Choosing an expenditure management solution: the complete guide for finance teams (2026)

Last updated: 22 September 2026. Reading time: approximately 25 minutes.

If you’re in charge of the finances of a growing organisation, you’ll probably recognise this: your team spends too much time on minor expenses, receipts that arrive late, and cash circulating across multiple locations. At the same time, you have to report, monitor and contribute to strategic planning, whilst most of your week is taken up with administrative tasks.

There are various solutions to tackle this: from a more rigorous expense claim process or a corporate credit card to expenditure management software that combines payments, monitoring and bookkeeping in a single system. However, it is difficult to determine which solution is right for your organisation and where platforms really differ from one another. Prices vary widely, and a tool that works brilliantly for an international tech start-up might be completely unsuitable for a Dutch healthcare organisation.

This guide will help you make that choice: what sort of solution suits your organisation, what exactly expenditure management software is, when your organisation is ready for it, which features are really important, how to draw up a shortlist, and how to ensure a smooth implementation. The examples are drawn from sectors where the challenges are greatest – healthcare, education and local government – but the principles apply to any medium-sized or large organisation.

You don’t have to read this guide from start to finish in one go. Each chapter stands on its own, so you can use the table of contents to jump straight to what you’re interested in.

Table of contents

Part 1: What is expenditure management software?

1. What exactly is expenditure management software?
2. Expense management software, expense claim app, corporate credit card or Excel: what’s the difference?

Part 2: Why organisations are switching

3. When is your organisation ready for expense management software? Five signs
4. What are the hidden costs of manual expense management?
5. What’s changing: for finance, staff and management

Part 3: Types of solutions

6. Expenditure management, procure-to-pay, expense claim software: what’s the difference?
7. What pricing models are available for expense management software?
8. What is the difference between an international and a Dutch expenditure management platform?

Part 4: What matters in a platform

9. What features are essential in expense management software?
10. Which advanced features are ‘nice to have’ in expenditure management software?
11. What are the requirements specific to the Netherlands for expenditure management software?
12. Which evaluation criteria are often overlooked during the selection process?

Part 5: The selection process

13. How do you draw up the business case?
14. Step-by-step guide: from requirements to shortlist
15. The key questions you should ask any expenditure management software provider
16. What does a good demo of expenditure management software look like?

Part 6: Implementation and beyond

17. Timeline: what can you expect?
18. Who should be involved in the implementation?
19. How do you measure adoption in the first few months?

Part 7: Common mistakes

20. What pitfalls should you avoid during implementation?

Part 8: Further reading

21. Conclusion and next steps
22. Frequently asked questions

Part 1: What is expenditure management software?

1. What exactly is expenditure management software?

Expense management software brings all business expenses together in one place: from an employee’s purchase right through to its entry in your accounts. Four steps that are normally carried out separately are all contained within a single system:

• Payment: physical and virtual cards for staff, and sometimes bank transfers as well
• Checking in advance: limits, permitted categories and approval rules
• Recording: scan the receipt, select a category, split the VAT
• Processing: automatic transfer to AFAS, Exact, SAP or similar

The difference lies in that integration. Without expense management software, you have a corporate credit card from the bank, an expense claim app for one-off expenses, cash on hand at various locations, and finance staff who enter everything manually. A single platform replaces that entire process.

Just imagine: a team leader at a care home goes shopping for the day centre at her location. She takes money from the till, keeps the receipt and sends it to head office after a week, where it is entered into the accounts and checked. Processing time: two weeks. Prone to errors, and virtually no oversight.

With expense management software, this can be done more quickly and with fewer errors. That same team leader is given a card linked to her location budget. She pays in the shop, takes a photo of the receipt in the app, and the finance team can see the transaction on the same day.

2. Expense management software, expense claim app, corporate credit card or Excel: what’s the difference?

A frequently asked question: “We already have an expense claim app and corporate credit cards. Do we still need expense management software?” That depends on what each solution does and doesn’t do. Below, they are compared side by side.

Expense claim software Processes expenses retrospectively. An employee pays out of their own pocket first (using personal funds, their own credit card or debit card), takes a photo of the receipt later, and submits a claim. Suitable for travel expenses, lunches with clients and one-off purchases.

That leaves four things:

• Advance payment: staff pay out of their own pockets first and wait for their money
• No prior check: you only realise you’ve spent too much when you come to claim it back
• Cash remains: for places that only accept cash
• Administration for staff members: form, justification, waiting

Corporate credit cards from banks They provide you with a means of payment, but little control. The typical business credit card has a single high limit, no built-in categorisation, and at best provides a monthly statement that you have to process yourself. This works well for a managing director who is travelling; it is less suitable for issuing payment methods to dozens of employees with different needs and responsibilities.

Excel is the most common “solution”, and the least suitable. Many organisations track expenditure in spreadsheets, check it manually, and enter each transaction into the accounts one by one. That works fine with twenty staff members and a hundred transactions a month. But with one hundred and fifty staff members and thousands of transactions, it becomes a time-consuming process where errors are inevitable.

Expense management software solves this problem in one go

You issue payment methods yourself, rather than the bank. You record expenses at the time of payment, rather than retrospectively using expense claim software. And everything synchronises automatically with your accounting system or ERP, rather than getting bogged down in Excel. All these features are contained within a single platform, with checks carried out in real time rather than retrospectively.

For a small team of five people with few recurring expenses, traditional solutions still work just fine. But as the organisation grows, new locations are added and more people incur expenses, you’ll start to run into systemic problems.

Part 2: Why organisations are switching

3. When is your organisation ready for expenditure management software? Five signs

Five common signs seen in organisations that have recently made the switch. If you recognise three or more of them, it’s worth looking into a platform.

Sign 1: Your team spends more time on small expenses than on large ones

In many Dutch finance teams, a large proportion of their time is spent on small, high-frequency expenses that account for only a fraction of the total costs. Groceries for the department, parking fees, minor maintenance jobs, lunches. These are the transactions where the processing costs are close to, or even higher than, the amount itself.

If this sounds familiar – if staff in your finance team are spending hours each week re-entering, classifying or correcting small amounts – then there is probably a more efficient way of doing things.

Sign 2: You have cash on hand at several locations

Cash in hand is a hidden cost. It needs to be replenished, secured, counted and accounted for. Receipts go missing, totals don’t add up, and staff disagree about who spent what. And it poses a security risk – both financial and practical – for the people who manage it.

