5 tools for staying on top of petty cash in 2025

Petty cash might seem small, but it’s a vital part of keeping your business running smoothly. From coffee for the office to last-minute travel costs, everyday expenses add up – and managing them efficiently is crucial for maintaining control over your finances.

Traditional cash boxes and spreadsheets can quickly become a headache. Luckily, modern petty cash software is here to simplify the process, giving you real-time visibility, streamlined approvals and smarter financial management.

We’ll explore what petty cash software is, five tools for managing petty cash in 2025 and what to look for when choosing a solution for your business.

Key takeaways:

• Petty cash is more than small money: it’s a critical part of agile, accountable financial management.
• Modern petty cash solutions centralise expenses, automate workflows and provide real-time visibility.
• From spend management platforms to accounting software and ERP systems, there are plenty of tools on the market that can help you take your petty cash management to the next level.
• Look for tools with instant expense tracking, receipt capture, approval workflows, accounting integrations, user-friendly interfaces and good value for money.

What is petty cash software?

Petty cash is the small reserve of money that businesses keep on hand to cover everyday, minor expenses – think office supplies, team lunches, taxi fares or other small payments that don’t require a formal invoice. It’s the cash equivalent of your daily essentials: small, flexible and always ready when you need it.

Traditionally, petty cash was tracked in a physical cash box with receipts and a ledger – but those days are fading. Modern petty cash management combines real-time tracking, digital receipts and clear approval workflows to give finance teams instant visibility and control over even the smallest outlays.

The goal is simple: make sure there’s always enough cash on hand to cover minor expenses whilst preventing overspending, lost receipts or reconciliation headaches. By digitising and automating petty cash processes, businesses can keep daily spending transparent, enforce policies and free up finance teams to focus on strategic decisions instead of chasing loose change.

In short, petty cash isn’t just small money: it’s a key part of keeping your business agile, accountable and running smoothly.

5 tools for taking charge of petty cash management in 2025

Still chasing receipts, tracking floats and juggling petty cash with messy spreadsheets? It might be time to swap frustration for control with smarter petty cash solutions. We’ve put together a list of tools that make managing everyday expenses faster, simpler and more transparent.

In the table below, you’ll find a quick overview of the solutions covered:

Spend management platforms

Spend management platforms are the modern solution for businesses tired of chasing receipts and reconciling petty cash manually. They centralise all small expenses – team lunches, travel, supplier payments – into one real-time dashboard, giving finance teams complete visibility and control. Think of them as your petty cash, expense reporting and budgeting rolled into one powerful, intuitive tool.

1. Pleo

With more than 1,480 five star reviews, Pleo is Europe’s most loved and trusted spend management platform.

Managing petty cash and small team expenses has never been easier. With Pleo, every outlay – whether it’s coffee for the office, a supplier invoice or a last-minute travel cost – is tracked in real time, giving you a clear view of your cash float and day-to-day spend.

Top up, monitor and reconcile petty cash instantly, enforce spending policies and approve expenses on the spot – not weeks later. Get faster, more accurate visibility into where money is going and how much is available to keep operations running smoothly.

Turn petty cash data into actionable insights with automated workflows, seamless categorisation and analytics that show the bigger picture. Spend less time juggling receipts and float balances – and more time making strategic, data-driven decisions.

Pros and key functionalities:

• Instant petty cash tracking: Monitor and reconcile small team expenses in real time – no more lost receipts or mysterious cash gaps.
• Flexible spending control: Offers both physical and virtual employee cards with configurable limits and merchant restrictions.
• Seamless expense capture: Say goodbye to paperwork. Snap, attach and categorise receipts instantly via the mobile app. 
• Smart automation and approvals: Automate workflows, enforce policies and approve petty cash expenses on the spot.

Reasons to choose Pleo:

• Fast implementation and onboarding
• Strong customer support and user-friendly interface
• Scalable solution that grows with your business

Pricing: Pleo offers monthly or yearly billing, with prices starting at £9.5 per month for up to 3 users.

What do our users say about Pleo?

“Pleo is a very easy and affordable service for us as a non profit organization. The things we like best are the ability to do payments online, the Pleo Pocket feature and the direct integration with our accounting service.”
- Organisational Assistant Oskar V., G2

Accounting software with petty cash modules

Accounting software with petty cash modules brings structure and oversight to small, everyday expenses. These tools let businesses track cash-on-hand, reconcile petty cash accounts and link receipts directly to transactions. With automated bookkeeping, expense categorisation and built-in reporting, finance teams can manage petty cash efficiently without losing control or visibility. Perfect for small to mid-sized businesses that want the discipline of accounting software whilst keeping their day-to-day cash flow simple and transparent.

2. QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks Online is the go-to accounting powerhouse for mid-sized businesses that want full control without drowning in complexity. From tracking expenses to reconciling accounts, it makes petty cash management feel effortless.

With a user-friendly interface and powerful automation, QuickBooks keeps your finances organised, your cash flow visible – and your sanity intact. It’s like having a virtual finance assistant in your pocket.

