SAP Concur's pricing is primarily usage-based — costs scale with actual activity rather than a simple flat per-user fee. CIOs and CTOs must understand the per-report and hybrid pricing models, negotiate volume protections, and actively manage user accounts to control spend and avoid compliance surprises.
SAP Concur Solutions and Modules
SAP Concur is a cloud-based solution that combines expense management, corporate travel booking, and accounts payable automation in one platform. It consists of three primary modules that can be used together for an integrated spend management system or licensed individually based on business needs.
Concur Expense: Handles employee expense reports and receipt capture. Employees submit expenses via a mobile app, and managers review them with automated policy compliance checks. This is typically the primary module for most deployments.
Concur Travel: Allows users to book travel within company policy. Integrates airline, hotel, and car rental bookings with corporate travel policies and preferred vendor agreements. Often uses a per-booking transaction fee.
Concur Invoice: Automates vendor invoice processing and accounts payable workflows. May charge per invoice processed. Particularly valuable for organisations handling high volumes of vendor payments.
Concur Detect: AI-based fraud detection and monitoring that identifies anomalous expense patterns. Available at additional licensing fees.
TripLink: Captures travel bookings made outside the Concur platform (direct airline or hotel bookings) to provide complete spend visibility.
Advanced Analytics & Budget: Enhanced dashboards, custom reporting, and spend governance tools that go beyond the base tier's capabilities.
Intelligent Audit / Verify: Outsourced expense auditing services that review expense reports for policy violations, duplicate submissions, and potential fraud.
SAP Concur Licensing Model and Pricing Structure
Unlike many SaaS products, Concur's licensing model is not a simple flat per-user fee. Instead, pricing is primarily usage-based, meaning costs scale with actual activity. Companies must request a custom quote from SAP Concur — there is no public price list.
Per Expense Report Fees: A hallmark of Concur's model is charging per expense report (or transaction). Industry benchmarks indicate a typical list price of around $8–$9 per expense report as a starting point. If your employees submit 1,000 reports per year, the list cost might be approximately $9,000 (in addition to any base fees). Concur Travel uses a similar per-transaction fee for each trip booking.
Per User and Hybrid Models: SAP Concur may also incorporate a per-user subscription element. Enterprise agreements commonly employ a hybrid model — you pay a fixed base fee covering a certain number of users or transactions, followed by an overage fee for usage exceeding that allowance. Large enterprises with very high volumes sometimes negotiate an "all-you-can-use" flat fee, but this is rare and typically priced at a premium.
Licence Tiers (Automate, Insights, Optimise): The base Automate plan (core expense automation) starts at roughly $9 per report. Insights adds enhanced analytics and dashboards. Optimise includes fully managed support and optimisation services — both at variable pricing based on custom requirements.
Licensing Model Comparison
| Licensing Model | Description | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per Expense Report | Fee for each expense report submitted (e.g., ~$9 per report list price) | Aligns cost to actual usage; scales down if employees file fewer reports | Costs can escalate with heavy usage; budgeting is less predictable if volume varies |
| Per Active User | Monthly fee per active Concur user (~$6–$10 per user/month); less common standalone | More predictable spend based on headcount; easy to forecast if user count is stable | May overpay if many users file infrequent reports; requires scrupulous user management |
| Hybrid (Base + Overage) | Fixed base fee includes set number of reports/users, plus smaller fee for each additional report beyond quota | Cost certainty up to included volume; volume discounts often built-in for overage | Complex terms to manage; need to track usage against limits; risk of unused capacity or frequent overage fees |
| Enterprise Flat Fee | One negotiated flat subscription for unlimited or high-threshold usage (large deals only) | Simplified billing; no risk of overage charges; cost-effective at very high volumes | Typically expensive — priced for worst-case usage; if actual usage is lower, you overpay; harder to adjust mid-contract |
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SAP Contract Negotiation →Key Cost Drivers and Considerations
Transaction Volume
The number of expense reports, travel bookings, and invoices processed is the biggest cost driver. Analyse historical expense report counts and growth projections. Negotiate tiered pricing (pre-defined volume bands with discounted per-report rates at higher volumes) so you're not caught off-guard by a budget blowout if usage exceeds forecasts. Conversely, avoid signing up for far more volume than you need.
Number of Users
Many contracts include a component tied to the number of active users or employees with access. Manage user licences carefully — deactivate accounts for employees who leave. Some companies start with a smaller user group (frequent travellers, corporate cardholders) rather than simultaneously licensing all employees, extending access as needed later.
