PEX vs WEX: Smarter spend control for growing businesses

PEX is an all-in-one spend management platform built for modern finance teams. We combine automation, real-time visibility and granular control across every spend category. From field expenses to SaaS subscriptions. With solutions like virtual PEX Visa^® Cards and integrations with 50+ accounting platforms, we help finance teams close their books faster, eliminate fraud risk and operate with confidence.

Why do manual expense processes fail as companies grow? 

Managing business spending used to be straightforward: track cash, monitor credit card statements, and reconcile receipts at month-end. But as companies grow, this simple approach quickly breaks down. Finance teams find themselves drowning in manual processes, struggling to track spending across multiple departments and lacking real-time visibility into where money is going. Without proper controls, unauthorized purchases slip through, budgets get blown, and financial reporting becomes a time-consuming nightmare.

How did WEX change fleet management and why isn’t it enough today?

WEX revolutionized fleet management by giving companies better control over pump-level spending. But today’s finance teams face challenges that extend far beyond fuel costs. As businesses scale, their spending patterns become increasingly complex, spanning recurring software subscriptions, job site materials, employee travel and departmental purchases that demand sophisticated oversight.

What’s the main difference between PEX and WEX? 

PEX covers every spend category, not just fuel. While WEX excels at traditional fuel card management, PEX addresses the broader financial control needs of modern businesses, including fuel cards with enhanced flexibility and control. Both platforms deliver essential control and reporting capabilities, but PEX takes a comprehensive, enterprise-wide approach to spend management. Through its integrated suite of Credit Expense, Prepaid Expense and Disbursement, automation tools and virtual card technology, PEX empowers finance teams with real-time visibility and control over every transaction, regardless of department or spend category.

	PEX	WEX
Physical, virtual & digital cards	Yes	Yes
Advanced spend controls	Yes	No
Customizable restrictions	Yes	No
50+ integrations	Yes	No
Mileage reimbursements	Yes	No
Free business tools (resource library etc.)	Yes	No

What is the core difference between WEX and PEX for fuel cards? 

WEX is built solely for fleet fuel control, offering pump-level data and driver spend tracking. The platform provides detailed insights into fuel station transactions, monitors driver spending patterns and offers fleet-specific reporting that helps transportation-focused businesses optimize their fuel costs and vehicle-related expenses. PEX functions as a comprehensive financial control platform designed to support businesses with diverse and evolving spending requirements. 

Whether your team needs to issue virtual cards for software subscriptions, distribute funds to field teams, or implement granular tracking by department or project, PEX delivers complete visibility paired with proactive spending controls that scale across every aspect of your business operations.

Why do finance teams switch from WEX to PEX for their fuel cards?

• Broader card controls: PEX centralizes control for all spend. Create rules for each card based on merchant type, location, spend limit and department
• Instant transaction visibility: Transactions appear instantly, enabling real-time oversight across teams and vendors
• Virtual card flexibility: Issue virtual cards for vendor payments, travel expenses or one-time purchases with control over who can use it, when, where and how much they can spend
• Time and cost savings: PEX customers save 657 hours and $35,476 annually by automating receipt collection, GL coding and reconciliation

PEX delivers measurable labor and rebate savings, as shown below:

Should my company choose WEX or PEX?

What PEX customers say about us Users rate PEX higher for ease of use, implementation speed, and granular controls. 

“PEX takes the cake in terms of ease of use and implementation … PEX makes purchasing and spend tracking super easy.” — Chineza E., G2 reviewer 

“It’s extremely simple to disperse money to cardholders. It’s also very easy to restrict certain vendors so I know the money is being used for its intended purpose.” — Evan D., G2 reviewer 

“With 200+ cards issued, PEX is easy to use and has helped us complete projects quickly with minimal paperwork.” — Jose C., G2 reviewer

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Disclaimer: Comparison is based on public information and user feedback as of the time of writing.