Many healthcare organisations, educational institutions and local authorities still handle cash at multiple locations. Not out of conviction, but simply because that is how things have always been done. For these organisations, simply replacing cash with payment cards that can be centrally monitored represents an immediate benefit. Sector-specific situations – such as school trips in the education sector or client funds in the healthcare sector – require individual consideration.

Sign 3: You don’t have real-time insight into your spending

Ask yourself: if you want to know today how much a specific department has spent so far this month, how long will it take you to find out? In organisations that still use expense claims and manual processing, the answer is often: until the end of the month, sometimes even longer. It is only when the accounts are finalised that all the figures come in.

This means that budget overruns only become apparent once they have already occurred. A project manager who exceeds the project budget may not realise this until the project is almost complete. That is no way to manage the project proactively based on figures.

Sign 4: Approval processes are carried out via email or WhatsApp

How does the expenditure approval process currently work? If the answer is: “We send an email to the manager”, or “We just send a text”, then you don’t have a process; you have a habit. It works as long as it works, but it doesn’t provide an audit trail, it depends on who’s available, and it isn’t scalable.

In an organisation with thirty staff, this might still work. With one hundred and fifty staff, it becomes utter chaos. And if you ever have to undergo an audit, or need to demonstrate compliance ahead of an acquisition or investment round, “we’ll just send a text” is not an acceptable answer.

Sign 5: You have multiple branches, limited companies or teams, each with their own budgets

Multiple locations, different business units or entities, teams with their own budgets: as soon as this is the case, centralised control becomes a lot more difficult. Who is spending what, on which cost centre, and for which project? This is the most common reason for switching providers.

A healthcare organisation with eight sites faces different challenges to a company with a single office. An educational institution with five faculties, each with its own budget, faces different challenges to a school with a single governing body. As soon as “centralised oversight with local implementation” becomes a real problem, you will come up against the limits of your current approach.

4. What are the hidden costs of manual expenditure management?

Whenever an investment is being considered, the counter-question inevitably arises: what does the current process actually cost? These costs are rarely listed as a single line item in the accounts. Here are the four items that carry the most weight.

Cost 1: Time spent by finance staff

The biggest cost item is usually not visible as a single expense. It lies in the time your finance team spends on administrative processing. Do the maths: how many hours a week does your team spend entering receipts, reconciling credit card transactions, chasing up missing receipts and correcting errors?

A conservative estimate: for an organisation with a hundred staff and a thousand transactions a month, this quickly adds up to six to ten hours a week. At an average wage of €40 an hour (including employer’s contributions), that works out at €1,000–€1,600 a month. Per year: €12,000–€20,000.

And that is only the visible time. In addition, there is the time that operational managers spend on approvals, the time that staff spend submitting expense claims, and the time lost on reconciliation at the end of the month.

Lesson 2: Mistakes and corrections

Manual processes lead to errors. A general ledger account entered incorrectly, a typing error in the amount, a claim submitted twice. Not only does every error take time to correct; it also disrupts reporting, leads to awkward conversations with budget owners, and undermines confidence in the figures.

These errors come to light during an audit, and you have to explain them one by one. They must be corrected at month-end. They cause unnecessary confusion during internal discussions about budgets.

Cost 3: Lost VAT refund

Lost receipts, transactions without supporting documents, expense claims that were never submitted. All of this represents turnover that you can no longer account for in your VAT return. An organisation with €500,000 in minor expenses per year can easily lose a few thousand euros a year in missed VAT refunds.

Cost 4: Poor use of existing budgets

If you don’t know how much a department has spent by the end of the month, you can’t make any adjustments. Some teams have already exceeded their annual budget by October without anyone realising; other teams still have 30% left in December and are rushing to spend it so as not to receive less next year. Both scenarios are bad for the organisation.

Real-time insight into expenditure changes all that. Not because it alters the figures, but because it enables you to take action in good time.

5. What will change: for finance, staff and management

The transition affects three groups in different ways: finance, the staff who make the payments, and management. Analysing these three groups separately will help with both your business case and the implementation.

For the finance team

The biggest benefit is that you spend less time on transactional work, leaving you with more time for strategic work. So fewer hours spent processing individual receipts, and more time for analysis, business partnering and proactive management. And let’s be honest: it’s much more fun to work on the future than to upload receipts.

Less work and greater control are not mutually exclusive. When transactions are automatically recorded and categorised, this actually provides the overview that manual processing can never achieve.

What’s changing with expenditure management software:

• Month-end closings take less time, as they are updated throughout the week;
• As the data is already structured, the VAT returns are more reliable;
• Reports are available more quickly, and they’re accurate;
• Every transaction has an audit trail, so an audit no longer involves any searching;
• Because the data is consistent, you can finally run analyses on it.

For staff

The working day becomes easier for staff with a payment card. No more advance payment discussions with the finance department, no more filling in forms for every expense claim, and no more waiting weeks for reimbursement. They simply take out the card, pay, take a photo of the receipt, and they’re done.

Things will also change for managers who approve expenditure. Instead of individual emails, there will be a structured workflow with clear responsibilities. The approval process will take less time because the relevant context (category, cost centre, previous behaviour) is already available.

For management

For the board and management, the benefits lie in insight and governance: real-time dashboards, reliable figures and verifiable processes. At a board meeting, you can answer questions about spending patterns straight away, rather than saying, “I’ll come back to that next week”.

During due diligence – whether for an acquisition, an investment or a grant – you can demonstrate that your financial affairs are in order. This is not only reassuring for external parties; it is reassuring for you too.

Part 3: Types of solutions

6. Expenditure management, procure-to-pay, expense claim software: what’s the difference?

The market for spend management solutions is not homogeneous. There are six categories, each with a different focus. They overlap to some extent: spend management and expense claim software, for example, both handle expense claims. But they are designed to address different problems. It is important to understand this distinction before drawing up a shortlist, otherwise you will be comparing platforms on the wrong criteria. One clarification beforehand: in the procurement world, “spend management” is also used to refer to other areas, such as sourcing, supplier management and spend analysis, and that procurement domain falls outside the scope of this guide.

The six categories in a single table:

Expenditure management platforms

This is what people usually mean when they talk about “expense management software”. The focus is on managing operational expenditure: issuing cards, recording transactions, processing expense claims, handling simple invoices, and synchronising everything with the accounts.

Typical use cases: cash replacement at various locations, travel expenses, small purchases, SaaS subscriptions, marketing budgets. Most modern tools in this category combine card issuance with expense claims and invoice processing within a single platform.

This is suitable for organisations that want to control their day-to-day and operational expenditure, particularly those with multiple branches or teams. Most medium-sized to large organisations in the healthcare, education and local government sectors, as well as SMEs, fall into this category. In the Netherlands, SimpledCard is a well-known spend management platform.

