A tool to empower your team to make the purchases they need, while you can rest easy knowing that it's not going to get out of hand.

Key results with Spendesk

• Record-breaking implementation: Fully operational in two weeks

• Streamlined month-end close: 1-2 days faster processing with consolidated receipt tracking

• Eliminated card failures: Reduced transaction errors from a couple per week to "once in a blue moon"

• Predictable costs: No per-card fees, enabling universal card distribution

• Instant receipt compliance: Mobile app enables on-the-spot documentation

• Complete spend visibility: Xero account codes integrated directly into daily workflows

• Empowered teams: £25/month auto-approved spending limits for essential purchases

• Virtual card management: Easy subscription tracking and seamless card transfers when team members leave

About CodeBase

CodeBase is a growth platform for tech ecosystems that designs and delivers tailored programmes to lower barriers for early-stage founders. They connect companies with resources, mentorship, and international pathways whilst equipping teams with critical digital and AI skills to innovate and adapt in a fast-changing landscape.

The challenges

Before Spendesk, CodeBase faced a common scaling challenge: they'd just won a contract that would grow their team from 20 to 70-80 people within six to nine months. Their existing spend management system wasn't going to scale.

Core issues:

• Mixed access approach with some employees using cards, whilst others submitted manual expense claims via Google Docs

• Per-card pricing model (£5 per user per month) that made universal card distribution prohibitively expensive

• Frequent transaction failures, especially for international payments

• Manual approval processes via ad-hoc messages rather than structured workflows

• Insufficient transaction detail from their previous system, requiring manual searches for information

• Late expense claims surfacing 4-5 months after the fact

• Imminent scaling that would amplify all these problems exponentially

The solution

Adam Alton, then Head of Operations, made the decision to implement Spendesk before the team scaled. The timing was critical: they needed a solution in place before onboarding 50+ new employees.

What made Spendesk the right choice? Three factors:

1. No per-card pricing: A cost structure that enabled giving everyone a card without runaway expenses

2. Continuous innovation: A platform that would grow with their needs, not stagnate

3. Rapid implementation: The ability to go live in two weeks, twice as fast as the usual implementation and training time

Key features implemented:

• Physical and virtual cards with granular spending controls

• Automated approval workflows with auto-approval for low-value essential purchases

• Xero integration with account codes and tracking categories visible to all users

• Mobile-first receipt capture with instant upload capabilities

• Virtual card subscriptions for easy tracking of recurring software costs

• Card blocking for users with overdue receipts

• Real-time spend visibility across the entire organisation

From chaos to control in two weeks

When Adam asked during the sales call what it would take to implement in two weeks instead of the usual 4 weeks, he remembers the look on the account executive's face. But with imminent recruitment starting, it was "now or never."

The record-breaking implementation was made possible by Spendesk's uniquely intuitive platform combined with CodeBase's all-hands-on-deck approach. Whilst Adam and his team were ready to move quickly, it was Spendesk's design that enabled such rapid adoption:

• Intuitive onboarding: Spendesk's streamlined setup process allowed Adam to configure the entire system without extensive IT support or lengthy training programmes

• Immediate user adoption: The platform's user-friendly interface meant team members could start spending and submitting receipts instantly—no complex training required for those frustrated with failing cards or manual expense claims

• Built-in controls from day one: Spendesk's approval workflows and spending limits provided finance control from the first transaction, giving Adam confidence to roll out universal card access immediately

• Trust by design: Auto-approval thresholds for low-value essential purchases (like office supplies) were quick to configure, eliminating approval bottlenecks whilst maintaining oversight

The result was a seamless transition that proved Spendesk's promise: teams enjoy using it because it's simple and fast, whilst finance stays in complete control.

Built for scale, designed for trust

The Spendesk approach aligned perfectly with CodeBase's company culture. Rather than requiring approval for every small purchase, Adam established:

• Auto-approval thresholds for low-value, essential spending

• Spending limits tailored to individual roles and needs

• Card blocking as a deterrent for missing receipts (with the ability to remove thresholds when needed)

• Approval workflows for larger, strategic purchases

This trust-based system achieved both control and empowerment:

The results

Since implementing Spendesk over three and a half years ago, CodeBase has transformed its spend management whilst supporting significant growth:

Operational efficiency:

• 1-2 days faster month-end close through consolidated receipt tracking and automated chase-ups

• 95% reduction in card errors: From 1-2 per week to virtually none

• Streamlined receipt compliance: Instant mobile capture eliminates late submissions

Financial control:

• Complete spend visibility: Xero account codes integrated into employee workflows

• Predictable costs: Fixed pricing regardless of team size

• Virtual card management: Easy subscription tracking and cancellation

• Automated approval workflows: Maintaining oversight whilst empowering teams

Team empowerment:

• Universal card access: Everyone who needs to spend can spend

• Mobile-first experience: Receipt capture and approvals on the go

• Trust-based system: Auto-approval for essential purchases

• Reduced friction: No more asking permission to buy office milk

The features that have proven most valuable are virtual card subscriptions, which make it easy to track all recurring software costs and seamlessly transfer ownership when team members leave. The card blocking feature for overdue receipts acts as an effective deterrent—users quickly learn to upload receipts on time rather than face temporary card suspension. And the approval workflows strike the right balance, auto-approving low-value essentials whilst maintaining oversight on larger purchases.

After three and a half years, CodeBase has stayed with Spendesk for reasons that go beyond features. Adam points to the platform's continuous innovation—regular updates that often solve problems the team didn't know they could fix. But perhaps more importantly, he values the partnership approach. When issues arose, he trusted that people are working hard to resolve them, and that patience would be rewarded with better service over time. His advice for other companies evaluating spend management platforms reflects this philosophy: it's easy to jump ship when problems arise, but building a relationship with a growing platform often delivers better long-term results than constantly switching providers.

The original "aha moment" that led CodeBase to choose Spendesk—the realisation that per-card pricing was eliminating barriers rather than creating them—has proven to be the foundation of everything that followed. That pricing model enabled universal card distribution, which enabled the trust-based spending system, which enabled rapid scaling from 20 to 80 employees without creating expense management chaos.

Ready to eliminate your expense chaos whilst scaling?

Discover how Spendesk can help your growing company gain complete spend control whilst supporting rapid team growth—even if you need to be live in two weeks. Talk to an expert today.