The typical implementation process for Spendesk software involves several steps and can vary in duration depending on the company's size and complexity:
Initial setup: Spendesk offers an intuitive and efficient setup process, designed to be user-friendly for businesses of all sizes
Integration: Connect Spendesk with existing accounting tools and configure customizable approval workflows
HR integration: Set up connections with HR platforms to automate user management and data synchronization
Payment method integration: Configure various payment methods, including company cards and virtual cards
Customization: Tailor approval workflows, expense categories, and other features to fit the company's specific needs
Training: Provide guidance and support for employees to learn the new system
Spendesk can be extensively customized to fit specific business needs. Here are several ways Spendesk offers customization:
Customizable approval workflows: Businesses can tailor the approval process to their unique requirements, including setting up multi-tiered approval hierarchies or automating approvals for specific expense categories
Custom fields and expense categories: Companies can add custom fields and expense categories to analyze their spending in detail. This allows for more granular tracking and reporting of expenses
Cost center linking: Expense categories can be linked to specific cost centers, allowing businesses to define which expense categories are relevant for particular cost centers
Flexible role assignments: Companies can choose which roles (Admins, Controllers, Requesters) can add or view custom field values, providing granular control over data access
Customizable spending policies: Finance teams can set different spending thresholds for different teams or individuals, allowing for precise control over company spending
Tailored card settings: Debit cards for employees can be customized with specific authorizations and settings, such as enabling or disabling cash withdrawals
Integration capabilities: Spendesk can integrate with various HR platforms, accounting tools, and other software, allowing businesses to create a tailored financial tech stack
Scalability: The platform is designed to adapt to changing business requirements, making it suitable for both growing startups and established enterprises
Custom export options: Users can customize their data exports, including adding columns for custom fields in purchase journals
Subscription management: Businesses can tailor how they manage recurring SaaS payments using virtual cards and tracking software
Setup Fees
Maintenance Fees
Support Charges
Pricing Structure
Fixed Fees: A monthly subscription fee that grants access to the chosen platform plan.
Custom Quotes
Spendesk offers comprehensive training and support to new users, ensuring a smooth onboarding process and ongoing assistance. Here are the key aspects of Spendesk's training and support offerings:
Tailored onboarding: Spendesk provides a customized onboarding experience for both finance teams and staff
Expert setup assistance: The company offers expert technical setup and data migration support to ensure a seamless transition
Multilingual support: Assistance is available in multiple languages, including French, English, German, and Spanish
Welcome guide: New users receive a tailored platform welcome guide to help them get started
Live learning opportunities: Spendesk offers webinars and events to help users learn about the platform and its features
Dedicated customer support: The company provides quick and easy access to support through the chat function within the Spendesk app
Customer success team: For more in-depth assistance, users can reach out to the customer success team via email
Knowledge base: Spendesk offers a comprehensive knowledge base with articles, videos, and FAQs to help users learn how to use the platform
Personalized training: The company provides personalized training sessions to help users get the most out of the software
Proactive fraud defense: Spendesk offers proactive fraud defense and management support
Responsive support: The company boasts an average 3-minute response time for real-person support and a 1-day average resolution time
Spendesk implements several robust security measures to protect user data:
Database encryption: Spendesk databases are encrypted and automatically backed up daily
Firewalls: The platform uses firewalls to protect against unauthorized access
Password security: Passwords are encrypted, salted, and hashed
Transaction verification: Every transaction requires payer authentication
Automatic logout: User sessions are automatically logged out after a period of inactivity
Secure hosting: Databases and servers are hosted and maintained by Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Fraud detection: Spendesk employs a fraud detection algorithm that notifies account owners about potential fraud or suspicious online payment activity in weekly Security Reports
Access control: Spendesk offers SAML SSO integration with single sign-on portals like Microsoft Azure, OneLogin, and Okta for enhanced access control
GDPR compliance: Internal processes have been strengthened to ensure control over personal information processing
PCI DSS compliance: Spendesk's partners are certified with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard
3-D Secure protocol: This is implemented to provide extra security for online payments, using push notifications or SMS verification
Virtual cards: Each virtual card has unique details, enhancing security for online purchases
Card controls: Finance teams can manage card budgets, enable/disable cash withdrawals, and block cards at any time
Quarterly updates: Spendesk provides quarterly product updates, as evidenced by the "Autumn Updates" mentioned in the search results
Continuous improvement: The company focuses on ongoing enhancements to its platform, introducing new features and improvements throughout the year
Feature rollouts: New features are often released gradually, with some being available on selected plans or to specific customer segments
Proactive communication: Spendesk uses various channels to inform users about updates, including:
Dedicated update pages on their website
Personalized messaging flows through Intercom
Email notifications for new features and announcements
Beta testing: Before wide release, some features undergo beta testing with selected platforms or users to gather feedback and ensure functionality
Integration updates: Spendesk regularly updates its integrations with other platforms, such as accounting software and HR tools, to improve functionality and user experience
Responsive to user feedback: The company uses customer feedback to drive improvements and new feature development
Focus on efficiency: Updates often aim to streamline processes, reduce manual tasks, and improve workflow efficiency for users
Security and compliance: Regular updates include security enhancements and compliance-related improvements to meet evolving regulations
Spendesk has a clear policy regarding data ownership and portability, which focuses on ensuring customer control and access to their data. Here are the key points of Spendesk's policy:
Customer Ownership: Spendesk asserts that customers retain full ownership of all data generated within the platform. This includes expenses, invoices, receipts, and any other financial information submitted by users.
