# The spend management software solution for smarter spending Brex automates spend management, giving you real-time control over global spending. Empower your employees, streamline workflows, and close your books faster. **URL Source:** https://www.brex.com/product/spend-management --- ![EmpowerHero-R2](https://brand.brex.com/m/4f3c9e01e346500d/original/EmpowerHero-R2.mp4) The future of spend management. Manage global spend and close the books in real time — with unmatched automation of manual expense work. [Explore interactive product demo](https://brex.navattic.com/fnh0l17?utm_source=spend_management) All your spend, all in one place. Control global spend smarter with a single source of truth. Cards Reimbursements Bill pay Business account Travel ### Icon list Build controls into every card. With built-in policies and smart expense routing, transactions get auto-assigned without employees having to switch limits. - Customize policies by use case, level, department, non-US entity, or anything else. - Block or require approval to spend on specific categories/merchants. - Make easy-to-understand expense rules accessible at the time of purchase. ### Video ![Policy-R4](https://brand.brex.com/m/4f64e1f3f6b899e4/original/Policy-R4.mp4) Automate expense reviews. Don’t waste hours reviewing every expense and risk missing ones that actually need a closer look — let Brex AI assist you. [Learn more about Brex AI](https://www.brex.com/platform/brex-ai) ![AI-Desktop-Inbox-NEW](https://brand.brex.com/transform/4292e102-9cdd-4f92-8736-5ed5dd3586c9/AI-Desktop-Inbox-NEW) ### Approval flows P.O.-like approval flows for all types of spend ### Clear visibility Clear visibility of why a transaction is out of policy ### Slack Slack and WhatsApp integration and expense commenting ![DoorDash-White](https://brand.brex.com/transform/44f64157-a674-44d0-b7ab-b373b0d008fc/DoorDash-White) “By making it easier for employees to comply, finance went from the bad cop to the hero.” — [Mike Kim](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelkimsf/), VP of Finance, DoorDash [Read more](https://www.brex.com/resources/customer/doordash) ### Image ![AI-Spmgmt](https://brand.brex.com/transform/e4595ed1-c6db-480f-9417-8c50ad6b1761/AI-Spmgmt) ### Text Get expense reports on time, automatically. Brex automates document collection, and Brex Assistant helps employees with questions and tasks — so you can close the books faster. - AI-powered automation and personalized assistance. - Receipts compliant with IRS or local rules added automatically. - Memos are auto-generated, and fields are intelligently populated. - Departments, projects, and GLs are automatically set. - OCR technology matches receipts in any language or currency. ### Text Increase accountability with Live Budgets.™ Set top-level budgets across departments and assign them to department heads. They can provision spend to individuals or teams, and track usage in real time. Brex AI will even flag anomalous activity to help you keep everyone on budget globally. [Explore spend limits](https://www.brex.com/platform/spend-limits) ### Image ![Spend management-Budget](https://brand.brex.com/transform/1c6e3174-3dd7-4492-b2b7-4173ef17bac9/Spend-management-Budget) ![SeatGeek-White](https://brand.brex.com/transform/46a50afd-04be-421b-bf9a-49cfa22ee953/SeatGeek-White) “P&L owners have a real-time view into their budgets.” — [Teddy Collins](https://www.linkedin.com/in/teddycollins/), VP Corporate Finance, SeatGeek [Read case study](https://www.brex.com/journal/expense-management-for-global-businesses) ### Image ![Month-end](https://brand.brex.com/transform/f845185a-c1de-488b-be66-1b27af3d5d73/Month-end) ### Text End the month-end hassle. Brex is built for continuous close. Brex integrates with top ERPs like QuickBooks and NetSuite, helping you close your books every day, enabling in-month reporting, and automating workflows. Brex AI helps you further automate GL coding with smart suggestions for accounting rules and mapping. [Explore accounting automation](https://www.brex.com/platform/accounting-automation) ### Text Insights you can act on. Run real-time spend and budget reports across cards, reimbursements, travel, and payments to find ways to save and improve ROI. Customize AI-powered insights, such as for spikes in spending, that help improve decision making. ### Image ![Insights](https://brand.brex.com/transform/a1d86d83-e1c6-4cd0-b49f-5284535eb9e3/Insights) ### Image ![Spend Management - Reimburse](https://brand.brex.com/transform/077d8e97-9278-438b-98e4-9ad54282fa87/Spend-Management-Reimburse) ### Text Reimburse employees anywhere, fast. US and international employees can get reimbursed in three days or less — and your policy will be auto-applied. - Reimburse employees in their local currency and bank account — in 40 countries and counting. - Subsidiaries can issue reimbursements from their local bank account to simplify accounting. - Unlimited reimbursements with no per-transaction