Module Selection
Licensing costs increase with each additional module. Adopting Expense, Travel, and Invoice together ensures you aren't double-paying for overlapping capabilities. If you already use SAP Ariba for invoicing, adding Concur Invoice could be redundant. Carefully evaluate which modules are necessary and negotiate bundle discounts only for modules you'll actually use.
Add-Ons and Features
Optional features like Intelligent Audit, Concur Detect, Budget, and TripLink often carry extra subscription fees — either as flat rates or additional per-user charges. Clarify which add-ons are included and which incur additional cost during negotiations. Only subscribe to features your team will use; you can often add these later if needed.
Support Level and Services
SAP Concur offers different support packages (Advanced Care, Essential Care, Select Care), ranging from basic support to dedicated teams and faster response SLAs. Higher tiers cost more. Additionally, initial implementation services may be an extra one-time cost. Budget for these in total cost of ownership.
Contract Length and Commitments
Multi-year commitments can impact pricing. SAP may offer a better discount for a 3-year deal versus annual, but this reduces flexibility if your needs change. Ensure any multi-year contract has provisions for adjustments if your company undergoes major changes (mergers, divestitures) so you're not stuck overpaying for licences you no longer need.
Contract Negotiation Strategies
Leverage Competitive Quotes
Even if you're set on Concur, get pricing from alternatives (Expensify, Coupa, Zoho Expense). Knowing that alternatives charge per user (often $5–$10 per user/month) can be a bargaining chip. SAP sales teams are aware Concur is one of the more expensive options and may be willing to negotiate if they sense you might consider a competitor.
Bundle with Other SAP Products
If your company uses S/4HANA, SuccessFactors, Ariba, etc., consider bundling Concur into a larger enterprise agreement. SAP often provides additional discounts when a customer adopts multiple cloud solutions. Be careful though — bundling can make it harder to drop a product. Ensure any bundle deal includes flexibility to drop or swap components without severe penalties.
Negotiate Volume and Overage Terms
Have predetermined price tiers for higher volumes written into the contract. If expense reports are 20% over forecast, the per-report fee should drop by a defined percentage for that band. Also consider a "true-down" clause — a flex-down option in case usage is lower than expected, applying a credit or adjusting the fee if you consistently come in under contracted volume.
Push for Cap on Increases
Ensure the contract limits annual price increases. Many cloud contracts allow yearly hikes of 3–5%. Try to cap increases to a reasonable percentage or negotiate them away for the deal's duration. Also clarify renewal terms — does the price remain the same, or revert to list? Getting renewal caps in writing prevents sticker shock.
Include Key Services in the Deal
Ask for extras at no additional cost — training sessions, initial configuration assistance, or inclusion of an add-on (such as Concur Drive or basic auditing) for free or at steep discount. SAP may offer Intelligent Audit for the first year as part of the package, or limited Concur Travel if you primarily wanted Expense. Document any "free" services in the contract.
Pilot and Proof of Concept
Insist on a pilot phase before signing a large contract — a short-term trial with a subset of users or a money-back guarantee period. This validates that Concur integrates with your systems (ERP, HR, credit card feeds) and that your team finds it usable. If SAP doesn't typically offer a pilot, negotiate a phase 1 with an opt-out — a one-year contract initially, with option to extend at the negotiated price.
Understand the Fine Print
Clarify definitions and clauses. How does the contract define an "active user" — monthly login, any expense created? What is the policy on audits and compliance? Clarify whether third-party access (external accountant accessing Concur) requires a licence. If something isn't applicable, have it excluded in the contract to prevent disputes later.
Plan for Integration Costs
Negotiation isn't only about the subscription fee — it's about total cost. If you need integration with HR or finance systems, discuss whether SAP will assist and at what cost. Ensure integration tools (APIs, middleware) are included in the licence or priced separately. Avoid surprises where you discover post-signing that a custom ERP connector is an extra charge.
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Paying for Inactive Users
Companies sometimes incur costs for employees who no longer use the system. Mitigation: Integrate Concur user management with HR offboarding processes. Perform quarterly audits to deactivate users who haven't submitted an expense in several months. One company reclaimed dozens of licences and trimmed thousands of dollars annually by regularly cleaning up accounts.
Underestimating Expense Volume
If you base your contract on 5,000 reports per year and actual usage ends up being 7,000, those extra 2,000 reports incur overage fees. Mitigation: Build a buffer above your forecast. Implement internal policies that consolidate expenses — encourage employees to submit one report per month rather than one per trip. Monitor trends and discuss volume tier adjustments with SAP early.
