5 game-changing ways for sports clubs to master spend

In sports, unpredictability is often the name of the game. Last-minute substitutions, weather disruptions, and injuries mean sports clubs have to think on their feet, fast.

But when managing finances, this unpredictability creates confusion, overspending, and hours of unnecessary manual work. Finance managers and admin staff shouldn’t be struggling to track budgets across different teams, deciphering card statements, or figuring out which team stayed in which hotel. 

It’s time for a new strategy. Here’s how the right tools can help sports clubs bring real-time control, compliance, and clarity to every penny spent — on and off the pitch. 

Many sports clubs manage expenses using manual processes. But these are time-consuming, error-prone, and leave employees hanging while they wait for finance to process reimbursements. 

Instead, automated expense management saves time and offers a real-time overview of spend. Pleo captures receipts, categorises expenses, and seamlessly integrates all spending into your accounting system. 

Coaches and groundskeeping staff can take a photo of expense receipts, submit them, and get reimbursed in seconds. That means they can concentrate on the job at hand, rather than remembering to submit all those receipts to finance at the end of the month (once they’ve found the receipts in the first place, that is!). 

Automation also frees up your finance team’s time. Pleo helps sports clubs achieve 90% faster expense handling. They’re no longer chasing missing information or rushing to complete month-end accounts because everyone submitted their receipts at the same time. Spend is automatically categorised, so there’s no need to tag every transaction manually. Tailored approval flows mean finance can control spend before it happens.    

2. Get real-time visibility into spend

Reactive financial reporting is often the norm for sports clubs. Bank statements and month-end reports mean no one knows how much has been spent, and whether you’re over budget or not, until it’s too late to make changes. Combine the regular spending needs and last-minute expenses of multiple teams, and finance is left struggling to balance the books. 

Pleo gives sports clubs real-time visibility into spend. No more waiting for monthly statements or getting stuck in messy spreadsheets. Whether it’s a groundskeeper replacing equipment or a coach booking travel for their team, everything shows up in one easy-to-use dashboard. 

Filter expenses by category, month, or individual. Track recurring payments, spot duplicates, and get a detailed view of your club’s financial activity. This real-time visibility doesn’t just make it easier for sports clubs to make data-driven decisions about how and where to allocate funds. It also makes reporting to funding partners, sponsors, and club members much easier. 

3. Issue smart company cards to your team 

When sports clubs rely on shared bank cards or expect employees to pay for things out of pocket, chaos usually follows. Cards get passed from one coach to another, receipts get lost in kit bags, and finance teams have to figure out who spent what, when. 

The result is hours of manual reconciliation each month and delayed reimbursements, which leave employees feeling frustrated. 

Instead of this chaos, give every coach, manager, or team a dedicated virtual or physical company card. 

No more guessing games, shared cards, or delayed reimbursements while your finance team tries to figure out who left that receipt on their desk. Set spending limits for each card, and automatically track transactions in real-time. Every purchase made with a Pleo card also earns 1% cashback, turning everyday spend into savings for your club. This approach also helps sports clubs cut expense approval by 85%, freeing up your finance team to work on other tasks. 

4. Stay audit-ready with organised records 

Most sports clubs rely on a small finance team that’s responsible for tracking every expense. But at the same time, they’ve got to ensure compliance with public funding, sponsorship agreements, and grant conditions. 

That means keeping expense reports up to date isn’t just nice to have. It’s crucial. 

Outdated expense spreadsheets, manual reimbursements, or a last-minute panic to generate reports can leave your club scrambling to prepare for audits. Sometimes, you might even miss out on funding opportunities because you can't get everything ready in time. 

Switching to Pleo gives sports clubs complete spend visibility, plus the ability to generate reports within minutes. It also integrates with existing accounting tools like QuickBooks, NetSuite, and Xero, so it’s easy to stay audit-ready all year round. 

5. Set smart controls to prevent overspend 

Sports clubs usually experience seasonal budget fluctuations, and changes in income and expenses: travel costs, training camps, all add up during match season. But overspending mid-season equals a lack of funds for groundskeeping or equipment upgrades in the off-season. 

That’s where smart spend controls come in. Instead of reacting to budget overruns after they’ve happened, Pleo lets you put proactive measures in place to prevent overspend before it impacts the rest of the season. Here’s how it works:

• Set team-specific budgets, so every team has clear boundaries. 
• Create role-based spending caps to tailor spend by responsibility. 
• Pre-approve high-value, one-off purchases like equipment rental.
• Real-time visibility into your total budget, plus what’s been spent so far. 
• Automate approval for everyday expenses like travel costs and kit upgrades.

Play a smarter financial game with Pleo 

The locker room might be full of complicated gameplay diagrams. But managing your club’s finances shouldn’t look the same. You don’t need long spreadsheet sessions, manual reconciliations, or fragmented payment processes to stay in control of your budget.

What you need is Pleo.

With Pleo, sports clubs can give messy manual processes and delayed approvals the boot. Instead, gain real-time visibility, smart spend controls, and an easier way to stay on top of every single transaction — from the locker room to away games abroad. 

Ready to join the winning side? Book your free Pleo demo to find out how Pleo can help your sports club focus on performance, not paperwork.