fees. ### Text Manage spend globally, operate locally. Brex makes it easy to manage global spend across locations and operate in virtually any currency. [Explore global capabilities](https://www.brex.com/product/global) ### Image ![Spend Management - Global](https://brand.brex.com/transform/2e7ce40d-eab4-4d00-97d3-7e2e17e74ea9/Spend-Management-Global) ### Content Welcome to the future of spend management. Let’s talk about how Brex can help you automate control and compliance, and gain real-time insights to improve ROI. [Get started](https://www.brex.com/signup) ### Image ## FAQ ### What is spend management software? Spend management software helps businesses track, control, and optimize all company spending in one centralized platform. Unlike basic expense tools that only handle [employee reimbursements](https://www.brex.com/spend-trends/expense-management/expense-reimbursement), it covers the complete spending lifecycle including procurement, vendor payments, [corporate cards](https://www.brex.com/product/credit-card), budgets, and employee expenses. Brex is a spend management platform that takes spend management a step further and allows you to pre-approve spend before it even happens with embedded spend limits across cards, reimbursements, [business travel management](https://www.brex.com/spend-trends/corporate-travel-management/best-business-travel-management-software-platforms), and invoices. And with Brex AI, the policies you set are auto-enforced with every transaction. ### What is the difference between spend management and expense management? [Expense management](https://www.brex.com/spend-trends/expense-management/expense-management-guide) focuses on tracking and reimbursing employee-initiated costs, such as travel or out-of-pocket purchases. Spend management is a broader category that may include expense management alongside procurement workflows, vendor payments, subscription tracking, and budget controls. [Spend management](https://www.brex.com/spend-trends/expense-management/spend-management) takes a proactive approach to controlling costs before they occur, while expense management typically tracks costs after money is already spent. Brex offers complete spend management that goes further than traditional expense tools. The software handles corporate cards, vendor bill payments, travel booking, employee reimbursements, and budget tracking in one place. ### What does spend management software do? Spend management software automates spending workflows including purchase requests, approval routing, payment processing, receipt capture, budget tracking, and financial reporting. It enforces spending policies, issues corporate cards with controls, processes vendor payments, tracks budgets in real time, and integrates with accounting software. Brex automates these workflows with AI-powered features that can automatically generate receipts for common vendors, categorize expenses, route approvals, and sync transactions to your ERP in real time. ### Does spend management software integrate with accounting software? Most modern spend management software integrates with major accounting software solutions. Integrations enable automatic synchronization of transactions, categories, receipts, and GL codes. This eliminates manual data entry and keeps financial records accurate. Brex offers native integrations with leading accounting software, including NetSuite, QuickBooks, Xero, and Sage Intacct, and more. Transactions sync in real time rather than daily batches to enable continuous accounting and faster month-end close. See all of Brex’s [integrations](https://www.brex.com/product/integrations). ### Is spend management software secure? Spend management software should maintain SOC 2 Type II certification, PCI-DSS compliance, and use end-to-end encryption. Leading software include automated fraud monitoring, multi-factor authentication, role-based access controls, and complete audit trails. Brex is SOC 1 Type I and SOC 2 Type II compliant, and PCI-DSS Level 1 compliant, with regular independent third-party audits. Brex also fulfills applicable security and control requirements aligned with FINRA, IT General Controls (ITGC), and the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), among other regulatory frameworks. ### Can spend management software issue virtual cards? Spend management software can issue [virtual corporate cards](https://www.brex.com/spend-trends/corporate-credit-cards/virtual-business-credit-card) with customizable spending limits and merchant restrictions. Virtual cards can be created instantly for specific vendors, projects, or one-time purchases. Each card has its own controls and expiration settings for better security and tracking. Brex lets you create unlimited virtual cards instantly with specific limits. Each transaction appears in real time with automatic [receipt matching](https://www.brex.com/spend-trends/accounting/invoice-matching) and categorization. ### How does spend