Expense management is evolving—and the UK is no exception. More employees are managing expenses at work, and businesses are moving away from manual tools towards faster, more scalable solutions, with expense apps leading the shift.
The 2025 state of expense management report for the UK provides a snapshot of these significant shifts. Based on survey data from 2022 and 2024, this edition explores how employees manage expenses at work, the tools they use, and how the UK compares with other markets.
The report highlights that more employees than ever are managing expenses at work, with a notable 17% rise in employees managing expenses – the fastest growth across all markets surveyed.
We're also seeing a clear move towards digital solutions. Expense app adoption in the UK has seen a steady 4% increase, while manual tools like pen and paper and spreadsheets have declined -4%. While accounting and payroll systems remain common, they aren't always accessible to all employees, highlighting a gap for more efficient tools, such as expense apps.
This momentum indicates a clear opportunity. With digital foundations in place, the adoption of expense apps in the UK is well-positioned to accelerate. The direction is clear: mobile-first, scalable expense tools are becoming the standard. As more employees become involved in managing expenses, the demand for user-friendly tools continues to grow.
👉 Download the full 2025 state of expense management – UK report for all insights and data.
*All increases and decreases refer to percentage point changes.
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📺 Dive deeper into the insights by watching our 25-minute webinar for a walkthrough of the findings.