Procure-to-pay (P2P) platforms

P2P platforms cover the entire procurement process, from requesting a purchase to paying the supplier. This includes purchase orders, supplier management, contract management, invoice matching against purchase orders, and payment workflows. Much of this process falls outside the scope of spend management.

Typical use cases: organisations with complex procurement processes, a large number of suppliers, formal tendering rules, or strict compliance requirements. Many large manufacturing companies, hospitals and public sector organisations use P2P platforms.

This is suitable for larger organisations with a fully-fledged procurement function. For a medium-sized healthcare organisation with thirty suppliers and few formal purchase order processes, a full P2P platform is often overkill; such an organisation is better served by a spend management platform.

Expense claim software

The narrowest category: software specifically designed to process employees’ expense claims. No card issuance, no invoice processing, no payments. It deals solely with the submission, approval and reimbursement of expenses that employees have advanced, including the mileage allowance, which in the Netherlands has its own tax-free limit and its own administrative rules.

This is suitable for organisations where expense claims are the only expenditure stream that has not yet been streamlined, for example where business mileage constitutes the largest item of expenditure. It is often used to complement other systems. Find out more about the rules and rates: kilometre allowance.

T&E/travel platforms

Travel and expense platforms such as Concur, Rydoo and Perk are built around business travel. Bookings, travel policies, mileage tracking and the associated expense claims are all part of a single process: the trip is booked centrally in advance, and any expenses incurred whilst travelling are processed in accordance with that same policy.

Typical use cases: international consultancy firms, sales teams that travel frequently, organisations with a formal travel policy.

This is suitable for organisations where business travel is the main expenditure stream and travel is booked centrally in advance. It is less suitable for organisations with a wide range of decentralised expenditure, such as venue costs, small purchases and team expenses. In such cases, travel is just one of many expenditure streams, and a T&E platform lacks the card issuance and pre-authorisation controls required for the rest of the expenditure.

AP/invoice automation

Software such as Scan Sys, Elvy, Basecone and Basware automates the accounts payable and invoicing process: incoming invoices are recognised (OCR), routed to the appropriate approvers and prepared for posting and payment in the accounting software. It is a point solution for a single specific workflow, and it usually handles that workflow very well.

This is suitable for organisations with a large or complex invoice flow that wish to eliminate manual processing. It is important to bear in mind that invoices and card expenditure are separate flows. AP automation therefore works closely alongside a card platform – many organisations use both – but is not a replacement for it: it does not issue payment instruments and does not provide prior control over expenditure that falls outside the invoice flow.

Accounting and banking-led modules

The expense claim or card module within your own accounting software or online banking platform. No additional supplier, no extra integration: the functionality is built into an environment your organisation already knows and trusts, and the data automatically ends up in the right place.

This is suitable for organisations with a limited, straightforward expenditure flow that primarily wish to streamline expense claims and value an all-in-one solution. It is less suitable for organisations wishing to issue cards to multiple teams or locations: these modules generally offer fewer options in terms of pre-authorisation controls, such as limits per card or per category, and management across multiple locations. The fact that the module is already included in your package makes it easy to get started, but does not automatically make it the right choice.

T&E, AP automation, accounting-led modules and procure-to-pay are the four components of the spend management platform. They overlap at the edges, but each addresses a different core issue.

Can’t we just do this in our accounting software?

Each package has its own solution, although the format varies. With AFAS, the expense claim functionality is an integral part of the platform, accessible via HRM and the Pocket app. Exact uses SRXP, which remains a standalone product but integrates well with its own product lines. SRXP processes expense claims retrospectively; it does not issue cards and does not offer any pre-spend checks on the expenditure itself. Both go beyond just expense claims: mileage allowances and home-working allowances are also handled. For some organisations, that is sufficient. If expense claims are your only non-streamlined process, your organisation is small and you have deliberately opted for an all-in-one solution, the module included in your software package is an excellent starting point.

It stops where the requirements become more extensive: issuing cards to teams or locations, carrying out checks before issuance rather than processing them afterwards, and managing across multiple locations or entities. These modules were not designed for that.

Incidentally, using a specialised tool alongside your accounting software is the norm, not the exception. The “State of European Accounting Tech 2026” survey by Chift (via Accountancy Vanmorgen, 26 May 2026) reveals that 74% of SMEs use an average of three additional financial tools alongside their accounting software, and that data integration (31%) carries more weight than price (30%). The question, therefore, is not whether you work alongside your software, but whether the integration is effective.

What suits whom?

The rest of this guide focuses primarily on spend management: the category that most medium-sized to large organisations fall into.

7. What pricing models are available for expenditure management software?

It is difficult to compare the prices of expense management software, as platforms charge in different ways. A tool that appears cheaper at first glance may end up being much more expensive in your situation, or vice versa. You will come across three pricing models.

Model 1: Per cardholder

Many international platforms charge per ‘cardholder’, i.e. per employee who has cards. One employee may have several cards (one physical, two virtual), but counts as a single cardholder. Employees without a card – such as those in the finance team, controllers and approvers – usually incur no charge.

Advantages:

• Predictable if you have a stable number of cardholders;
• Affordable for small teams where everyone pays on a daily basis.

Disadvantages:

• This applies to every employee who needs to be able to make the odd payment, even if it’s only a few times a year;
• Additional features are often included in a higher tier, meaning you end up paying more for all cardholders as soon as you need just one feature;
• Be aware of hidden charges for certain transactions, such as those in foreign currencies.

Indicative prices: €6–€15 per cardholder per month (entry tier), €12–€25 per cardholder per month (extended tier).

Model 2: Map bundles

Some Dutch platforms charge on a bundle basis: a fixed monthly fee for a package of cards, which includes a fair-use allowance for transactions and spending. You choose the bundle that suits the number of cards and your organisation’s normal usage. If usage increases on a long-term basis, you can move up to the next bundle. If you need more capacity temporarily – for example, during a seasonal peak or whilst working on a project – you can temporarily increase the transaction or spending limit without having to switch to a permanently more expensive package. You can purchase additional features as add-ons to your package.

Advantages:

• Predictable: a single monthly fee, regardless of how many staff members approve, check or view documents;
• You can cope with peaks by temporarily increasing capacity, rather than by having a permanently higher tier;
• You pay for cards and usage, not per person: if someone leaves or is replaced, you simply reallocate a card, and your bundle remains the same.

Disadvantages:

• If you consistently have more transactions or spend more than your package covers, you’ll move up a package;
• Less advantageous when you have only a handful of cards and few transactions: in that case, you’re paying for space you don’t use.

