At a glance:Create approval groups → create a policy and add rules → enable and go live.You need the Manage groups permission to create approval groups and the Manage workflows permission to create and activate policies. See How to manage permissions.
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.
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Go to Team Members → Groups tab.
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Click Create New Group and choose User as the type.
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Name the group and add the relevant users.
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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.
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Click Create New Policy.
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Choose a policy type from the dropdown and give it a name.
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Select which workflow type(s) this policy applies to.
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Add your rules (see the four types below).
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Optionally turn on Auto-approve for amounts below your first threshold.
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Optionally turn on Sequential approval to enforce a step-by-step approval order.
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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):- Managers
- Accounting
- Controlling
- CFO (only for items ≥ $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.
4. Understanding approval statuses
Transactions
Funding requests
FAQ
Can I set up sequential (step-by-step) approvals?
Can I set up sequential (step-by-step) approvals?
Yes. Toggle Set up approvals in sequence when creating or editing a policy. Each approver group is notified only after the previous group approves.
Will approvers be notified automatically?
Will approvers be notified automatically?
Yes — as long as notification preferences are enabled under My Profile. Email and push notifications go out at each stage.
Does a new policy affect older transactions?
Does a new policy affect older transactions?
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.
Can I have more than one active policy?
Can I have more than one active policy?
You can create multiple policies, but only one can be active per workflow type (Transactions, Funding Requests, etc.) at a time.
How many rules can a policy have?
How many rules can a policy have?
There’s no limit. Add as many rules as your organization needs.
Can I approve on mobile?
Can I approve on mobile?
Yes. Transactions and funding requests can be approved from the PEX mobile app by any user with the right permissions.
If a second-level approver approves, does the first level still need to?
If a second-level approver approves, does the first level still need to?
Yes. All required approval levels must sign off for the item to reach “Approved” status, regardless of the order — unless sequential approval is enabled.
Where can I see approval history?
Where can I see approval history?
Click into the Transaction details or Funding Request details to view the full approver history.