Skip to main content
Supported workflow types

Learn about the approval workflows you can define in Payhawk and customize them for expense types, purchase orders, and card requests.

Updated over a week ago

With Payhawk's powerful workflow capabilities, you can build and tailor extensive custom workflows based on types of expenses, approvers, and approval conditions that correspond to the specific requirements of your company. At the same time, you keep uncompromising visibility over each defined step and assigned teammate.

You can also define your custom workflow fallbacks so that the approval process is secured in exceptional cases - for example, if an employee with no Team Manager submits an expense that would require a Team manager's approval.

In Payhawk, you can define approval workflows for card requests and transactions, reimbursements, invoices, purchase orders, and more.

Workflows for expense types

Based on the lifecycle of expenses in Payhawk, you can customize the workflows for the invoices, reimbursements, and card transactions at your company.

The expense lifecycle for an invoice, for example, starts with its submission. Then, the expense has to be approved. The next step is for the authorized people at the company to review the expense. Then, the payment details and payment execution date are confirmed, the payment is authorized and the expense is paid.

  • For an invoice, the expense steps are Submit, Approve, Review, and Pay (Confirm details and Authorize).

  • Card expenses have the Submit, Approve, and Review steps only as they have already been paid.

  • Per diems and mileage expenses include the Reimburse, instead of the Pay, step as the amount is returned to the employee.

For more information, see the article on setting approval workflows for expense types.

Workflows for purchase orders

To create a purchase order in Payhawk, employees need to first submit a purchase request. Then, the authorized people at the company approve its amount and other details or conditions before the delivery can be initiated. Next, the authorized employees upload the invoices and receipts notes for the delivered goods or services and the purchase order can be closed.

Purchase orders may sometimes have discrepancies in terms of the number of received goods, or the price that was approved and the one that is invoiced. In such cases, you can specifically allow specific employees to approve purchase orders with discrepancies.

The workflow you can customize for purchase orders includes setting up multiple steps, roles, or people who can:

  • Approve purchase requests.

  • Upload invoices.

  • Approve bank transfers for purchase orders when the purchase order amount matches the invoiced amount.

  • Approve bank transfers for purchase orders when the purchase order amount doesn't match the invoiced amount.

  • Approve bank transfers when the invoice is received without a prior purchase order.

Workflows for card requests

If allowed, employees can submit requests for new cards. You can define who can approve card requests and who can issue cards.

Useful resources

Did this answer your question?