Data Usage: While Spendesk acts as a data processor, it does not claim ownership over customer data. The company uses customer data solely for providing services and fulfilling contractual obligations.
Transparency: Spendesk maintains transparency about data handling practices, clearly outlining how customer data is collected, processed, and stored in its privacy policy.
Export Capabilities: Spendesk provides users with the ability to easily export their data in various formats (e.g., CSV, Excel). This allows customers to download their financial data whenever they need to.
Data Migration: In the event that a customer decides to discontinue using Spendesk, the company facilitates a smooth data migration process, ensuring that customers can transfer their data to another platform without hassle.
APIs for Data Access: Spendesk offers APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that allow customers to programmatically access and extract their data, enabling integration with other financial systems or tools as needed.
Retention Period: Spendesk typically maintains data for a specified period after a customer's account is closed, allowing time for data retrieval before permanent deletion. The exact retention period is outlined in the service agreement.
Data Deletion Upon Request: Customers can request the deletion of their data at any time, and Spendesk is committed to securely erasing customer data from its systems following such requests.
Flexible Pricing Plans: Spendesk provides customizable pricing plans that can be tailored to a company's specific requirements and size. This allows businesses to adjust their plan as they grow, or their needs evolve.
Scalable Platform: Spendesk is designed with scalability in mind. Its extensive feature set and ability to integrate with existing accounting and financial tools ensures the platform can adapt to changing business requirements, whether for growing startups or established enterprises.
User Management: The platform allows for easy onboarding and offboarding of users. With integrations to HR platforms, new employees can be automatically added, and former employees removed, making it simple to scale the number of users up or down.
No Setup Fees: Spendesk does not charge setup fees, which makes it easier for companies to get started without a large upfront investment.
Custom Quotes: For larger organizations or those with complex needs, Spendesk offers custom quotes. This suggests they can accommodate significant scaling up of services.
Modular Features: Companies can choose which features they need, allowing them to scale different aspects of the platform independently as their needs change.
The terms and conditions for contract renewal and cancellation for Spendesk are designed to provide clarity and flexibility for customers. Here are the key points typically associated with these processes:
Automatic Renewal: Spendesk often includes an automatic renewal clause in its contracts, meaning the agreement will renew for an additional term (e.g., monthly or annually) unless the customer provides notice of cancellation.
Notice Period for Renewal: Customers are usually required to give notice of their intent to cancel or not renew the contract within a specified timeframe (e.g., 30 days) before the contract's expiration date.
Pricing Adjustments: Spendesk may reserve the right to adjust pricing upon renewal. Customers will be notified of any changes in pricing before the renewal takes effect, allowing them to evaluate the new terms.
Negotiation of Terms: Customers may have the opportunity to negotiate terms during the renewal process, including adjustments to service levels, pricing, or other conditions.
Grace Period for Renewal: Some contracts may include a grace period following the renewal date during which customers can opt out without penalties.
Notice Requirement: To cancel the contract, customers are typically required to provide written notice (via email or through the Spendesk platform) within a specified notice period (e.g., 30 days) prior to the end of the current contract term.
Early Termination Fees: If a customer wishes to terminate the contract before the end of the agreed term, there may be early termination fees or penalties outlined in the contract, often based on the remaining value of the contract.
Post-Cancellation Data Access: After cancellation, Spendesk usually provides a window (e.g., 30 days) for customers to access and download their data. Following this period, the data may be deleted from Spendesk's systems.
Refund Policy: Spendesk’s policy on refunds may vary depending on the specific terms of the contract. Generally, refunds for unused services are not provided if cancellation occurs midway through a billing cycle.
Invoicing and Billing Terms: Spendesk outlines its invoicing procedures in the contract, specifying how and when payments are due. Customers should review these terms to understand their obligations upon cancellation.
No-Fault Cancellation: Spendesk may allow for no-fault cancellation under specific circumstances, such as service failures or significant changes in business conditions.
Transition Support: Spendesk often offers transition support to help customers manage the process of switching to another expense management solution, ensuring a smooth exit strategy.
Retention of Rights: Upon cancellation, customers retain rights to their data, which includes the ability to request deletion or export their data as per Spendesk's data policies.
Spendesk adheres to the following compliance standards:
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): Spendesk is GDPR compliant and has strengthened its internal processes to ensure control over the processing of personal information.
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS): Spendesk's partners are certified with the PCI DSS, which increases controls around cardholder data to reduce credit card fraud.
Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2): Spendesk complies with PSD2 regulations, including Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) requirements for secure online payments.
3-D Secure: Spendesk implements the 3-D Secure protocol to provide extra security for online payments.
Data Protection: Spendesk places high importance on data security and integrity, taking necessary precautions to preserve data security and protect against incidents.