Overlapping Systems and Double Paying
Enterprises may pay for two tools performing the same function — e.g., Concur Invoice vs. SAP Ariba invoicing, or Concur's budgeting tool vs. existing ERP functionality. Mitigation: Map your spend management architecture. Only licence Concur components that fill a gap. If overlap exists, keep only one or negotiate a package deal that recognises the redundancy.
Add-On Creep
It's easy to be enticed by add-on features during implementation — a project team might enable extras that come with hidden costs appearing on renewal bills. Mitigation: A governance team should approve any feature with licensing implications. Ask your SAP rep to highlight which toggles incur fees. Have the contract list optional services with $0 price if included. Review invoice line items at renewal.
Poor Adoption and ROI Loss
Concur's fees are substantial, and if employees resist using it due to clunky interface or inadequate training, low adoption results in manual processes continuing in parallel while you still pay. Mitigation: Invest in change management and training. Enable mobile apps, single sign-on, and corporate card feeds so transactions auto-populate. Monitor usage metrics — if only 50% of licensed users log in, investigate and address.
Integration and Indirect Usage Risks
Integrating Concur with your ERP (SAP S/4HANA, Oracle Financials) to auto-post approved expenses could be considered "indirect use" of the ERP — Concur creating a journal entry might require document licences under SAP's digital access model. Mitigation: Discuss this with SAP during licensing. Involve your SAP account manager to confirm Concur-to-ERP integration won't trigger an audit finding.
Lock-In via Bundling
If Concur is bundled in an "all-or-nothing" deal, you might be unhappy with Concur but can't drop it without jeopardising discounts on other SAP products. Mitigation: Negotiate carve-out clauses — the option to drop Concur after a year or two without affecting pricing on your SAP ERP. Keep Concur on a separate order form if possible to preserve the freedom to re-evaluate it independently.
Recommendations
Thoroughly Assess Needs Before Buying
Audit your company's expense report, travel, and invoice volumes. Only licence the Concur modules and capacity you realistically need in year one. Start with core functionality and add extras once a demonstrated need arises.
Negotiate Aggressively on Price Metrics
Don't accept the first quote. Use your data to advocate for a pricing model that favours you. Aim for at least 30–50% off list price, and obtain multiple quotes or scenarios. If your users file infrequent reports, consider per-user pricing; if usage is heavy, focus on lowering the per-report fee.
Bundle Strategically, Not Blindly
Leverage any existing SAP relationship for better Concur terms, but avoid bundles that compromise flexibility. If bundling, insist on the ability to adjust or drop components if they don't meet expectations.
Include Volume Protections
Ensure your contract has clear provisions for both growth and contraction. Negotiate volume tier discounts and seek rights to adjust the contract if your workforce or expense volume changes significantly — true-up and true-down.
Plan for Implementation and Integration
Budget not just for licensing but also for implementation costs (internal or consulting). Ensure integration with finance systems and credit card feeds is accounted for. Consider paying for a higher support tier during the initial rollout for smoother deployment.
Optimise User Management
Establish processes to automatically manage Concur user accounts. Tie Concur access to HR provisioning so new hires are added appropriately and leavers are promptly removed. Periodically review user activity and eliminate dormant accounts to avoid "shelfware" licences.
Monitor Usage and Costs Continuously
Assign someone to track monthly usage vs. contract allowances. If you're trending over or under, engage SAP early about adjusting terms. Regularly review invoices for unexpected charges or anomalies.
Enforce Internal Expense Policies
Use Concur's configuration to enforce one-report-per-month or similar policies to limit excessive report counts. Encourage employees to batch expenses. By controlling how the tool is used, you indirectly control costs — fewer transactions mean lower fees.
Keep an Eye on Value Delivery
Post-implementation, solicit feedback from users and finance teams. Use insights to justify the cost or identify areas for improvement. If certain features aren't used, consider removing them at renewal to save money.
Stay Informed on Licensing Changes
SAP's cloud licensing models are subject to change. Stay connected with your SAP account rep, SAP user groups, or independent consultants on any changes to Concur licensing or new offerings. This helps avoid surprises and positions you to renegotiate if a more favourable model or promotion comes along.
FAQ
🎯 Expert Insight: Independent SAP Concur Licensing Advisory
SAP Concur's usage-based pricing model creates both opportunities and risks. The per-report fee structure means small optimisations — consolidating expense reports, cleaning up user accounts, or renegotiating volume tiers — can yield significant savings at enterprise scale. An independent advisory engagement brings deep knowledge of SAP's pricing structures, current market benchmarks, and proven negotiation strategies that consistently deliver better outcomes than going it alone.
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