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This page explains how Pleo works as a platform and where it fits within an ERP or Accounting System (AS) integration. Use this page to:
  • Understand system boundaries and responsibilities
  • Evaluate integration feasibility and patterns
  • Learn how expense data becomes accounting-ready
If you are new to Pleo, start with: What is Pleo.

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System Boundaries

Pleo is a spend management (pre-accounting) platform, not an accounting system. It prepares accounting-ready data that is exported or synchronised into your ERP or AS.
Pleo is responsible forYour accounting system remains responsible for
Capturing spend and reimbursementsLedger integrity
Enforcing company policyPosting rules
Collecting required accounting informationPeriod control
Locking data once approvedFinancial reporting
Exporting immutable accounting recordsStatutory compliance

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Platform Foundations

Pleo provides integrations through four core capabilities that support all integration types:
  1. Master Data Synchronisation: Ensures employees, legal entities, chart of accounts, vendors, categories, and tags exist in Pleo.
  2. Expense Lifecycle & Approval: Manages expense entry, validation, and approvals, producing immutable accounting-ready data.
  3. Export Pipeline & Bookkeeping: Provides a consistent, traceable mechanism to export approved data for downstream systems.
  4. Event-Driven Automation: Notifies integrations of key events (e.g., export job creation, master data changes) to enable timely reactions.
These foundations apply regardless of whether you use pre-built or custom integrations.
See Multi-Entity & API Scope for details on company-level API constraints.

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Integration Models

Pleo supports multiple ERP and Accounting System integration models. The same platform capabilities apply regardless of how data is exchanged.

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Pre-Built Integrations

Pleo provides pre-built integrations with selected ERP, Accounting Systems, and HRIS. Best suited for organisations using supported systems with standard requirements.

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CSV Export Integrations

For some ERP or accounting workflows, CSV export using ERP-specific templates can be used as an alternative to API integrations.
  • Export files are generated from the Pleo Web App
  • Data is formatted using ERP-specific CSV templates
  • Files can be imported directly into the accounting system
  • No API development is required
  • Provides a simple and controlled export mechanism
Best suited for organisations that prefer file-based workflows, use systems without API integrations, or require manual review before import.

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Custom (Export-Driven) Integrations

Custom integrations (commonly referred to as Accounting Integrations) use Pleo’s APIs to transfer accounting-ready data to external ERP or accounting systems via an export-driven model. In this approach:
  • A user initiates export jobs via the Pleo Web App
  • Immutable, structured JSON records representing approved expenses are produced over the API
  • Records are consumed programmatically by the integration or middleware and mapped into the target system
This model gives integrators full control over how and when accounting data is processed, while ensuring consistency, traceability, and auditability.

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Key Characteristics

  • Export jobs are triggered by the user in the Pleo Web App, not directly by the integration
  • Immutable, accounting-ready JSON records delivered via API
  • Traceable export job and item states
  • Clear error reporting and retry mechanisms
  • Supports bespoke data mapping and complex accounting logic
  • Authenticated using OAuth 2.0 or API Keys

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Deployment Options

Accounting integrations can be deployed in different ways depending on your ERP/Accounting system and integration partner setup:
  • Module / On-Premises
    Some ERP/accounting systems allow the integration to run within their environment. Benefits include higher stability, tighter connectivity, and leveraging the system’s tech stack for configuration. Typically requires a single authorisation (OAuth 2.0) step to access Pleo data.
  • Cloud Platform
    The integration runs on a cloud platform or middleware. Export jobs are initiated from the Pleo Web App, and your integration consumes the immutable JSON records via the API using OAuth 2.0. This approach is common for partner-hosted integrations or more complex multi-system workflows.

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Event-Driven Notifications (Webhooks)

  • Webhooks notify integrations of key events (currently v1.export.job-created and v1.vendor.created)
  • Events act as triggers, not data carriers; full data is fetched explicitly via the API
  • Integrations may also poll the API instead of relying on webhooks
  • Enables near-real-time responsiveness without manual intervention
Common Webhook Use Cases
  • Reacting to new export jobs
  • Monitoring export lifecycle and operational status
  • Detecting master data changes (e.g., vendor creation)
Accounting integrations are typically built and operated by partners or customers and are well suited for:
  • Unsupported or bespoke ERP / accounting systems
  • Complex accounting or multi-entity requirements
  • Controlled, batch-based accounting workflows

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Accounting Integration Lifecycle

A typical Accounting integration follows this lifecycle:
  1. Onboard to Staging (OAuth 2.0 or API Keys)
  2. Integrate your ERP or Accounting System
  3. Synchronise master data into Pleo (e.g., tags, categories, vendors)
  4. Capture and approve expenses in Pleo
  5. Export accounting-ready data via your integration
  6. Monitor jobs and handle exceptions
  7. Promote your integration from Staging to Production

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Platform Guarantees & Constraints

  • Only approved and complete expenses are exportable
  • Exported expense data is immutable
  • Strict legal-entity isolation is enforced
  • Master data dependencies must be satisfied
  • Rate limits apply per API surface
Specific workflows may vary depending on organisational policies and configuration.
Pleo adapts to each business while consistently ensuring approved expenses are export-ready.

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Next Steps

  • Familiarise yourself with the API surfaces Review the Pleo Platform API Overview to see how your integration can interact with master data, the expense lifecycle, and export jobs.