Current rates by supplier, with the reference date, can be found on our comparison page.

Model 3: Based on transaction volume

Procure-to-pay platforms, in particular, charge based on the number of transactions processed, possibly in combination with the number of cards and specific features. The difference compared to a package deal is that you pay per transaction, with no fixed usage allowance. It scales in line with your actual usage.

Advantages:

• Suitable for highly fluctuating transaction volumes;
• No underutilisation of capacity.

Disadvantages:

• Less predictable if you don’t know exactly how you’re going to use it;
• Pricing is often more customised, making it harder to compare.

Which model is best suited to your organisation?

That depends mainly on how payment is organised within your organisation. Three questions to ask yourself:

1. How many staff members should be able to pay, and how often? Many staff members who make occasional payments: the cost per cardholder adds up, whereas a bundle does not. A small team that makes daily payments: a per-cardholder option is often more cost-effective.
2. How many platform users do you have who don’t have a card? Think of finance teams, controllers, approvers and managers who simply approve. In per-cardholder and bundle schemes, these are not usually included in the price; in transaction-based models, they sometimes are.
3. Is your usage stable, growing or seasonal? Per cardholder keeps pace with the team’s growth. A bundle keeps pace with usage and temporarily absorbs peaks.

Take a healthcare organisation with 150 staff members and 12 sites, where two or three staff members handle the spending at each site: around 30 cardholders, with numbers peaking around the festive season. With a per-cardholder model of around €11 per month, you’d pay around €330 per month, and that figure rises as soon as stand-ins and evening shift staff also need their own cards. With a bundle for 30 cards, you pay a single fixed amount; a stand-in takes the card from the colleague who is away, and you can cope with the December peak by temporarily increasing the number of cards.

Conversely: a consultancy with eight staff members who each pay a daily fee and require little else. For eight cardholders, the cost works out at around €90 per month; the smallest package would then probably offer more allowance than you use. Here’s the more cost-effective option per cardholder. Always work out the figures using the current rates from the providers on your shortlist.

If there’s a difference of a hundred euros or more per month between providers’ prices, find out what accounts for that difference. Better integration with your accounting system, more reliable handling of your data and your money, and someone you can actually get hold of when you have a query: that difference often pays for itself in no time.

8. What is the difference between an international and a Dutch expenditure management platform?

All platforms offer maps, an app and a dashboard. The difference lies in what they were originally designed for: the Dutch way of working, or for dozens of countries at once. That makes more of a difference than you might expect. The dividing line isn’t the number of entities, but whether you operate globally and how much local support you value.

Strengths by platform type:

What international platforms do well

Operating on a global scale is where international platforms excel. Do you have entities across several continents, dealing with dozens of currencies and local accounting systems? If so, an international platform often offers a more natural solution than one built from the Netherlands.

Furthermore, native integrations with international accounting software (NetSuite, SAP, Oracle) are standard on international platforms, whereas Dutch platforms more often set up these integrations on a per-client basis.

What makes a Dutch platform different

A Dutch platform is not simply a platform that can run AFAS. It is a platform built around the way finance teams work here. This can be summarised in four points.

Practical experience and the sectors. A supplier familiar with the Dutch financial landscape does not need to be told what the WKR is, how VAT categories work, or why a healthcare organisation, a school board and a local authority each have different accountability requirements. This makes a difference to the set-up and to every subsequent discussion.

Payment methods accepted here. In the Netherlands, people pay online using iDEAL, and in-store, the card simply needs to work at the supermarket, the DIY store and at the petrol station, including contactless payments. On top of that, there is a business account whose balance is covered by the Dutch deposit guarantee scheme – something that is arranged differently in international e-money schemes. Make sure to ask for this explicitly.

Be familiar with your stack, and tackle the tricky bits. AFAS, Exact and Twinfield are familiar names, as is the Dutch scanning and OCR software that often runs alongside them (Scan Sys, Elvy, Basecone), sometimes as a permanent partner. If you work at group level with an international ERP system such as SAP or Business Central, the difference lies not in the logo on the integration page, but in who sets up the link for you and integrates it with your accounting process.

Accessible. Dutch-speaking support during office hours and a dedicated point of contact who knows your organisation. Simple, reliable, and based here: no waiting in a ticket queue in a different time zone, but someone who calls you.

What suits whom?

A Dutch platform is not just for Dutch organisations: most also serve Belgian and German customers, as well as entities elsewhere in the EU. The difference lies in where they originate from. They are built around the Dutch way of working, and other countries have joined in later.

Online expenditure, subscriptions and project costs

Some decision-making processes do not start with a software category, but with a single type of expenditure that is getting out of hand. Two of these are so common that they deserve a separate discussion.

Online publications and subscriptions. SaaS tools purchased on a per-team basis, advertising payments to Google and Meta, subscriptions that quietly continue to be charged to the director’s credit card: online expenditure is the fastest-growing and least visible cost stream in many organisations. The key issue here differs from that of physical expenditure; it involves one card per team or per supplier, limits per subscription, and visibility of what is automatically debited each month before the uncontrolled growth shows up in the annual accounts.

Project costs and remote working. Teams working on-site, on the move or abroad inevitably end up paying outside their own procurement network: the DIY store next to the project site, the port where the ship is moored, the hotel that needs booking tonight. Added to this are peaks – a project phase in which spending limits need to be temporarily raised – and emergency expenditure that cannot wait for an approval process. The question here is how to grant remote spending authority without losing control.

Part 4: What matters in a platform

9. Which features are essential in expense management software?

Before you look at the great features, the basics need to be right. These are the must-haves. If a platform is missing any of them, it’s out of the running, no matter how good the other features are.

Physical and virtual cards

Some purchases are made in-store or at the petrol station, whilst others are made online. A platform that only offers physical cards misses out on half the convenience. A platform that only offers virtual cards forces you to revert to the old way of doing things every time you make a purchase in a shop. Both should be standard options, with the ability to issue a virtual card directly for a specific transaction, such as a one-off purchase.

Also ask how flexible the card issuance process is. Can you quickly activate, block and transfer a card to another member of staff if someone leaves the company or takes over a project? That saves you having to go through the application process every time there’s a change.

Coverage of your actual cash flows

A card isn’t a cure-all. Go through your spending from the past month and see if the platform offers all four options:

• Paying online – and in the Netherlands, that also means iDEAL, not just credit cards;
• Purchases in the shop, at the till or at the petrol pump;
• Small and one-off invoices that need to be paid;
• Claims from staff members who have paid something out of their own pocket.

