Smarter AI-driven expense management software for Childcare providers
Control budgets, track expenses, and pay bills — faster, safer, and stress-free for every centre.

Industry approved and trusted by Australian Childcare centres
Eliminate financial stress with smart spend management
Budgetly helps Childcare centres reduce admin, control operational expenses, and manage resources with accuracy and confidence - ensuring that every dollar is wisely allocated to support children and staff.
Real-time tracking
See spending as it happens, across all centre locations. Make instant decisions with live expense data and clear financial insights.
AI-driven automation
Automate budgets, approvals, supplier payments, and spending rules—from nappies and craft supplies to food orders and maintenance.
Automated receipts & GST
Childcare workers can snap receipts on the go. Budgetly auto-matches them, extracts GST, and saves hours.
Save 90% per bill
Turn Accounts Payable into autopilot. Capture bills easily, reconcile in one click, and sync straight with Xero.
Trusted by Childcare providers Australia wide
1.2BN+
yearly
total payments
150K+
monthly
transactions
15K+ users
saving time
and money
80% less time
spent on expense
management
90% better
customer service
than competitors
Delighted customers using Budgetly
See more 5-star reviews
The support we've received has been great and we're saving a significant amount of time by not having to chase staff/centres for receipts etc.
Jacqueline Chuang, Accountant Aspire Early Education
Significantly streamlined expense management. Uploading receipts helps the finance team with reconciliations.
Josie Wu Thrive Group Tasmania Inc
Great for solving petty cash problems. Looking forward to new features.
Louise Diggens, Centre Manager Clovel ELC KS Blacktown Pty Ltd
As a small school, it was very difficult to get cards with our bank for individuals as they had to be an approved signatory for the actual business account. We tried pre-paid cards for a little bit as well, but these were hard to maintain as it wasn’t straightforward to top them up, hard to get statements etc. A clunky process. This is now such an easy process and a really good fit.
Mel, Principal Aurora Steiner Southern Highlands

Resources for the Childcare industry
Get access to finance eBooks, white papers, templates, webinars and more for Childcare businesses.
Save hours on admin
Say goodbye to manual processes. Budgetly automates admin, removes errors, and gives time back to admin and centre staff.
Eliminate overspending
Control every dollar. Automate workflows, match receipts, create budgets, optimise cash flow, and stop overspending across every centre.
Safeguard everything
Get built-in security, compliance, and spending rules. Plus, rely on real Australian support when you need it most.
The best AI-driven spend management for the Childcare industry
Budgetly’s secure platform combines budgeting, payments, expense tracking, and reporting—all in one place. Save money, stay compliant, and save time across every centre.
How Budgetly works for the Childcare industry
Childcare centres rely on Budgetly to reduce admin, control everyday spending, and stay compliant with sector requirements.
No shared cards or petty cash
Flexible spending and budgets with rules across all centres
Fast, accurate transactions
Fast approvals for centre managers and educators
Easy receipt tracking for centre staff via mobile app
Two-factor authentication and 256-bit encryption
Automated AP and simplified bookkeeping
Real-time budget and transaction views
Fraud prevention and compliance rules
No reimbursements or lost receipts
Stay policy compliant with card-encoded rules
" Great for solving petty cash problems. Looking forward to new features. "
Louise Diggens, Centre Manager Clovel ELC KS Blacktown Pty Ltd
Frequently asked questions
What is expense management software for the childcare sector?
Expense management software for childcare providers automates the capture, approval and reconciliation of operational expenses—covering supplies, staff purchases, excursions, program budgets, invoices and reimbursements. Budgetly’s solution is purpose-built for the childcare industry, giving you real-time visibility across spending and budget allocation so your team can focus on care rather than paperwork.
Why should I use childcare-specific expense management software instead of generic tools or spreadsheets?
Childcare organisations manage diverse cost centres (rooms, centres, staff, activities), frequent small-transactions, mobile purchases and strict compliance/regulation. Generic spreadsheets or standard expense tools often fail in areas like mobile receipt capture, automated policy enforcement, program-based budgets and real-time tracking.
With Budgetly you also benefit from features such as instant Virtual Cards for staff, mobile receipt capture via the Expense Tracking App and seamless syncing with your accounting system through the Xero Integration.
What is the best expense management software for Australian childcare businesses?
The best solution for Australian childcare centres supports AUD transactions, integrates deeply with local accounting systems, enables program/room-based budgets and provides mobile support for staff making purchases off-site. Budgetly meets these requirements and offers a unified platform that brings together Corporate Cards, automated invoice and bill handling and expense tracking—all in one place designed for Australian childcare providers.
How can Budgetly improve decision-making for my childcare business?
Budgetly gives you real-time insights into expenditure across centres, rooms and staff. Because every transaction—from card purchases to upload of receipts—is captured and categorised, you can spot overspending trends early, re-allocate funds between budgets, and improve cash-flow forecasting. Tools like Digital Receipt Tracking and Accounting Automation Software further streamline your operations and improve the reliability of your financial data.
How much does the expense management software cost?
Pricing depends on number of users, number of centres/rooms, transaction volumes and the features you require (cards, tracking, integrations). Budgetly offers scalable pricing designed for Australian childcare organisations, with transparent plans and no hidden fees. To get a quote tailored to your business, simply schedule a demo.
How to get started with Budgetly’s expense management software for childcare?
Getting started is straightforward:
- Book a demo with Budgetly via the “Get a Demo” link.
- During setup, define the cost centres (each room/centre), set budgets and approval workflows.
- Issue virtual or physical cards, enable mobile receipt uploads and integrate with your accounting system (e.g., via the Xero integration).
- Once everything is live, your staff can make purchases and finance teams will have real-time dashboards and full visibility.
Get a Demo today to see how Budgetly can transform your childcare centre’s expense processes and budget control.
Resources
August 17, 2021
I’m a Childcare Provider - Should I Automate Expenses?
There’s a saying by entrepreneur Peter Baskerville that goes, ‘The ignorant are ignorant of their..
July 18, 2023
Aspire Education saves each centre 1 day a week in expense management
Overview Aspire Education is an Early Childhood Education provider with 15 centres in Victoria. The..
November 17, 2021
How Hillsborough OOSH Saves Time and Achieves Greater Visibility with Budgetly
Hillsborough OOH is a childcare provider that needed a better system to manage their current..
May 4, 2023
Aurora Southern Highlands Steiner School Saves 4 Hours a Week With Budgetly
Overview Aurora Southern Highlands Steiner School is an education provider in New South Wales that..
Supercharge your Childcare business with Budgetly
See how AI-powered spend management saves time and money. Fill out the form and watch the 10-minute demo today.

