Manage budgets and spend limits

OverviewCreating a budgetCreating a sub-budgetCreating a spend limitEditing a budget/spend limitIncrease limit amountMoving a budget/spend limitView budget/spend limitDelete or archive a budget/spend limitSpend limit requestsSpend limit increase requestsApprove spend limit requests

This article refers to a feature that might not be available in your current Brex plan. If you'd like to learn more about this feature and how to unlock additional capabilities in Brex's upgraded plans, please have your account or card admin reach out to Brex Support by clicking on Support in your dashboard.

Overview

We offer two tools for spend management: budgets and spend limits. A budget can help customers plan for their company’s future spending. Each budget can contain sub-budgets and/or spend limits. Spend limits contain controls like an expense policy and a limit on how much employees can spend. Employees can spend from spend limits via card or reimbursement.

HC - Bill Pay & Expense Policies

Creating a budget

PremiumEnterprise

Step 1: In your dashboard, go to Budgets and click Create budget at the top right. Step 2: Add your budget’s details, including a name, amount (optional), currency, frequency, and owners.

Step 3: Click Create.


Creating a sub-budget

PremiumEnterprise

Step 1: In your dashboard, go to Budgets and select the budget you want to set up a sub-budget under. Step 2: Click Create sub-budget. Step 3: Add your budget’s details, including a name, amount (optional), currency, frequency, and owners. Step 4: Click Create.


Creating a spend limit

Account and card admins can create new spend limits for both themselves and other users within the dashboard.

For Essentials Essentials

Step 1: In your dashboard, go to Cards and limits and click Create spend limit.

HC - Bill Pay & Expense Policies

Step 2: Fill out the following fields, including:

  • Should there be one shared limit or individual limits per user?
    • One shared limit: A single person or a group of people can access a total amount to spend
    • Individual limits per user: Each person added will get their own individual limit
  • Name
  • Add description (optional)
  • Which policy should apply?
  • Who can spend?
    • Search users & groups by attributes like cost center, department, entity, location, manager direct reports, and users
  • Automatically add/remove users who join these groups (optional)
  • How much can users spend?
    • (Optional) If you’ve already selected Individual limit per user, set a different amount for certain users.
    • (Optional) Add limit flexibility (optional)
    • How much can users exceed this limit?
      • Choose whether you want to let users spend beyond the assigned amount of the spend limit and, if so, whether you want over-limit expenses sent to you for approval.
  • How often should this limit reset?
    • Add start and end date (optional)

Step 3: You can toggle on any of the following for additional controls:

  • Permissions
    • Allow limit increase requests: If you want to allow spend limit spenders to submit requests for higher limits.
    • Approval chain for limit increase requests: Select the request type to customize the approval chain.
  • Spend method
    • Allow virtual card spending only: Prevent users from using physical employee cards or via reimbursements. Good for card-on-file payments, like subscriptions and other recurring purchases.
    • Auto-create virtual cards: Automatically create a virtual card for all current and future users of this spend limit who have card access.
    • Auto-transfer users’ virtual cards if removed from limit: If a user is removed from this limit, we’ll automatically transfer any cards with previous online spend to their manager or another active limit manager. The transferred card can only be used with previous online merchants, all other merchants or in-person transactions will be declined.
  • Spend controls
    • Restrict Merchants and categories
    • Set a maximum amount per transaction: If you want to set a limit per transaction to be automatically declined.
  • Accounting overrides
    • Select entity: New card transactions will be assigned to this entity and billed with it.

Step 4: Click Continue. You’ll see a preview screen to click Create and a note confirming that the spend limit was created successfully.

For Premium and Enterprise Premium Enterprise

Step 1: In your dashboard, go to Cards and Limits and click Create spend limit.

HC - Bill Pay & Expense Policies

Step 2: Add your spend limit’s details, including:

  • Should there be one shared limit or individual limits per user?
    • One shared limit: A single person or a group of people can access a total amount to spend
    • Individual limits per user: Each person added will get their own individual limit
  • Name
    • Add description (optional)
  • Which policy should apply?
  • Which budget should this limit go under? (optional)
  • Who can spend?
    • Search users & groups by attributes like cost center, department, entity, location, manager direct reports, and users If this spend limit is meant for other users, add spenders.
    • Add condition (optional)
  • Automatically add/remove users who join these groups(optional)
  • How much can users spend?
    • (Optional) If you already selected Individual limit per user, set a different amount for certain users.
  • Can users exceed this limit?
    • Choose whether you want to let users spend beyond the assigned amount of the spend limit and, if so, whether you want over-limit expenses sent to you for approval.
  • Add limit flexibility (optional)
    • How much can users exceed this limit?
  • How often should this limit reset?
    • Add start and end date (optional)
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Step 3: If you want additional controls in place, you can toggle the following:

