Indirect spend management forms the basis of a new collaboration between Mastercard, AirPlus International and Kresus Technologies aimed at helping businesses across Europe oversee routine company purchasing with greater control. The arrangement combines AirPlus virtual cards, the Kresus payment platform and Mastercard’s acceptance network into a single payment and approval environment. Businesses can track transactions through one process designed to simplify oversight. The companies said the system focuses on spending activity often managed outside standard procurement structures.

The solution addresses lower-value operational purchases that finance and procurement teams regularly handle, including subscription services, one-time suppliers, licence renewals and urgent repairs. These expenses may sit outside formal procurement channels despite accounting for between 20% and 30% of total expenditure. By bringing approvals, payments and reconciliation together, the platform seeks to create a more consistent way to manage these transactions. Employees can continue purchasing activity without added process complexity.

Three operational functions shape the platform across the spending cycle. Businesses can complete payments to suppliers, including vendors that do not accept card transactions, without onboarding occasional providers. Each payment moves through configurable approval processes aligned with internal company policies. The system also connects payment activity with ERP and finance tools so accounting records automatically reflect business spending.

The collaboration also aims to improve visibility and consistency around indirect purchasing activity while supporting purchasing and payment processes aligned with internal rules. Businesses gain broader supplier payment flexibility while also improving cash flow and reducing the likelihood of delayed supplier payments. The companies said this structure strengthens oversight across routine company spending throughout Europe.

Mastercard said the collaboration responds to demand from businesses seeking more efficient ways to manage tail spend and B2B payments. AirPlus described the offering as a practical operational system built from its virtual card capabilities, Kresus Technologies’ infrastructure and Mastercard’s network, designed for immediate use across Europe.

📊 What This Means (Our Analysis)

This collaboration stands out because it brings payment approval, supplier access and financial reconciliation into one operating structure for purchases that often receive less oversight. By concentrating these activities in a single process, businesses may find it easier to maintain visibility across routine spending while supporting internal controls without additional friction.

The development also reflects a practical shift toward clearer management of indirect purchasing, where smaller expenses can still represent a meaningful share of company expenditure. Combining payment access, workflow controls and accounting alignment signals a more coordinated approach to handling operational spending across European businesses.

📌 Our Take: Routine company purchasing may increasingly depend on systems that make oversight easier without slowing business activity.