A platform that only processes card transactions forces you to maintain a second system for everything else. That simply shifts the problem; it doesn’t solve it.

Integration with your accounting system

“Integration” is a much-misused word. Ask specifically: is it a direct link via an API, or does it involve an intermediate step such as a CSV export, manual import or ZIP files? But more importantly: will you receive help with the set-up, or will the supplier leave you to figure it out for yourself? The difference determines whether the integration fits seamlessly into your accounting process, or whether it remains a technical artefact that constantly demands your attention.

For Dutch organisations, your platform must integrate directly with your accounting system: AFAS, Exact, Twinfield, Business Central, or whichever one you use. Not “we have a Zapier integration” or “you can export to Excel”, but a direct synchronisation that is set up in collaboration with you.

Mobile app for recording receipts

Receipts should be recorded at the time of payment, not three weeks later. A good mobile app makes this as simple as possible: take a photo, automatic text recognition, a category suggested based on the shop, and that’s it. If recording receipts takes more than 30 seconds, staff won’t bother.

Spending limits and category checks

The essence of pre-authorisation. Limits per card, per category, per day, per month. The option to exclude certain categories, for example, no cash withdrawals, no entertainment, no travel agencies. And the option to adjust limits whenever necessary.

Multi-step approval workflows

It should not just be a case of “manager approves”. For larger expenditure items, it must be possible to designate a second approver, in line with the four-eyes principle. For specific cost categories, it must be possible to consult a specialist. And in the event of overspending, there must be an exception procedure that remains auditable.

Real-time transaction overview

No delay, not even for a day or a night. Transactions must appear on the dashboard within seconds, showing the category, location, amount and cardholder. This allows you to make decisions based on the figures whilst you still can, rather than after the event.

Audit trail

Who made which change, when, and why? A complete, immutable audit trail is essential for compliance, audits and internal controls. Whilst this is standard on many platforms, you should ask specifically how long the data is retained, whether it can be exported, and whether it is protected against unauthorised alterations.

Multi-site or multi-team management

If you have more than one site or team, your platform must be able to adapt accordingly. Separate budgets per site, reports per cost centre, and a clear division of responsibilities between sites. For multi-entity organisations: separate reports per entity, with a consolidated overview for the group.

A business account with a deposit guarantee

If you can activate a business account or IBAN via the expenditure management platform, please enquire about the balance cover. Different rules apply to e-money accounts than to accounts covered by the Dutch deposit guarantee scheme.

Safety standards

Minimum requirement: PCI-DSS certification. This is the international standard for processing card transactions and payment data, and for expense management software it is the most relevant certification, as cards are at the heart of the platform. A platform without PCI-DSS certification is ruled out.

Depending on your sector, additional requirements may apply. ISO 27001 is sometimes required by larger or internationally operating organisations, but is not a legal requirement for expense management software. ISAE 3402 Type II is relevant if your external auditor requests specific statements regarding internal controls. And check where your data is stored: for the public sector and the healthcare sector, storage within the EU is often a requirement under the GDPR or sector-specific regulations.

The most important piece of advice: work out which certifications are relevant to your situation, not which ones sound the most impressive. A platform with ten certifications, three of which are relevant to your context, is no better than a platform with three certifications, all of which are spot on.

Customer support in a language your team understands

It may sound trivial, but in practice it makes a difference. A platform with support available only in English is not a problem if your entire team speaks English. However, in an organisation where administrative staff do not speak English on a daily basis – such as many healthcare and educational institutions – this becomes a barrier that hinders adoption.

10. Which advanced features are nice-to-haves in expense management software?

These features make the difference between “good enough” and “a real pleasure to work with”. They aren’t essential to get started, but they’re certainly worth having.

Automatic text recognition and categorisation

Good OCR software reads the receipt, recognises the amount, the date and the supplier, and suggests a category. That saves the user a lot of work. The latest generation of tools adds pattern recognition to this: if someone enters the same coffee shop three times as a “client lunch”, the system will suggest it automatically the next time.

Automated general ledger posting

Based on rules set by the finance department, the system automatically determines the correct general ledger account. A refuelling at a particular petrol station is automatically posted to the fuel costs account. This reduces manual work and ensures consistent coding.

Smart reports and dashboards

Standard reports are useful, but the real value lies in reports that you can build yourself. By cost centre, by project, by employee, by supplier, by month. And the ability to click through from an overview to the underlying transactions.

If you use BI tools, check whether it’s possible to export data to Power BI, Tableau or a similar tool.

Advanced workflows and rules

In more complex organisations, you want to be able to set rules that go beyond the basics. “Expenditure over €500 requires additional approval.” “Marketing expenditure goes to the head of marketing.” “International transactions are flagged for review.” With good workflow tools, the system actively supports decision-making rather than merely recording data.

Notifications and reminders

Good platforms actively highlight issues that require attention. An approval pending. A missing receipt. An expense that deviates from the average. Push notifications, email reminders and dashboard alerts, tailored to the user’s role and preferences.

Single sign-on and advanced permissions

In larger organisations, integration with your identity provider – Azure AD, Google Workspace or Okta – is key. Employees then log in using their existing work account, and their access is automatically revoked when they leave. This is often a strict requirement for IT and security.

11. What requirements specific to the Netherlands apply to expenditure management software?

A number of requirements are either not met at all or only partially met by international platforms. You can use this to filter your shortlist, even before you start looking at demos.

iDEAL and Dutch payment methods

In the Netherlands, people pay online using iDEAL. A platform that only handles credit card payments therefore fails to cover a large proportion of your expenditure: subscriptions, one-off orders, and suppliers who do not accept credit cards. Ask explicitly which payment methods are supported and whether iDEAL is one of them. International platforms often assume card payments are standard, as this is the norm in their home market. The same applies to in-person payments: the card must work as normal at the supermarket, the DIY store and at the petrol station, including contactless payments.

AFAS integration

AFAS is the most widely used ERP system amongst Dutch SMEs and across a large part of the public sector. A good AFAS integration means that transactions are automatically synchronised to the correct journal entry, with the correct VAT code and cost centre. So it’s not just an HR integration that synchronises employee data, but full accounting integration.

Ask every supplier about these five points. They apply to AFAS, Exact and Twinfield:

• Journal entries are synchronised automatically, without any intermediate steps;
• VAT is correctly coded in accordance with the Dutch rates;
• Cost centres are included, so you don’t have to reallocate costs afterwards;
• Synchronise dimensions so that your reporting structure remains intact;
• Budgets can be managed directly from within the software itself, rather than being tracked separately.