  • Permissions
    • Who can manage this limit's expenses and users?
    • Allow users to see limit amount: If you want the limit visible for users and the ability to request limit increases.
    • Allow limit increase requests: If you want to allow users to submit requests for higher limits.
    • Allow expense visibility: If you want users to see each others expenses, or if users should be restricted to seeing only their own expenses.
    • Roll over unused funds (only visible if limit resets): By toggling this on, a team member’s unused funds will roll over to the next spend limit period. For example, if your $100 spend limit recurs monthly, and you only use $85, rolling over those funds will give you a spend limit of $115 next month.
      • Clear rollover funds: You can choose when (if at all) accumulated rolled-over funds clear and the spend limit reverts back to its standard limit.
  • Spend method
    • Allow virtual card spending only: Prevent users from using physical employee cards or via reimbursements. Good for card-on-file payments, like subscriptions and other recurring purchases.
    • Auto-create virtual cards: Automatically create a virtual card for all current and future users of this spend limit who have card access.
    • Auto-transfer users’ virtual cards if removed from limits: If a user is removed from this limit, we’ll automatically transfer any cards with previous online spend to their manager or another active limit manager.
  • Spend controls
    • Restrict merchants or categories: Specify where or what users can spend funds on.
    • Set a maximum amount per transaction: If you want to set a limit per transaction to be automatically declined.
  • Access (only visible if user groups are selected)
    • Delay limit access until next budget period: New users will be able to spend at the start of the next limit recurrence.
    • Restrict limit access to future users only: Only users who join Brex after the selected date will get access to this spend limit.
    • Expire limit set number of days after user access: This limit will expire a set number of days after a user gets access.
  • Accounting overrides:
    • Select the Entity, Department, Location, and Cost center that you want to override.

Step 4: Click Continue. A popup window will appear asking if you’d like to Undo the spend limit creation. You’ll have six seconds to click this option in case you need to adjust the spend limit for any reason. You can edit most of your spend limit information later on after the spend limit’s creation. The only exception to this is your spend limit’s currency, which cannot be changed after creation.


Editing a budget/spend limit

You can edit your budget/spend limit at any time after you’ve created it. Most details can be updated, but some features, such as the currency, are permanent.

Single budget/spend limit

Step 1: In your dashboard, click the budget/spend limit you want to update. You may need to click the arrow to expand the budget/spend limit group to find it. Step 2: Click Edit. Step 3: Make your updates and click Continue. Review on the next page and click Update. Note: When you edit your budget/spend limit’s recurrence, all approved and pending limit increases will be canceled.

Multiple budget/spend limits

PremiumEnterprise

Step 1: In your dashboard, click the checkmark to the left of any budget/spend limits you want to edit. Step 2: Click an action at the bottom of the screen (Move, Edit limit, Add users, or Archive). Other budget/spend limit details can be updated by editing each budget/spend limit individually. Step 3: Depending on what details you’re updating, click either Save or Add when your edits are complete.


Increase limit amount

Temporary limit increases

If your spend limit recurs, account and card admins can temporarily increase its amount. This will last until a date of your choosing, after which the spend limit will revert to its original amount. Step 1: Go to Cards and Limits > Spend limits. Step 2: Click the three dots next to the spend limit you want to increase. Step 3: Under Increase amount, enter the amount to increase your limit and checkmark Temporary increase. Step 4: Choose the end date and reason for the increase. Step 5: Save your changes.


Moving a budget/spend limit

PremiumEnterprise

Controllers have the ability to reassign a given sub-budget/spend limit’s top-level budget from their dashboard on the Budgets or Cards and Limits page or from the All budget details page/All spend limit details page. You can promote a sub-budget to a budget by selecting All budgets when moving a budget. Note: Budget/spend limits can only be reassigned if limits, limit currency, restrictions, and policies are aligned. For example, you wouldn’t be able to move a spend limit that would exceed the hard limit of the new parent budget or a spend limit that allows transactions at a gas station into a spend limit that restricts purchases that fall into the Gas & Fuel category. Spend limits that are automatically distributed can not be moved.

Single budget/spend limit or budget 

Step 1: In your dashboard, click the budget/spend limit you want to move. Step 2: Under Actions, click Move budget/spend limit. Step 3: Select the new budget/spend limit you’d like to assign. Step 4: Click Confirm.

