Spend management used to be a monthly headache at Northampton Students’ Union. The finance team relied on a shared credit card and manual processes, which made tracking transactions difficult and delayed month-end reporting.
With a growing number of student clubs, societies and commercial outlets, the Students’ Union needed a way to simplify how money moved through the business. They wanted to give teams the tools to do their jobs while keeping spending visible and under control.
When Jamie Dean joined as Head of Finance & Compliance, he made it a priority to modernise the system.
The challenge
Jamie arrived to find that there was only one corporate credit card for the whole business. It was issued to the CEO and passed around between teams, from student engagement to the bar, corner shop and art supplier. Every purchase went through a single card.
This caused major delays. The finance team had to wait for paper statements to arrive by post before they could begin month-end reporting. A student team member would then spend several days collecting receipts and coding transactions.
When the credit card was blocked, there was no backup. Staff had to pay using their own money, and the finance team had to deal with the ramifications, like chasing receipts, handling reimbursements and reworking budgets.
“The process was time-consuming and subsequently left teams in limbo. Especially in September, when clubs and societies were restarting and full of ideas,” Jamie says. “It was frustrating to tell them we had no way to pay for things.”
This created unnecessary admin and added risk, with 66 active clubs and societies relying on support to put on events and deliver services.
Jamie knew the system had to change if the Students’ Union was going to serve its community and improve reporting. His key goal was to produce management accounts within seven working days of month-end.
The solution
Northampton Students’ Union introduced Soldo in late 2024, replacing the shared credit card with a more flexible, trackable system. Each department now has its own card, issued to key staff, linked to a central wallet with clear rules and controls in place.
The finance team can see transactions as they happen. Receipts are uploaded instantly. And because Soldo integrates with Xero, there’s no need to manually copy data between systems.
For Jamie, one of the biggest advantages is how easy the system is to use. “It’s simple enough that people who aren’t finance-trained can still do it properly,” he says. “It’s made everyone more aware of what they’re spending and how they record it.”
The implementation was quick, too – around two weeks from enquiry to cards-in-hand. The Students’ Union now has eight or nine cardholders across departments. Two employees in finance manage everything from the web console with no need to issue physical cards.
The impact
The difference was felt immediately. The finance team now closes management accounts within seven working days of month-end, representing a 75% time saving compared to the previous process, which could take an entire month. That speed means better reporting and more time to focus on what’s next.
Lauren Clarke, a student employee in the finance team, now only spends a third of the time she used to on expenses. What used to take three days now takes less than one. That time has been reinvested into project work, including correcting VAT codes and pricing in the Students’ Union till system, improving margins and bottom-line performance.
Soldo has also improved accuracy and compliance. “We trust more of what gets entered now,” says Jamie. “People are checking their receipts and attaching the right documents. It’s helped us reduce errors without making things harder for anyone.”
The team also experienced strong support when card details were compromised. A fraudulent transaction was blocked, and Soldo replaced the card and resolved the issue within two days, giving Jamie full confidence in the platform’s security and service.
Looking ahead, the Students’ Union is looking at introducing Soldo cards for select clubs and societies. By assigning budgets to specific wallets, it can offer more autonomy while maintaining oversight.
Conclusion
Northampton Students’ Union has successfully rethought how money moves through the business. By introducing Soldo, the finance team has reduced admin, increased visibility and improved reporting. The result is a more agile operation that can support student activity without delay.
Departments now have access to the money they need, with simple controls in place to keep everything on track. Finance has more trust in the data, fewer manual tasks and more time to focus on strategy.
“Soldo has absolutely revolutionised what we do in terms of credit card spending,” says Jamie. “It’s so much easier to track, and it’s saving us a huge amount of time every month.”
With Soldo in place, the Students’ Union is running smoother and better equipped to support the student community.