The last two represent the dividing line between genuine integration and an export with a fancy name. A platform that merely writes off journal entries still leaves you having to do the work manually as soon as your organisation starts managing by dimensions or budgets.

For healthcare organisations, educational institutions and local authorities that use AFAS, a reliable AFAS integration is an absolute must. Rather than focusing on the term “native”, pay more attention to two things: does the integration fulfil the five points listed above, and will the supplier set it up in collaboration with you? Many international platforms offer only an HR integration and no full accounting synchronisation; a Dutch supplier who sets up the integration with you will save you weeks of manual data transfer each year.

Exact Globe or Exact Online integration

Exact Online is the second-largest software package in the Netherlands, particularly amongst SMEs and in the service sector. The same five points apply here, including Dutch VAT rules, cost centres and projects. Larger organisations also use Exact Globe.

Twinfield integration

Twinfield is smaller than AFAS and Exact, but is widely used by accountancy firms and their clients. If your external accountant uses Twinfield, integration with this system is required to transfer your accounts without any manual intervention.

Your own stack, including an international ERP system

Many organisations use a combination of systems: an accounting package for the main accounts, a second system for other entities or for the external accountant, and sometimes an international ERP such as SAP or Business Central at group level. Don’t ask whether a platform supports “all software packages”, but how it integrates with your specific combination and who will set it up. A supplier who works with you to set up the integration with your international ERP is more valuable than a long list of logos on an integration page.

OCR and scanning software

Many Dutch organisations have been using OCR software to process receipts and invoices for years. Scan Sys, Elvy, Basecone and White Vision are the most commonly used. An expense management platform that integrates directly with these tools complements your existing processes rather than replacing them. This is a typically Dutch requirement: international platforms almost never offer these integrations, as these tools are rarely used outside the Netherlands.

Dutch VAT processing

The Netherlands has three rates: 21%, 9% and 0%. These must be applied correctly for each category and entered in the appropriate sections of the VAT return. Ask in the demo how the platform does this, and have it calculate the figures for a few of your own transactions. Having to make manual corrections month after month is no fun for your accountant, and it undermines the whole benefit of automated processing.

Data hosting within the EU

For many Dutch organisations (government, healthcare, financial services), hosting within the EU is a requirement under the GDPR, NEN standards or sector-specific regulations. Ask specifically where your data is stored; for some international platforms, this is in the US, even though they operate in Europe.

Dutch-language interface and support

This makes a huge difference to adoption within your organisation. A receptionist at a healthcare facility, a caretaker at a school or a front-desk staff member at a local council do not want an English-language app. A Dutch-language interface and Dutch-language support during office hours are essential to ensure the tool is adopted beyond the finance team. Furthermore, a Customer Success Manager who understands the Dutch healthcare or education sectors can help address issues that do not arise in an international context.

12. Which evaluation criteria are often overlooked during the selection process?

Three requirements that are often overlooked in shortlist interviews, but which carry significant weight in hindsight.

Exit strategy

What happens to your data if you want to switch providers in two years’ time? Can you export everything, in what format, and how comprehensive will the export be? Will you still have access to historical transactions after cancelling your contract? A provider who beats round the bush on this issue is giving you a clue as to how they’ll behave in the future.

Update cycle and roadmap

How often are new features released? What happens to customer feedback? Is there a public roadmap? A platform that hasn’t released any new features for two years is a warning sign. You’re buying a tool for the next five years, not just for the present.

Onboarding and training

What does the implementation involve, who will be involved, and how much training will your team and end users receive? A platform that is technically flawless but which your staff do not use is of no use. Ask about implementation processes at similar organisations, and be cautious about “self-service onboarding” if your organisation is large.

Part 5: The selection process

13. How do you draw up the business case?

The trickiest part is usually not making the choice, but convincing the CFO or the board. A good business case isn’t just a file full of figures. It’s a story that links the current situation to where you want to go.

Step 1: Identify your current costs

Before you can propose anything new, you need to be clear about the cost of the current process. Take the following into account:

• Hours spent by the finance team on processing, checking and reconciliation;
• Hours spent by operational managers on approvals and corrections;
• Hours spent by staff on submitting expense claims;
• Costs arising from errors: corrective entries, delays, audit findings;
• Missed VAT refund due to lost receipts;
• Cash management: replenishing, checking and securing cash;
• Software licences that overlap, such as separate expense claim software or banking applications.

Convert this to an annual figure. For a medium-sized organisation with 100 to 200 employees and 8 to 15 sites, this often amounts to between €40,000 and €80,000 per year in visible costs. On top of that, there are the hidden costs, such as reduced strategic input from the finance department.

Step 2: Set out the benefits in concrete terms

Avoid vague promises such as “more efficient processes”. Make it measurable:

• The number of hours per week that the finance team has freed up;
• A faster month-end process, for example, reducing the time from eight days to three;
• Real-time insight into budget utilisation;
• Fewer adjusting entries;
• Faster detection and prevention of fraud cases;
• A higher VAT refund;
• Less cash on hand within the organisation.

Don’t forget the intangible benefits either: less frustration amongst staff, greater commitment from site managers, and reports you can rely on.

Step 3: Work out the total cost of ownership

Don’t compare the licence fees, but the total costs over three to five years:

• Annual licence fees;
• Implementation costs, one-off;
• Training costs and the time your own team puts into it;
• Integration costs, if these are not standard;
• Migration costs for transferring legacy data.

A platform that costs €5,000 less per year but involves €30,000 in implementation costs does not represent a saving if the contract term is uncertain.

Step 4: Draw up the business case for your CFO

The CFO doesn’t read technical specifications. Summarise the following on a single page:

• The problem, in financial terms;
• The solution, in broad terms;
• The annual saving, conservatively estimated;
• The payback period;
• The risks, and how to cover them.

Formula for calculating the payback period: the annual benefits from step 2 (based on the €12,000–€20,000 in time saved from step 1) divided by the total costs from step 3, expressed in months.

The detailed comparison should be included in the appendix. The decision point is on page one.

14. Step-by-step guide: from requirements to shortlist

In six to eight weeks, you’ll go from having a vague idea to a well-founded shortlist.

Weeks 1–2: Internal needs assessment

Before you start looking at suppliers, you need to know what your organisation needs. Talk to:

• The finance team: what are the biggest time-wasters?
• Operations managers: how do you rate the current approval process?
• IT: What integrations are available, and what restrictions apply?
• End users in different roles: how do they currently experience expense claims?
• The external auditor: what are the requirements from an audit perspective?

