Subscription management software

Without a subscription management platform, most companies track their budgets in a spreadsheet. Or worse, by running through the credit card receipt at the end of the year.

A spend management tool keeps all card and invoice payments in one place, with the spender and approver clearly marked. You can see - in real time - every recurring payment the company has, who owns them, and which cost centres they’re assigned to.

You also know when the next payments are due, for how much, and who to talk to if you need to cancel. You can automate notifications when the next payment is due, or where receipts are missing

And because it’s an all-in-one solution, you use the same process for cards, invoices, and expense claims - all your non-payroll spend.

A subscription management solution like Spendesk provides you more visibility and control over payments than any bank account. In fact, payments aren’t connected to your main bank account, and draw from a central “wallet” you fund. This limits your risk by default.

Spendesk cards can be cancelled at any time. And because each card is unique, you can cancel one card without disrupting your other ongoing transactions. This give you more security, with less hassle.

Most importantly, you don’t leave the same company card details at hundreds of checkouts across the web.

These cards are also particularly useful in usage-based subscription models. If you’re not watching these deals closely, the cost can balloon as usage grows. These cards let you set an amount, and any payment above this needs to be re-approved. You have the chance to review, negotiate, or object to an increased payment before the money leaves your account.

If you upsell or change to a new pricing plan with a service or software, you simply adjust the budget on the corresponding virtual card. If the new amount is above what’s pre-approved for a particular team member, their manager is asked to approve. The process is quick and simple, and you always have control over what’s being spent.

The same is true if you move to a new billing cycle - from monthly to annual, for example. You can keep the same card, but simply update the settings.

To cancel a particular subscription, simply follow the steps required by the provider. Once you’ve cancelled, your unique virtual card will no longer be valid.

If you want to ensure that no further payments are taken before the churn process is complete, you can cancel or pause the virtual card in advance. The provider (usually a SaaS business) won’t be able to take further payment via this card.

Typically, companies put all their subscription payments on one or two company cards, in the name of the IT team or CEO. This becomes a problem when you want to know who actually uses the subscription, or if you have duplicate subscriptions running.

Spendesk cards are in the name of the requester - the person who initiates the transaction and manages the subscription lifecycle. This could be the IT lead or CEO, but more often it’s the frontline staff member who uses the software every day. If there are issues, you always know who’s ultimately responsible for these payments.

If that person leaves, you can reassign the card to another team member in moments, without cancelling the original card.

Spendesk cards work just like typical credit or debit cards. So no matter which payment option is required, you should be able to pay as normal (in any currencies you need). This includes common payment processing providers like Stripe, Chargebee, and Square.

If you prefer (and the service allows), you can also manage subscriptions via invoice. Spendesk processes invoice payments using the same approval workflows as with cards, and finance teams have full visibility over all company spending.

A recurring virtual card makes sense for any ongoing payment. But Spendesk is built for companies and corporate finance teams, which means most use it to manage B2B payments. This means software from subscription-based businesses (SaaS), cloud-based tools, e-commerce purchases for the office (Amazon and eBay, for example), and other regular company purchases.

Spendesk also suits all kinds of pricing models including self-service, usage-based, fixed price, annual or monthly billing cycles. Whatever you would otherwise pay for via invoice or credit card, you can manage easily and more securely with Spendesk.

No, Spendesk doesn’t provide billing software or help in the optimization of your billing process. Setting up a subscription billing system, order management, and dunning requires a different software suite. If incoming subscription revenue is key to your business model, a recurring billing tool like Chargebee as well as revenue recognition apps may be a better fit.

Spendesk helps with the accounts payable process - the other side of the payment process. And the goal is to have both sides working harmoniously.

Spendesk has a range of helpful integrations, including crucial accounting and ERP tools that finance teams rely on. These include Xero, NetSuite, DATEV, and QuickBooks. Spendesk also lets you export payment data in a click, to upload to your BI tools, CRM, or any other business-critical software.