# Manage budgets and spend limits

Get answers to all of your questions regarding Brex

**URL Source:** https://www.brex.com/support/manage-budgets-and-spend-limits

---

## Overview

We offer two tools for spend management: budgets and spend limits. 

- **Budgets** 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 a 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](https://brand.brex.com/m/55bcae18bb788816/webimage-HC-Bill-Pay-Expense-Policies.png)

## Creating a budget

<!-- plans: Premium, Enterprise -->

**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

<!-- plans: Premium, Enterprise -->

**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, card admins, and any other users with the [specific product capability](https://www.brex.com/custom-roles) can create new spend limits for both themselves and other users within the dashboard.

### For Essentials

<!-- plans: Essentials -->

**Step 1: **In your dashboard, go to _Cards and limits_ and click _Create spend limit_.

![HC - Bill Pay & Expense Policies](https://brand.brex.com/m/2ba0f106da601737/webimage-HC-Bill-Pay-Expense-Policies.png)

**Step 2: **Fill out the following fields, including:

- Should there be one shared limit or individual limits per user?
<!-- plans: New - Early Access -->

   - _Single spend limit:_ A single limit shared by one or more users with a total amount to spend.
   - _Group of spend limits:_ A group of spend limits for multiple users, allowing each user to get their own individual limit of the same or different amount.
- _Name_
- _Add description (optional)_
- _Policy Rules: _Your default policy section will always apply.
   - _Choose additional rules to apply (optional)_
- _Who can spend?_
   - _Search users & groups by _attributes_ like cost center, department, entity, location, manager direct reports, and users. _Add an employee here to allow them to spend.
- 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. If you enable flexibility, over-limit expenses are automatically sent for review in your _Tasks_.
- How often should this limit reset?
   - Choose from the following limit reset options:
      - _Does not repeat:_ Your spend limit will only be active between the specific start and end dates you set.
      - _Weekly_: Your spend limit will reset every Monday on a weekly basis.
      - _Monthly_: Your spend limit will reset on the first day of each month.
      - _Quarterly_: Your spend limit will reset on the first day of each calendar quarter.
      - _Annually_: Your spend limit will reset on the first day of each calendar year.

**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 invited, 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: _Any expense made with the restricted merchant or categories will automatically decline.
      - **Note**: This will take precedence over any merchant settings on the policy level. To ensure merchant restrictions set on the policy-level take effect, remove any restrictions in your spend limit.

      -  To learn more about setting merchant blocks on a policy level, see [this help article](https://www.brex.com/policy-rule-builder).
<!-- plans: New - Early Access -->

   - _Set a maximum amount per transaction: _If you want to set a limit per transaction to be automatically declined_._
- Accounting overrides
   - _Select_ _entity: N_ew card transactions will be assigned to this entity and billed with it. Learn more on managing spend with multiple entities [here.](https://www.brex.com/multi-entity-accounts)

**Step 4: **Click _Continue. _You’ll see a preview screen to click _Create_ and a note confirming that the spend limit was created successfully.

If you are looking to change the monthly limit on an existing employee card, go to _Cards and Limits_, click the employee card, and select _Edit card_ or _Change limit_ from the details panel. This option is only visible to card or account admins and only appears for employee cards that already have a card-level limit assigned. If you want to set a separate policy-based limit for a group or individual rather than changing a card's built-in monthly cap, use the _Create spend limit_ steps above instead. Learn more in[ this help article.](https://www.brex.com/brex-card-overview)

### For Premium and Enterprise

<!-- plans: Premium, Enterprise -->

**Step 1: **In your dashboard, go to _Cards and Limits _and click _Create spend limit_.

![HC - Bill Pay & Expense Policies](https://brand.brex.com/m/2ba0f106da601737/webimage-HC-Bill-Pay-Expense-Policies.png)

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

-  Should there be one shared limit or individual limits per user?
<!-- plans: New - Early Access -->

   - _Single spend limit: _A single limit shared by one or more users with a total amount to spend.
   - _Group of spend limits:_ A group of spend limits for multiple users, allowing each user to get their own individual limit of the same or different amount.
- Name
   - Add description (optional)
- _Policy Rules: _Your default policy section will always apply.
   - _Choose additional rules to apply (optional)_
- 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)
      - **Note**: When you select a group attribute such as a department or entity, you can choose how to manage member access. To automate these updates, use the_ Automatically add users who join this group_ and _Automatically remove users who leave this group_ toggles.
- 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?
   - Choose from the following limit reset options:
      - _Does not repeat:_ Your spend limit will only be active between the specific start and end dates you set.
      - _Weekly_: Your spend limit will reset every Monday on a weekly basis.
      - _Monthly_: Your spend limit will reset on the first day of each month.
      - _Quarterly_: Your spend limit will reset on the first day of each calendar quarter.
      - _Annually_: Your spend limit will reset on the first day of each calendar year.
   - Add start and end date (optional)
      - The spend limit's start date determines the true start of when expenses can be submitted and counted toward that limit. Setting a start date in the past will create limits that cover past time periods. Because expenses count toward the limit based on their transaction date, this allows your employees to submit reimbursements for past transactions. For details on how the transaction date and start date affect spend, see the _Understanding purchase and start dates for your spend limit_** **section below.