Result: a list of must-haves, nice-to-haves and deal-breakers, plus a rough estimate of the number of cards and users.

Week 3: Market research

Draw up a long list of potential suppliers. Sources:

• Recommendations from colleagues at similar organisations;
• Reviews on platforms such as Capterra, G2 and GetApp;
• Trade journals and discussions on LinkedIn.

Aim for 8 to 12 platforms. Then start narrowing them down.

Week 4: Filtering to create a shortlist

Use your must-haves as a filter. That usually narrows the list down quite quickly:

• No native AFAS integration? Forget it.
• No support in Dutch? It depends on your team.
• No multi-entity management? Never mind, if that’s what you need.
• No locally accepted cards? Never mind – if the aim is to act as a cash substitute.

Your shortlist now consists of three to five platforms.

Week 5: Planning demos

Arrange demos with the shortlisted candidates. Be specific about what you want to see, as a generic demo is a waste of time. Ask for scenarios from your own business: “Show me how a location card is issued and how the manager adjusts the budget.” Or: “Show me how a transaction is automatically synchronised with Exact.”

Week 6: In-depth evaluation

After the demonstrations, each supplier will be given the same questionnaire, which is set out in the next chapter. Also ask for references from similar organisations. Not just a wall full of logos, but people you can actually ring.

Weeks 7–8: Decision and contract negotiations

You make your decision based on the assessment. Negotiate on:

• Pricing structure, including what happens as your business grows;
• Support with implementation;
• SLAs for support;
• Exit conditions and data portability.

Ensure that the pilot is also set out as a contractual agreement, not as a non-binding promise: a clearly defined scope (for example, one location or team), a fixed duration, and an exit clause that applies without any costs or notice period should the pilot fail to meet the pre-agreed criteria.

15. The key questions you should ask every expenditure management software provider

Ten questions to ask in every demo meeting. Take them with you and make a note of the answers, so that you can compare the suppliers on your shortlist.

1. How is our accounting software supported, and what exactly is synchronised? Ask for details on journal entries, VAT codes, cost centres, dimensions and budgets, and who will set up the integration for us.
2. Does this synchronisation take place in real time or in batches, and what happens if something goes wrong?
3. Which payment methods are supported, and does iDEAL feature amongst them?
4. How are cards issued, how long does it take, and can they be transferred to another member of staff?
5. Are invoices and expense claims also processed, in addition to card transactions?
6. How do approvals, card- or category-based budgets, and management across multiple entities work?
7. Where is our balance held, how is it protected, and how is the platform funded?
8. What certifications does the platform hold, and where is our data stored?
9. How long will it take before we go live? Please ask separately about the KYC processing time and the implementation itself, as these are two different things.
10. What will the pricing structure look like as we grow, and what happens to our data if we cancel our subscription?

16. What does a good demonstration of expenditure management software look like?

A demo shows what a platform is capable of. To assess whether it’s right for you, you need to run the demo. There are a few things that will help with this.

Send us details of your own situation in advance

Please send us a real-life scenario from your own organisation in advance. For example: “We are a healthcare organisation with eight sites and want to replace cash with site cards that have budgets. Show us how we can get started today, how the first site manager’s account will be set up, and how the first transaction to AFAS will be processed.”

A good supplier will tailor the demo to that. A supplier who, despite your briefing, just goes through their standard pitch, is giving you a glimpse of what it will be like once you’re a customer.

Call for realistic scenarios

Ask what happens if things don’t go perfectly:

• What happens if an employee forgets the receipt?
• What does a rejected transaction look like?
• What happens when an employee leaves the company?
• What happens when a payment fails?

Such situations are rarely included in a standard demo, and that’s precisely where you get a sense of how a platform works in practice.

Go through the user roles

Ask the supplier to run the demo not only from the finance perspective, but also from:

• The manager who approves;
• The employee using the card;
• The administrator who manages access.

It is that second perspective in particular that counts. The success of the adoption depends entirely on what the staff member thinks of it, and they are usually not present at the demo.

Formulate the reference question

Conclude by asking: “Could we speak to two clients of a similar size, from a similar sector?” A good supplier will arrange this. If a supplier beats about the bush, it is best to exercise caution.

Part 6: Implementation and beyond

17. Timeline: what can you expect?

How long it takes to go live depends on the complexity of your organisation. In practice, lead times range from a few weeks to several months. Below are three profiles.

Simple profile

• A single location or branch;
• A single accounting system;
• A limited number of users;
• A standard approval process;
• Existing processes that can be transferred on a one-to-one basis.

With this profile, most of the time is spent setting up the platform, providing a brief training session and issuing the first cards.

Standard profile

• 3 to 10 locations;
• A single accounting system with adjustments at cost centre level;
• 25 to 100 users;
• Multi-stage approval process;
• Migration from existing expense claim software.

This is the most common scenario. Allow a few weeks for technical integration, a few weeks for the first pilot site, and a few weeks for the phased roll-out to the rest.

Complex profile

• More than 10 sites, or multiple entities;
• Multiple accounting systems, or integrations that require customisation;
• More than 100 users with different roles;
• A multi-tiered approval hierarchy;
• Specific compliance requirements, such as those in the public sector or the healthcare sector.

In larger organisations, a phased roll-out is important. Start with one or two sites as a pilot, assess what works and what doesn’t, and only then roll it out to the other sites.

You should also enquire separately about the KYC processing time. Gathering documentation relating to directors, UBOs and the Chamber of Commerce precedes the card issue and is often the longest part of the process.

Going live isn’t the same as being ready

The first three months after going live will determine whether the platform is used. You should expect to need active support during that period, both internally and from the supplier.

18. Who should be involved in the implementation?

An implementation is neither an IT project nor a finance project. It affects the entire organisation, which means you need five roles.

Project sponsor: CFO or Finance Director

Someone with the authority to make decisions and remove obstacles. They do not need to be involved on a day-to-day basis, but must be available for escalations and for the quarterly reviews.

Project Leader: Finance Manager or Controller

The day-to-day driving force. Organises, liaises between internal and external parties, and monitors progress. Expect this to take up 30 to 50 per cent of a working week whilst the implementation is underway.

Technical lead from IT

Responsible for the integrations with other systems. Ensures that AFAS, Exact, Twinfield or Business Central are correctly integrated, that SSO works, and that data is transferred securely.

Champions by venue or team

People who embrace the platform early on and promote it within their workplace or team. They determine whether it will take on a life of its own beyond official communications, and that is where adoption comes from.

