SAP Concur vs Certify:
they solve different problems.
SAP Concur is enterprise travel and expense software. Certify is an expense reporting tool. Most 5–50 person teams need something simpler: approvals that work with the cards they already have.
Which option fits your team
For large enterprises. Setup: 4–12 weeks.
For mid-sized businesses. Setup: 2–4 weeks.
Keep your cards. Approve from your phone. 15-min setup.
Not sure which fits?
Three questions. Instant recommendation.
The real cost per month
Software is the small part. Manager time is the big one.
| Option | Software | Mgr hrs/wk | All-in / mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAP Concur | — | ~4 | — |
| Certify | — | ~3 | — |
| Incurdesk | — | ~1 | — |
Head-to-head
The trade-offs, side by side.
| SAP Concur | Certify | Incurdesk | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keep your cards | ✓ yes | ✓ yes | ✓ yes |
| Price | Quote / sales call | Per user / see vendor | $9 /user/mo |
| Setup time | 4–12 weeks | 2–4 weeks | 15 minutes |
| Built for | Large enterprises | Mid-sized businesses | 5–50 person teams |
| Region | Global | Global | Global |
| Sales call to buy | Yes | Yes | No |
Where each one wins
And the honest trade-offs.
- Global travel and expense coverage
- Deep enterprise ERP integrations
- Policy enforcement at scale
- Established expense reporting
- Receipt capture and mileage
- Approval routing
- Keep your cards and bank
- One-tap mobile approvals
- 15-min setup, no sales call
- Two-way QuickBooks & Xero sync
See the dashboard in action
2-minute interactive walkthrough with narration. No signup.
Every month, someone reviews receipts by hand. Not anymore.
The old way
Approve. Reject. Chase missing ones. Match to policies. It eats hours every week.
Not a tool. A team.
Five specialists behind one calm autopilot
Each one does one thing well. Together, they handle the receipt while you sleep.
Reads any receipt. Any language.
Vendor, date, currency, and every line item — extracted in about ten seconds.
Checks your rules. The ones you set once.
Budget limits, category caps, department restrictions — the policy agent knows them all.
Above your bar? Auto-approve.
Below? You decide.
You stay in control. Set the threshold once — the AI never oversteps it. This one: 85%.
Confidence gate — set once, enforced always
Every auto-decision gets its own score. The bar you set never gets crossed by accident.
Spots duplicates. Learns your patterns.
Every override, every dismissal — the team gets sharper.
Ready when you are
30-day free trial. Your founding rate locks the day you subscribe, not day 30.
Questions
SAP Concur typically requires a more substantial initial investment, with setup costs ranging from $2,000 to $10,000, depending on the level of customization and integration with existing SAP systems. Customization can add 10-20% to the total cost, depending on the complexity. For a growing teams, total costs might reach $15,000 in the first year, including a monthly fee per user (approximately $5-$10). In contrast, Certify offers more streamlined onboarding with lower setup costs, usually under $1,500, and customization costs are generally lower (5-10% of setup cost), leading to a potentially lower first-year total of around $8,000 for the same team size, with similar per-user monthly fees.
SAP Concur's interface, while comprehensive, can be overwhelming for non-tech savvy managers due to its feature richness, potentially leading to a steeper learning curve. User adoption rates can suffer if thorough training isn't provided, with some teams reporting up to a 20% resistance to full adoption. Certify, on the other hand, is often praised for its more intuitive and simpler interface, facilitating easier onboarding with reported user adoption rates 15-20% higher than SAP Concur in similar team demographics, according to user review platforms. Certify's mobile app also receives higher ratings for simplicity and ease of use.
SAP Concur offers highly customizable expense reporting and approval workflows, which can be beneficial for teams with complex approval hierarchies but may overcomplicate simpler organizational structures. It integrates seamlessly with SAP's broader suite for financial management. For a growing teams, this might mean 5-7 approval levels configurable in Concur. Certify streamlines these processes with more out-of-the-box, straightforward workflows better suited for smaller teams, typically supporting up to 3-5 approval levels without extensive customization. Certify's workflow simplicity can reduce average approval times by up to 30% compared to more customized Concur setups.