Pros and key functionalities:

• Petty cash tracking: Set up cash-on-hand accounts to record and reconcile small expenses easily.
• Automated bookkeeping: Categorises transactions automatically, reducing manual data entry.
• Expense management: Capture receipts and link them to specific petty cash transactions for clear audit trails.

Reasons to choose QuickBooks Online:

• Easy and intuitive
• Simple cloud-based platform
• Comprehensive features

Source: G2

Pricing: QuickBooks Online starts at €1.90 per month for one user and their accountant.

3. Zoho Books

Zoho Books is a sleek, all-in-one accounting solution built for growing businesses that crave clarity and control.

Managing petty cash? No problem. Zoho Books lets you monitor cash-on-hand, track expenses and streamline reimbursements – all whilst syncing seamlessly with invoices, banking and reporting. It’s flexible, intuitive and designed to take accounting from a chore to a superpower.

Pros and key functionalities:

• Cash-on-hand management: Track petty cash balances and daily expenses effortlessly.
• Integrated expense workflow: Approve employee expenses and reimbursements in a few clicks.
• Multi-channel reporting: Get clear visibility into small spends alongside invoices, bank feeds and broader financial reports.

Reasons to choose Zoho Books:

• Intuitive and easy to use
• Comprehensive accounting management
• Automation for efficiency

Source: G2

Pricing: Zoho Books offers a free version. Priced plans start at €10 per month (annual billing) for 3 users.

ERP and enterprise finance systems

ERP and enterprise finance systems are the backbone for large organisations managing complex financial operations. These platforms integrate petty cash, expense workflows, accounting and treasury functions across multiple entities, currencies and locations. Real-time reporting, automated approvals and robust audit trails give finance teams control at scale, whilst ensuring compliance and visibility. For enterprises that need more than just tracking small expenses, ERP systems provide a centralised hub for all financial management, turning petty cash from a headache into a fully controlled, transparent process.

4. Sage Intacct

Sage Intacct Is the enterprise-grade finance platform that turns complexity into clarity. Designed for finance teams that need precise control and deep insight, it makes tracking petty cash, approvals and expense flows a breeze.

With real-time reporting and automation at its core, Sage Intacct doesn’t just manage your cash: it helps you make smarter decisions faster.

Pros and key functionalities:

• Real-time petty cash visibility: Monitor small cash flows and balances across multiple departments or locations.
• Automated approvals: Configure workflow rules to enforce spending policies for petty cash and small expenses.
• Robust reporting: Generate detailed reports for audits, reconciliations and strategic insights.

Reasons to choose Sage Intacct:

• Intuitive and user friendly
• Powerful reporting capabilities
• Feature-rich platform

Source: G2

Pricing: N/A – all pricing is quote-based.

5. Oracle Cloud ERP

Oracle Cloud ERP is the heavyweight champion of enterprise finance, giving large organisations complete control over cash, accounting and workflows across the globe.

Its petty cash and expense management tools are integrated into a powerhouse suite, offering real-time visibility, robust controls and scalable solutions. Oracle ERP isn’t just a software: it’s a strategic financial command centre.

Pros and key functionalities:

• Comprehensive cash management: Track petty cash, expenses and employee reimbursements within a unified system.
• Multi-entity and multi-currency support: Perfect for global organisations with multiple cash floats.
• Advanced controls and audit trails: Enforce spending policies, approve petty cash allocations and maintain compliance automatically.

Reasons to choose Oracle Cloud ERP:

• Feature-rich platform
• Seamless integrations
• Intuitive interface

Source: G2

Pricing: Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP typically starts at around $625 per user per month for core modules.

What to look for in a petty cash management tool

With the right tools in your kit, managing petty cash doesn’t have to be a hassle – and as you can see, there are plenty of options to help you take control of your petty cash.

Whilst not every tool will be the right fit for your business, certain features are always worth prioritising. When evaluating a petty cash management tool, consider these essential features to streamline your processes:

• Real-time expense tracking:Ensure all petty cash transactions are recorded instantly, providing up-to-date visibility into your cash flow.

• Receipt capture and categorisation: Allow employees to snap photos of receipts and automatically categorise expenses, reducing manual data entry and errors.
  
  
• Customisable approval workflows: Set up tailored approval processes to maintain control over spending and ensure compliance with company policies.

• Integration with accounting systems: Choose a tool that seamlessly integrates with your existing accounting software for smooth reconciliation and reporting.
  
  
• User-friendly interface: Opt for a solution that's intuitive and easy for all team members to use, minimising training time and adoption barriers.
  
  
• Good value for money: Choose a tool that gives you the value you need for a price that won’t break your budget – and one that scales with your business.

Petty cash management isn’t just about keeping small expenses in check: it’s about giving your business the visibility, control and agility to manage everyday spending confidently – and focus on growth instead of chasing receipts.

Final thoughts

Managing petty cash doesn’t have to be a chore. The right tools give your team clarity, control and efficiency, freeing finance teams from chasing receipts and reconciling spreadsheets. Whether you’re a small business just getting started with digital spend management or a large enterprise needing multi-entity control, modern petty cash solutions offer the transparency and automation needed to keep daily expenses in check.

In the end, petty cash management isn’t just about keeping track of small amounts: it’s about giving your business the agility and confidence to grow without financial friction.