External partner: supplier and, where applicable, a consultant

As well as the supplier, a consultant with implementation experience can be of assistance, particularly where there are multiple entities, complex integrations or significantly differing processes. It is not always necessary, but it is worth considering.

19. How do you measure adoption in the first few months?

Implementation doesn’t end when the system goes live. The first three months will determine whether the platform will be a success or end up as an expensive tool that nobody uses. You’ll need to keep track of this.

Month 1: activation

• What proportion of the cards issued have actually been activated?
• What proportion of users have carried out at least one transaction?
• Which venues or teams are ahead or behind?

Aim for 80 per cent activation within thirty days. If you fall short of that, there is an adoption problem that you need to tackle now, rather than in three months’ time.

Month 2: compliance

• Which transactions are accompanied by a receipt?
• Which part will be accounted for within the agreed timeframe?
• Which users consistently lag behind?

Aim for 90 per cent compliance within a week. The platform’s reminder system does most of the work here.

Month 3: process improvement

• How much time does the finance team actually save?
• How have the processing times for approvals changed?
• What do users say could be improved?
• Which features are hardly ever used?

This gives you two things: evidence to back up your business case after the event, and input for what you still want to set up.

Ongoing: satisfaction

A short survey after the first sixty days, and then annually. Not only amongst finance staff, but also amongst cardholders, authorisers and management. Satisfaction is a good indicator of whether the platform will still be in use in two years’ time.

Part 7: Common mistakes

20. What pitfalls should you avoid during implementation?

Four common mistakes. Nothing to worry about, but it’s good to be aware of them in advance.

Mistake 1: choosing the wrong scope

Too limited: you choose a tool that only handles maps or only expense claims, whilst your organisation needs an integrated solution. Two years later, you reach its limits and end up having to switch after all.

Too broad: you opt for a full procure-to-pay platform when, in practice, you need spend management. You end up paying for features that nobody uses, and the implementation becomes unnecessarily complex.

Base your decision on your current needs plus two years’ growth, not on a hypothetical situation five years from now.

Mistake 2: changing trains too early or too late

Too soon: your organisation is too small to cope with the complexity, and you’re paying for features that nobody uses. For a small team, a simple expense claim app is often sufficient.

It’s too late: you’ve been doing things manually for years, all sorts of workarounds have cropped up, and the migration is becoming more complicated than it needs to be. The longer you wait, the more disparate systems you’ll have to integrate.

Most organisations reach this point when they have multiple sites or teams, and realise that their current process does not scale.

Mistake 3: underestimating compliance and governance

In the public sector, healthcare and education, compliance is not just a tick-box exercise but a requirement that guides the entire implementation process. Consider, for example, specific audit requirements, data hosting within the EU, sector-specific guidelines, or the statements your accountant needs.

Involve your compliance officer or external auditor at an early stage in the selection process. Any platform that does not meet a compliance requirement will be ruled out, however user-friendly it may be. Public sector organisations also face a specific question: does this need to be put out to tender? Involve your procurement department at an early stage.

Mistake 4: Underestimating adoption

The platform works from a technical point of view, but people aren’t using it. This is the most common reason why implementations fail. Users stick to their old habits, the finance department still has to do the work manually, and the business case never pays off.

You should therefore invest in the transition itself. Explain what is changing and why, actively train staff, appoint champions at each site, and measure adoption during those first three months rather than waiting for the annual review.

Part 8: Further reading

21. Conclusion and next steps

Choosing expenditure management software is not a technical decision but an organisational one. The platform you choose determines how your finance team works, how staff manage their day-to-day expenditure, and what management can use to steer the business.

There is no such thing as the best platform. However, there is a best platform for your organisation. A tool that works brilliantly for an international tech start-up may be unsuitable for a Dutch healthcare organisation, and a tool that is a perfect fit for a manufacturing company may be far too complex for a local authority.

Five questions to bear in mind:

• What are my real needs today, and in two years’ time?
• Which integrations are critical for my organisation?
• Which pricing model suits my card strategy?
• What compliance requirements apply?
• What support does my team need?

By asking these questions, following a structured selection process and ensuring a well-organised implementation, you’ll choose the solution that will last for five years, rather than the one that sounds best today.

Is SimpledCard right for your situation?

This guide has been produced by SimpledCard. It therefore also explains who we are not the right solution for.

SimpledCard is a good fit for:

• Medium-sized and large organisations in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany with multiple sites, teams or entities, even if there are ten or more of them;
• Organisations that wish to replace cash and staff advances with cards issued per location, project or team, in an employee’s name and with their own budget;
• Finance teams using AFAS, Exact (Online or Globe) or Twinfield, or an international ERP system for which we will set up the integration in collaboration with you;
• Organisations that already use Scan Sys, Elvy or Basecone and wish to retain their integrations;
• Finance teams looking for a supplier who is familiar with Dutch business practices, offers support in Dutch and has a dedicated point of contact;
• Finance teams who aren’t looking for AI hype, but for smart features that actually work: AI where it matters and has been proven to work, not just for show;
• Organisations that wish to hold their balance in a business account under the Dutch deposit guarantee scheme.

SimpledCard is less suitable for:

• Organisations that operate globally, dealing with dozens of currencies and local accounting systems outside the EU; international platforms have been specifically designed for this purpose;
• Organisations looking for a comprehensive procure-to-pay platform, including purchase orders and comprehensive supplier management;
• Very small teams with just a handful of cards and few trades, where the starter pack offers more space than is needed.

We’d love to hear about your organisation’s needs and challenges, and work with you to see if we have a suitable solution. Book an appointment

Further resources

Dutch accounting software packages with native integrations:

• AFAS Software: afas.nl (accessed 28 May 2026)
• Exact Online: exact.com/nl (accessed 28 May 2026)
• Twinfield (Wolters Kluwer): twinfield.nl (accessed 28 May 2026)

Regulation and compliance:

• Dutch Data Protection Authority (GDPR): authoritypersonal-data.nl (accessed 28 May 2026)
• Tax and Customs Administration (VAT rules and retention periods): belastingdienst.nl (accessed 28 May 2026)

Comparison platforms for independent supplier research:

• Capterra, Spend Management category: capterra.com
• G2, Spend Management category: g2.com

About this guide

This guide has been compiled based on what SimpledCard has learnt over ten years of working with Dutch finance teams, including clients in the healthcare, education and local government sectors, and organisations that use AFAS, Exact or Twinfield.

Is there a situation that isn’t covered here? Please let us know, and we’ll look into it.

This guide is intended to provide general information and does not constitute legal, tax or compliance advice. For specific situations, we recommend that you consult your own advisers.