management software help with budgets? Spend management software provides real-time visibility into spending against allocated amounts, sends alerts when teams approach limits, and automatically enforces budget caps. It tracks spending by department, project, category, or custom dimensions. Brex offers real-time budget tracking with automated alerts when spending approaches thresholds. You can set budgets by team, project, or merchant category, and the software can automatically restrict spending once budgets are exhausted. ### How does spend management software enforce spending policies? Spend management software enforces policies by embedding rules directly into payment workflows and corporate card controls. It can automatically decline transactions that violate policies, require manager approval for purchases above certain amounts, and restrict spending at prohibited merchants. This prevents policy violations rather than catching them during review. Brex enforces [corporate credit card policies](https://www.brex.com/spend-trends/corporate-credit-cards/corporate-credit-card-policy) at the point of purchase by blocking out-of-policy transactions before they happen. Card declines occur automatically for policy violations, and the software routes exceptions to appropriate approvers based on amount or category. ### Can spend management software set spending limits? Yes, spend management software allows administrators to set spending limits by employee, team, project, merchant category, or time period. Limits can be configured as daily, weekly, monthly, or per-transaction maximums and enforced automatically. Brex lets you configure spending limits at multiple levels including individual employees, departments, and merchant categories. You can set different limits for different scenarios, like higher meal allowances during business travel. ### How does spend management software save money? Spend management software saves money by preventing unauthorized spending through automated policy enforcement, identifying [duplicate payments](https://www.brex.com/spend-trends/accounting/prevent-duplicate-payments-in-accounts-payable), providing data for better [vendor negotiations](https://www.brex.com/spend-trends/vendor-management/strategies-for-negotiating-contracts-with-vendors), and reducing errors that require costly corrections. It also automates manual processes that consume staff time. ### Does spend management software support bill pay? Most spend management software includes [bill pay](https://www.brex.com/product/bill-pay) functionality that automates vendor invoice processing and payments. It can receive invoices via email, extract payment details using OCR, route invoices through approval workflows, and schedule payments via ACH or check. Brex includes integrated bill pay where vendors submit invoices through email, the software extracts data automatically, approvers receive notifications, and payments process via ACH, wire, check, or virtual card. All activity syncs to your accounting software in real time. ### How long does it take to implement spend management software? Implementation times vary based on company size, existing software, and accounting complexity. Brex typically shortens onboarding through automated HRIS-based user provisioning, AI-assisted GL mapping, and pre-built ERP integrations, enabling [finance teams](https://www.brex.com/spend-trends/startup/structure-a-startup-finance-team-and-department) to become fully operational faster than with traditional spend management software. ### Can spend management software scale with company growth? Yes, modern spend management software scales easily by supporting unlimited users and transactions, accommodating multiple entities and subsidiaries, and handling increased volumes without performance degradation. Cloud-based software scale infrastructure automatically without requiring hardware upgrades. Brex scales from startup to enterprise, supporting companies with dozens to thousands of employees across multiple countries. ### What types of companies use spend management software? Companies of all sizes use spend management software, from startups to enterprises. Any organization wanting better spending control benefits, including tech companies managing software subscriptions, professional services firms tracking client expenses, and retail businesses controlling procurement costs. Brex serves companies from early-stage startups to established enterprises across various industries. ### Does spend management software provide real-time visibility? Modern spend management software like Brex provides real-time visibility into all spending as transactions occur. Dashboards display current spend against budgets, show pending approvals, highlight [expense policy](https://www.brex.com/spend-trends/expense-management/expense-policy) exceptions, and track spending trends across departments. This enables finance teams to make informed decisions quickly.