![HC - Limit Groups 01](https://brand.brex.com/m/75c8a192f25320e9/webimage-HC-Limit-Groups-01.png)

**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_: Show limit to all users and allow increase requests
      - On: Everyone with access to the limit can view this limit amount and request an increase.
      - Off: Only the spend limit owner and members, admins, and bookkeepers can view the limit amount.  
   
Note: A user must be able to see a limit to request an increase.
   - _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. For details on how the purchase date and start date affect spend, see the _Understanding purchase and start dates for your spend limit_** **section below.
      - _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 invited, 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. Any expense made with the restricted merchant or categories will automatically decline.
      - **Note**: This will take precedence over any merchant settings on the policy level. To ensure merchant restrictions set on the policy-level take effect, remove any restrictions in your spend limit.

      -  To learn more about setting merchant blocks on a policy level, see [this help article](https://www.brex.com/policy-rule-builder).
<!-- plans: New - Early Access -->

   - _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.
      - Note**:** You can edit this setting later on if the spend limit and parent budget do not have a set end date. To edit, follow the steps in the next section.
- Accounting overrides_:_
   - Select the _Entity, Department, Location, _and _Cost center _that you want to override. Learn more on managing spend with multiple entities [here.](https://www.brex.com/multi-entity-accounts)

**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.

Admins can also toggle on or off the ability to issue and use employee card limits on a company-level by navigating to _Company Settings > Expenses > Cards > Employee card limits_. Learn more in [this help article](https://www.brex.com/brex-card-overview).

![YouTube Video](https://youtu.be/KwvVZjdEcCc?si=fNGqYJYYjqn77ivi)

## Understanding purchase and start dates for your spend limit

When a transaction or reimbursement is applied to a spend limit, two dates determine how we calculate your unused spend limit amount: the purchase date and the spend limit's start date.

### Purchase date

The purchase date is the date the expense actually occurred, and it determines which month a transaction or reimbursement counts toward your spend limit balances. The date a reimbursement or expense was submitted has no effect. For example, a reimbursement for an expense dated in May counts toward May’s limit, even if it is submitted in June. This ensures expenses count toward the spend limit period when the transaction occurred, rather than when the paperwork is submitted.

### Spend limit start date

The spend limit's start date determines the true start of when expenses can be submitted and counted toward that limit. This is separate from the date the limit was created. Any expense with a purchase date on or after the start date can be submitted and applied to the spend limit.

**Note:** To review when a reimbursement was submitted, you can add and filter by _Submitted date_ as from your transactions view by following the steps in [this help article](https://www.brex.com/expense-filters).

If you have set up automatic rollover of unused funds into the next spend limit period, the rollover will begin during the month the spend limit was created, not the month the limit started. The start date controls when expenses count toward the limit, while the created date controls when rollovers begin.

## Delaying spend limit access for newly added users

When an employee is added to a spend limit individually, the spend limit's start date always applies to them. This means an employee hired in October and added to a spend limit with a May start date could submit reimbursements dating back to May. To have new users spend only from when they're added, use the _Delay limit access until next budget period_ setting.

This setting is available when you assign a spend limit through a user group. Users added to the group receive the limit automatically, but access begins with the next budget cycle. This applies to both new hires and existing employees moved into the group. Learn more about user groups in [this help article.](https://www.brex.com/organize-team)

**Note**: This setting can't be combined with a specified start date. To use it on an existing limit, set an end date on your current limit at month's end, then create a new limit with this setting enabled.

### In your dashboard

**Step 1: **Under _Teams_ >_ Fields Library > User fields_, set up user groups relevant for your team by following the steps in [this help article](https://www.brex.com/organize-team). Click _Add Value_ and select _Save_.

**Step 2:** Once set up, assign the relevant user to the user field by navigating to _Team_, selecting the user, and choosing the appropriate value from the user field dropdown.

**Step 3:** Navigate to _Cards & Limits > Spend Limits,_ and select the spend limit you'd like to update.

**Step 4:** Click _Edit_ in the top-right corner. Under _Who can spend?_, add the _User field_. Ensure that the start date is cleared under _When can users spend?_.

**Step 5: **Navigate to _Additional Controls. _At the bottom of the detail pane, click _Access _and enable the _Delay limit access until next budget period_, allowing new users to be able to spend at the start of the next limit recurrence.

New users added to the department will now receive spend access based on when they're added, rather than the limit's original creation date. This applies to card spend and reimbursement expenses.



## 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, depending on what you wish to edit, go to either the Budgets or Cards and Limits and 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. You can edit the name, add employees to who can spend, the amount, recurrence, etc. 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

<!-- plans: Premium, Enterprise -->

**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_). To update other budget/spend limit details such as ownership, you can edit each budget/spend limit individually.

