Summary and recommendation
Airbase supports SCIM provisioning, but only on Enterprise plans starting around $8,500/year. While SCIM works with all major identity providers (Okta, Entra ID, Google Workspace), the Enterprise requirement creates a significant barrier for smaller finance teams who need automated provisioning for spend management but can't justify enterprise-level spend management software costs.
This creates a particular challenge in finance applications where rapid provisioning and deprovisioning is critical for corporate card access and financial controls. Manual user management means delayed access for new employees needing corporate cards, and more critically, potential security gaps when departing employees retain access to spend management systems. For finance teams handling sensitive financial data and corporate spending, these delays and oversights create both operational friction and compliance risks.
The strategic alternative
Stitchflow provides managed provisioning automation for Airbase without requiring the Enterprise tier upgrade. Works with any Airbase plan and any identity provider. Flat pricing under $5K/year, regardless of team size.
Quick SCIM facts
| SCIM available? | Yes |
| SCIM tier required | Enterprise |
| SSO required first? | Yes |
| SSO available? | Yes |
| SSO protocol | SAML 2.0 |
| Documentation | Official docs |
Supported identity providers
| IdP | SSO | SCIM | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Okta | ✓ | ✓ | OIN app with full provisioning |
| Microsoft Entra ID | ✓ | ✓ | Gallery app with SCIM |
| Google Workspace | ✓ | JIT only | SAML SSO with just-in-time provisioning |
| OneLogin | ✓ | ✓ | Supported |
The cost of not automating
Without SCIM (or an alternative like Stitchflow), your IT team manages Airbase accounts manually. Here's what that costs:
The Airbase pricing problem
Airbase gates SCIM provisioning behind premium plans, forcing significant cost increases for basic user management.
Tier comparison
| Plan | Price | SSO | SCIM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Custom pricing | ||
| Enterprise | ~$8,500+/year |
Plan Structure
| Plan | Price | SCIM |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Custom pricing | ❌ |
| Enterprise | ~$8,500+/year | ✓ |
Note: Exact Enterprise pricing varies based on user count and feature requirements. SCIM is bundled with SSO and other enterprise governance features.
What this means in practice
The Enterprise requirement creates a substantial cost jump for automated provisioning:
For spend management platforms handling corporate cards and expense approvals, this pricing model is particularly problematic since you need rapid provisioning/deprovisioning for financial controls.
Additional constraints
Summary of challenges
- Airbase supports SCIM but only at Enterprise tier (custom pricing)
- Google Workspace users get JIT provisioning only, not full SCIM
- Our research shows teams manually provisioning this app spend significant hidden costs annually
What the upgrade actually includes
Airbase doesn't sell SCIM à la carte. It's bundled with Enterprise features starting at ~$8,500/year:
The reality: Airbase's SCIM works well once you're on Enterprise, but the price point reflects their position as a full spend management platform, not just a tool that needs user sync.
Stitchflow Insight
If you need comprehensive spend management controls anyway, the Enterprise upgrade delivers real value. If you just want automated user provisioning for your finance team, you're paying for extensive corporate card and spend management features you may not fully utilize. We estimate ~60% of Enterprise features are specific to advanced spend management workflows rather than basic identity automation.
What IT admins are saying
Community sentiment on Airbase's enterprise-only SCIM requirement is consistently negative. Common complaints:
- Being locked out of identity automation without expensive enterprise upgrades
- Having to negotiate custom pricing just to get basic provisioning features
- The ~$8,500/year minimum spend for SCIM access
- Directory sync requirements adding complexity to what should be simple provisioning
Another vendor that gates SSO and SCIM behind enterprise plans. For a finance tool handling corporate cards, this should be table stakes security, not a premium feature.
We're a 50-person company that needs automated user provisioning for our spend management platform. Being told we need 'enterprise' pricing for basic security features is frustrating.
The recurring theme
Airbase treats fundamental security features like SCIM as enterprise-only upgrades, forcing smaller organizations to either pay premium pricing or manage user access manually for sensitive financial systems.
The decision
| Your Situation | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Not on Enterprise, need SCIM | Use Stitchflow: avoid the $8.5K+ tier jump for spend management |
| On lower tier, only need basic provisioning | Use Stitchflow: get automation without Enterprise overhead |
| Already on Enterprise plan | Use native SCIM: you're paying for it anyway |
| Need Enterprise features beyond SCIM | Evaluate Enterprise: SCIM comes bundled with advanced controls |
| Small finance team, low turnover | Manual may work: but monitor for card access gaps |
The bottom line
Airbase's Enterprise-only SCIM requirement creates a steep entry barrier for spend management automation. For finance teams that need proper user provisioning without the Enterprise commitment, Stitchflow delivers the same automation at a fraction of the cost.
Automate Airbase without the tier upgrade
Stitchflow delivers SCIM-level provisioning through resilient browser automation, backed by 24/7 human in the loop for Airbase at <$5K/year, flat, regardless of team size.
Technical specifications
SCIM Version
2.0
Supported Operations
Create, Update, Deactivate, Groups
Supported Attributes
Not specifiedPlan requirement
Enterprise
Prerequisites
SSO must be configured first
Key limitations
- Enterprise plan required
- Directory sync required for full provisioning
Configuration for Okta
Integration type
Okta Integration Network (OIN) app with SCIM provisioning
Prerequisite
SSO must be configured before enabling SCIM.
Where to enable
Required credentials
SCIM endpoint URL and bearer token (generated in app admin console).
Configuration steps
Enable Create Users, Update User Attributes, and Deactivate Users.
Provisioning trigger
Okta provisions based on app assignments (users or groups).
Full SCIM provisioning in OIN. Supports SSO, user creation/modification/deactivation. Group Linking, Schema Discovery, Attribute Writeback available.
Native SCIM is available on Enterprise. Use Stitchflow if you need provisioning without the tier upgrade.
Configuration for Entra ID
Integration type
Microsoft Entra Gallery app with SCIM provisioning
Prerequisite
SSO must be configured before enabling SCIM.
Where to enable
Required credentials
Tenant URL (SCIM endpoint) and Secret token (bearer token from app admin console).
Configuration steps
Set Provisioning Mode = Automatic, configure SCIM connection.
Provisioning trigger
Entra provisions based on user/group assignments to the enterprise app.
Sync behavior
Entra provisioning runs on a scheduled cycle (typically every 40 minutes).
Full automatic user provisioning with Entra ID. Microsoft tutorial available. Supports Create Users, Remove Users, Keep attributes synchronized.
Native SCIM is available on Enterprise. Use Stitchflow if you need provisioning without the tier upgrade.
Unlock SCIM for
Airbase
Airbase gates automation behind Enterprise plan. Stitchflow delivers the same SCIM outcomes for a flat fee.
See how it works