Admins create a virtual, physical or single-use card (a company expense card) for any employee, and employees can request a single-use card for a one-off purchase. Nobody advances money.

The company needs a cards account first: opening and funding it is a separate article (see Related).

Create an Expenses card for an employee (admins)

Overview

You need Can manage cards and a cards account for the legal entity that pays. The employee must be an Expenses user (someone who can create expenses) with an email in their profile.

How to use

1. Go to Spending > Employee expenses and click New card.
2. Choose Single-use card, Virtual card or Physical card.
3. In Employee, choose the cardholder.
4. In Legal entity, choose whose cards account pays (the employee's by default).
5. On their first card on that account, fill in Cardholder information, including a Mobile phone for security codes.
6. For a physical card, fill in Shipping information: send it to the Cardholder or the Company.
7. In Card settings, add a Card alias. For a single-use card, also set the Budget.
8. Click Create card.

Virtual and single-use cards work at once. A physical card arrives by post and the cardholder activates it.

Request a single-use Expenses card (employees)

Overview

Need to pay for a course or a ticket? Request a card for the exact amount. Once approved, you pay with it and the expense is created for you. You need Can request cards (on for most employees) and a company cards account.

How to use

1. Go to My spending > My cards and click Request.
2. On your first card, fill in your Cardholder information.
3. Enter the Budget (taxes included), a Card alias and the Request reason.
4. Click Request.

Approve or reject a card request (admins)

Overview

Everyone with Can manage cards can approve or reject a request.

How to use

1. Go to Treasury > Cards. Requests have the status Requested.
2. In the actions menu, choose Approve or Reject (View details shows the reason).
3. To approve, confirm Legal entity to charge and click Yes, approve it. The cardholder is notified and the card can't be edited afterwards.
4. To reject, add a comment for the employee and click Yes, reject it.

Tips and Best Practices

Troubleshooting and FAQ

Troubleshooting

• I have the permission but can't create a card. Check in this order: you have Can manage cards (a group with many permissions may still not include it); the employee is an Expenses user with an email in their profile; the legal entity has a cards account; and your plan includes that card type.
• I can't open the New card page. It is for people with Can manage cards. Employees request a card from My spending > My cards.
• A card type asks me to upgrade, or the Request button is greyed out. Which card types can be created or requested depends on your plan. Your Account Manager can confirm.
• "This employee cannot create expenses, which is a requirement to obtain an expense card." Cards are only for Expenses users. Add the employee to Expenses first: see How do I add people to Expenses?.
• A card can't be created for an employee with no email. Add the email in their profile and try again.
• "No card account yet" next to a legal entity. That legal entity has no cards account. Click Create account in the message that appears, or choose another legal entity.
• "Full name must be at most 24 characters." The first and last name together can have at most 24 characters on the card.
• "A mobile number is required." The Mobile phone must be a mobile number.

FAQ

1. Can I create a card on another legal entity's cards account?

Yes. Choose that legal entity in Legal entity when you create the card, or in Legal entity to charge when you approve a request.

2. Can I give an existing Factorial card to someone else?

No. A card belongs to one person. Cancel it and issue a new one to the new cardholder.

3. Can I issue many cards at once?

Yes, with One: share the list of people (or a file) and One prepares the cards for you to confirm. Physical cards are the exception.

4. Can employees request a physical or virtual card?

In the app, employees request single-use cards from My spending > My cards. With One, they can also ask for a virtual card, which goes to the same approvers. Physical cards are created by admins. See Who can manage and request Factorial cards?.

5. Who approves a card request, the manager?

Everyone with Can manage cards is notified and can decide. The employee's manager isn't involved, and can approve only with that permission.

6. What happens to a single-use card after it is used?

It closes after its first payment, so there is nothing to cancel. Request a new one for the next purchase. If a payment didn't go through, check the card's status before you try again.

7. What happens to a person's cards when they leave?

When they leave the company or stop being an Expenses user, their active Expenses cards are deactivated, not cancelled. Someone with Can manage cards can cancel them.

8. How do I create a virtual card for an employee?

Go to Spending > Employee expenses, click New card, choose Virtual card, pick the Employee and the Legal entity, add a Card alias and click Create card. It works straight away.

9. How do I request a physical card for an employee?

Physical cards are created by admins, not requested: Spending > Employee expenses > New card > Physical card, then fill in Shipping information. Employees can't request a physical card themselves.