**Step 3:** Depending on what details you’re updating, click either _Save _or _Add _when your edits are complete.

## Changing limit amount

Account admins, card admins, and any other users with the [specific product capability](https://www.brex.com/custom-roles) can change a spend limit's amount via _Change limit amount _across the dashboard. After you save, the screen refreshes to show the new amount right away.

### Change a single spend limit's amount

**Step 1:** In your dashboard, go to _Cards and Limits > Spend limits._

**Step 2:** Click the three dots next to the spend limit you want to update and select _Change limit amount._ You can also open the spend limit and select_ Change limit amount _from its detail view, find the associated card in _Wallet_ and select _Change limit amount_ from the card action, or go to _Team_, and select the team member and the associated spend limit.

**Step 3:** In the drawer, enter the new limit amount. You can set it higher or lower than the current amount.

**Step 4:** Click _Save_. The updated amount appears on the screen immediately.

### Change multiple spend limits' amounts

**Step 1:** In your dashboard, go to_ Cards and Limits > Spend limits_.

**Step 2: **Select the checkmark next to each spend limit you want to update, then click _Change limit amount_ at the bottom of the screen.

**Step 3: **Enter the new amount and click _Save_. Bulk changes may take a moment to complete.

### Set a temporary limit increase

If your spend limit recurs, you can raise its amount until a date you choose, after which it reverts to the original amount. While a temporary increase is active, it applies to all periods — past, current, and future — so expenses dated before the start date still use the higher limit.

**Step 1: **Go to _Cards and Limits > Spend limits_.

**Step 2: **Click the three dots next to the spend limit and select _Change limit amount_.

**Step 3: **Select _Temporary Increase._

**Step 4**: Enter the amount to add to the current limit. The drawer shows the resulting temporary limit.

**Step 5: **Choose the end date and reason for the increase.

**Step 6:** Click _Save_.

## Moving a budget/spend limit

<!-- plans: Premium, Enterprise -->

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 policy rules are aligned. For example, you wouldn’t be able to move 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, navigate to either the _Budgets_ section or the _Cards and Limits_ section, depending on what you want to edit. Select the specific budget or spend limit you want to move.

**Step 2: **Click the three dots in the top right, and select_ Change parent budget._

**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, to make edits, navigate to either Budgets or Cards and Limits. Select the checkmark next to any budget or spend limit you want to move.

**Step 2: **Click the three dots in the top right, and select_ Change parent budget._

**Step 3: **Choose your new budget/spend limit and click _Confirm._

## View budget/spend limit

### History

**Step 1:** To view the history, navigate to your dashboard, select either Budgets or Cards and Limits, and then click on the specific budget or spend limit you want to review.

**Step 2: **Click the three dots in the top right, and select _View history._

## Delete or archive a budget/spend limit

Budget or spend limit managers, account admins, card admins, and any other users with the [specific product capability](https://www.brex.com/custom-roles) 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, select either _Budgets_ or _Cards and Limits_ based on your needs. Find the budget or spend limit you want to remove, then click on it to delete or archive.  
  
**Step 2: **Click the three dots in the top right, and select _Archive spend limit.  
  
_**Note: **If there aren’t any expenses on the spend limit, you can checkmark the box to _Permanently delete this spend limit_, instead.  
  
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

<!-- plans: Premium, Enterprise -->

**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 requests

### In your dashboard

<!-- plans: Essentials -->

**Step 1**: At the top right of the Wallet page, navigate to _Request spend_.  
  
**Step 2:** Select _Limit increase _or for new spend select the type of spend you wish to make.  
  
**Step 3:** Add the details and click Submit.

### In your dashboard

<!-- plans: Premium, Enterprise -->

**Step 1:** At the top right of the _Wallet_ page, navigate to _Request spend.  
  
_**Step 2:** Select _Limit increase _or for new spend, select the type of spend you wish to make.  


**Step 3:** Add the details and click Submit.

### In your app

**Step 1:** Tap _Wallet_ at the bottom of your screen.  


**Step 2:** Select _Request new spend._

  
**Step 3: **Add the details and tap _Continue > Submit request._

## Spend limit increase requests

**Step 1: **Navigate to the relevant spend limit in your Brex dashboard or mobile app.

**Step 2:** Select the limit you wish to increase and click _Request limit increase._

**Step 3: **Add the details and tap _Continue > Submit request._

**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.  
  
 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).
<!-- plans: Premium, Enterprise -->

**Step 4: **You’ll receive a confirmation email that your request was submitted. You can view the outstanding request and the approval progress in _Tasks > Spend requests_. You can also withdraw the request at any time prior to final approval.

**Step 5: **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, card admin, or any other user with the specific product capability, 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 requests

When an employee files a request for a new spend 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 request _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.

### Set approval chain of spend limit increase requests

Admins can designate the chain of employees who approve spend limit increase requests by following these steps:

**Step 1:** In your dashboard, go to _Cards and Limits_, select the spend limit you want to update, click Edit, and then go to _Additional controls_.

**Step 2:** Under Permissions click _Approval chain for limit increase requests._