SAP Concur, being part of the SAP suite, integrates seamlessly with SAP Financial Management solutions but may require more effort and potential custom development for integration with non-SAP systems, costing an additional $3,000 to $15,000 depending on the system. For a growing teams using non-SAP financial tools, this could add significant overhead. Certify boasts a broader range of out-of-the-box integrations with popular accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero, etc.), often requiring less custom work for teams not invested in the SAP ecosystem, with integration costs typically under $2,000. Certify's integration with non-SAP systems can save teams up to 40% in integration costs and reduce setup time by 50%.
Keep your cards.
Approve in one tap.
15-minute setup. Works with the QuickBooks or Xero you already have. No sales call, no credit card for the trial.
Get My Receipt Scanning Dashboard →Deep dive: SAP Concur vs Certify
The full comparison: how each tool works, where it falls short, and who it suits.
Concur vs Certify: A Comprehensive Comparison of Expense Management Software
Expense management software has become an essential tool for businesses to streamline their financial processes, reduce costs, and improve employee productivity. Two popular options in the market are Concur and Certify. In this article, we will compare the pricing, features, receipt scanning, approvals, integrations, and team size suitability of these two software solutions. For a complete overview, see our expense management guide.
Pricing
Concur offers a tiered pricing model, with three plans: Professional, Business, and Enterprise. The Professional plan costs $9 per user per month, the Business plan costs $14 per user per month, and the Enterprise plan requires a custom quote. Concur also charges a transaction fee of 2.5% for credit card transactions.
Certify, on the other hand, offers a flat pricing model, with a cost of $8 per user per month, with no transaction fees. Certify also offers a free trial period, allowing businesses to test the software before committing to a purchase.
Features
Both Concur and Certify offer a range of features to manage expenses, including:
- Expense tracking and reporting
- Receipt scanning and storage
- Automated expense approval workflows
- Integration with accounting software
- Mobile apps for on-the-go expense tracking
However, Concur offers more advanced features, such as:
- Travel booking and management
- Invoice management
- Vendor management
- Customizable workflows and approval processes
Receipt Scanning
Both Concur and Certify offer receipt scanning capabilities, allowing employees to quickly and easily capture receipts using their mobile devices. However, Concur's receipt scanning feature is more advanced, with the ability to automatically extract expense data from receipts and populate expense reports.
Approvals
Both Concur and Certify offer automated expense approval workflows, allowing managers to quickly and easily approve or reject expense reports. However, Concur's approval process is more customizable, with the ability to set up multiple levels of approval and assign different approvers for different types of expenses.
Integrations
Both Concur and Certify offer integrations with popular accounting software, such as QuickBooks and Xero. However, Concur offers more integrations, including:
- Travel booking platforms, such as Expedia and Orbitz
- Vendor management systems, such as Coupa and Ariba
- HR systems, such as Workday and BambooHR
Best for Which Team Size
Concur is best suited for larger teams, with 50 or more employees. Its advanced features and customizable workflows make it an ideal solution for complex organizations with multiple departments and approval processes.
Certify, on the other hand, is best suited for smaller teams, with fewer than 50 employees. Its flat pricing model and simple features make it an ideal solution for small businesses or startups with straightforward expense management needs.
Comparison Table
| Feature | Concur | Certify |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Tiered pricing model, with three plans: Professional ($9/user/month), Business ($14/user/month), and Enterprise (custom quote) | Flat pricing model, with a cost of $8 per user per month |
| Features | Expense tracking and reporting, receipt scanning and storage, automated expense approval workflows, integration with accounting software, mobile apps | Expense tracking and reporting, receipt scanning and storage, automated expense approval workflows, integration with accounting software, mobile apps |
| Advanced Features | Travel booking and management, invoice management, vendor management, customizable workflows and approval processes | — |
| Receipt Scanning | Automatically extracts expense data from receipts and populates expense reports | Allows employees to quickly and easily capture receipts using their mobile devices |
| Approvals | Customizable approval process, with multiple levels of approval and assign different approvers for different types of expenses | Automated expense approval workflows, allowing managers to quickly and easily approve or reject expense reports |
| Integrations | QuickBooks, Xero, Expedia, Orbitz, Coupa, Ariba, Workday, BambooHR | QuickBooks, Xero |
| Best for Which Team Size | Larger teams, with 50 or more employees | Smaller teams, with fewer than 50 employees |