Multiple budget/spend limits or budget 

Step 1: In your dashboard, click the checkmark to the left of any budget/spend limits you want to move. Step 2: Click Move budget/spend limit at the bottom of the screen. Step 3: Choose your new budget/spend limit and click Move budget/spend limits.


View budget/spend limit

History

Step 1: In your dashboard, click the budget/spend limit that you want to see the history of. Step 2: Under Actions, click View history.


Delete or archive a budget/spend limit

Budget or spend limit managers, account admins, and card admins can archive and delete spend limits from their dashboard. Affected budgets and spend limits will have differentiated visibility in the dashboard and they will not accept more card transactions. Budget and spend limit managers and spenders will receive notifications when a budget/spend limit is deleted or archived. Note: Employees can only delete a child spend limit/budget if they own the parent spend limit/budget.

Single budget/spend limit

Step 1: In your dashboard, click on the budget/spend limit you want to delete or archive. Step 2: Under Actions, select the action you’d like to take:

  • Archive budget/spend limit: Will remain visible on your admin dashboard.
  • Delete budget/spend limit: Will be permanently deleted from your admin dashboard.
    • Note: This action only appears if there are no expenses on the spend limit.

Step 3: In the popup window, confirm your decision by clicking either Delete or Archive. You can reopen an archived budget/spend limit by clicking on the tile for the specific budget/spend limit, and choosing Reopen. Clarify the specifics in the popup window and click Reopen budget/Reopen spend limit. Deleted budget/spend limits cannot be restored.

Multiple budgets/spend limits

PremiumEnterprise

Step 1: In your dashboard, go to Budgets or Cards and Limits and click the checkmark to the left of any budget/spend limits you want to delete or archive. Step 2: Click Archive budget/Archive spend limit at the bottom of the screen. Step 3a: If you want to permanently remove the budget/spend limits from your dashboard, check the box for Permanently delete this budget/Permanently delete this spend limit. Then click Delete [#] budget/Delete [#] spend limit(s) to confirm. Step 3b: Leave the box unchecked if you want the budget/spend limit to still appear in your dashboard with an Archived status. Then click Archive [#] budget/spend limit(s) to confirm.


Spend limit requests

In your dashboard Essentials

Step 1: At the top right of the Wallet page, navigate to Request spend limit. Step 2: Select the type of spend you wish to make, either a user limit or vendor or travel spend. Step 3: Add your spend limit's details, including a name, purpose and amount. Step 4: Click Submit.

In your dashboard Premium Enterprise

Step 1: At the top right of the Wallet page, navigate to Request spend limit. Step 2: Select the type of spend. Step 3: Add what this spend limit is for, such as a name, purpose, managers, spenders and click Continue. Step 4: Fill in the details such as, amount, currency recurrence, date, and if you want to block specific merchants or categories. Step 5: Click Submit.

In your app

Step 1: Tap Wallet at the bottom of your screen. Step 2: Tap Switch spend limit > Request new spend limit. Step 3: Select the type of spend and add your spend limit’s details, such as including a name, purpose, managers, spenders, amount, currency recurrence, and date. Step 4: Tap Submit.


Spend limit increase requests

Step 1: Navigate to the relevant spend limit in your Brex dashboard or mobile app. Step 2: Under Actions, select Request limit increase. Note: If you can’t find Request limit increase, check in with your spend limit manager. They may need to toggle on the ability for spenders to request a limit increase. Step 3: Specify the marginal increase amount and add a reason for the request. PremiumEnterprise You can indicate if you want the limit increase to be temporary (until the end of a specific spend limit period) or permanent (applies to the current period and all future periods). Step 4: Click Save. Step 5: You’ll receive a confirmation email that your request was submitted. You can view the outstanding request and the approval progress in Wallet > View all spend limits and cards. You can also withdraw the request at any time prior to final approval. Step 6: If the limit increase was approved, you'll receive an email and see the updated limit in your Brex account. In your app, you may also receive a push notification. If the limit increase was declined, you will receive an email notifying you of the decline. Note: As a spend limit manager, account admin, or card admin, you can toggle whether spenders should or should not be able to request a limit increase on a spend limit. To toggle this setting, click Edit spend limit and find the toggle titled Allow members to request limit increases.


Approve spend limit requests

When an employee files a request for a new spend limit or an increase in the amount to an existing spend limit, approvers can review all requests and approve or deny them. Step 1: Go to Tasks > Spend limits and click the request to view its request details. Step 2: At the bottom of the request pane, choose either Edit, Deny, or Approve. Note: A popup window will appear asking if you’d like to undo the approval/denial. You’ll have six seconds to click this option if you need to adjust the spend limit for any reason. As an account or card admin, you can always manually edit the limit of the spend limit.

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