manage?
Step 2: Double down on these control points in product development
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Strengthen integrations with accounting platforms.
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Expand automation features to make switching even harder.
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Ensure your platform remains compliance-friendly for regulatory needs.
Step 3: Align marketing & sales to control points
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Make your essential value clear in messaging, not just features.
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Use case studies and testimonials to reinforce why customers stay with your platform.
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Train sales teams to articulate the pain of switching without being aggressive.
Final Thoughts
At Journey, we’ve seen firsthand how control points can be the deciding factor in whether a SaaS company scales efficiently or struggles with churn. Accounting SaaS companies that build strong control points—through integrations, automation, compliance, and workflow dependencies—will own their space, reduce competition, and create lasting customer relationships.
If you’re an accounting SaaS company, ask yourself: Are you making the most of your control points?