Skip to main content

Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.pexcard.com/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Watch a step-by-step demonstration here!
At a glance:Create approval groups → create a policy and add rules → enable and go live.

​
1. Create approval groups

Before building a policy, organize your approvers into groups that reflect your org — managers, department heads, finance leads, etc. Each group should include one or more users with permission to approve.
Who can approve:Both admin and cardholder users can participate in approval workflows. Admin users need to have the appropriate approval permissions enabled in addition to belonging to a user group. For cardholder users, simply belonging to the correct user group is enough — no extra permissions required.
1
Go to Team Members → Groups tab.
2
Click Create New Group and choose User as the type.
3
Name the group and add the relevant users.
4
Click Create to save.
Tip:Users can belong to more than one group — add them wherever they’re needed.

​
2. Create an approval policy

Once you have at least one group, create a policy and assign it to one or more workflow types (transactions, funding requests, reimbursements, spend rules, or card-unblock requests).
1
Navigate to Business Settings → Approval Policies.
2
Click Create New Policy.
3
Choose a policy type from the dropdown and give it a name.
4
Select which workflow type(s) this policy applies to.
5
Add your rules (see the four types below).
6
Optionally turn on Auto-approve for amounts below your first threshold.
7
Optionally turn on Sequential approval to enforce a step-by-step approval order.
8
Click Create, then toggle the policy Status to Active.
Note:Creating a policy doesn’t affect workflows until you set its status to Active. Only one policy can be active per workflow type at a time.

​
3. Choose your policy type

PEX offers four types of approval rules. Pick the one that matches how your organization makes decisions — or combine them with an Advanced policy.

Threshold (amount-based)

Route approvals based on dollar thresholds. For example: items ≥ $500 go to Managers, items ≥ $5,000 go to the CFO.

Department-based

Create departments using user groups, then route approvals based on which department made the purchase.

Tag-based

Route approvals by tag values (for example, department or cost center). Available for transaction and reimbursement workflows.

Advanced (combined rules)

Mix threshold, department, and tag rules in a single policy.

​
Threshold example

  • Rule: Items ≥ $30 require approval from Managers. Auto-approve is on.
  • Result: Anything under $30 is automatically approved. Anything $30+ goes to Managers.

​
Sequential approval example

Rules (in sequence):
  1. Managers
  2. Accounting
  3. Controlling
  4. CFO (only for items ≥ $5,000)
Result: Each group is notified only after the previous group approves. The CFO step kicks in only for items at or above $5,000.

​
Tag example

  • Rule: “Finance” tag → Head of Finance + Head of Ops. “Engineering” tag → Head of Engineering.
  • Result: A split transaction tagged with both “Finance” and “Engineering” requires all three groups to approve.

​
Advanced example

Rules combined:
  • Auto-approve items under $50.
  • “Operational” department → Head of Operational.
  • “Expense account” tag → Finance.
  • Items ≥ $5,000 → Head of Finance.
Result: An “Operational” department purchase tagged “expense account” for $3,000 requires approval from both Head of Operational and Finance.

​
4. Understanding approval statuses

​
Transactions

StatusMeaning
BlankMissing a receipt or required tags.
Not ReviewedReady for review — no approver has acted yet.
ApprovedAll required groups have approved.
RejectedA user has rejected the transaction.

​
Funding requests

StatusMeaning
Not ReviewedStill waiting on one or more approval groups.
ApprovedAll required groups have approved.
RejectedThe funding request was denied.
CancelledThe cardholder withdrew the request.

​
FAQ

Yes. Toggle Set up approvals in sequence when creating or editing a policy. Each approver group is notified only after the previous group approves.
Yes — as long as notification preferences are enabled under My Profile. Email and push notifications go out at each stage.
No. Policies only apply to items that enter “Not Reviewed” status after the policy is activated. If you disable a policy, any pending approvals remain in place.
You can create multiple policies, but only one can be active per workflow type (Transactions, Funding Requests, etc.) at a time.
There’s no limit. Add as many rules as your organization needs.
Yes. Transactions and funding requests can be approved from the PEX mobile app by any user with the right permissions.
Yes. All required approval levels must sign off for the item to reach “Approved” status, regardless of the order — unless sequential approval is enabled.
Click into the Transaction details or Funding Request details to view the full approver history.
Last modified on May 13, 2026