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Card Auto-Lock: How It Works

The Card Auto-Lock feature helps your organization enforce receipt and accounting compliance by automatically locking a card if required transaction details are not completed within a set timeframe.

What Is Card Auto-Lock?

Card Auto-Lock ensures that required information is submitted on time.

If a cardholder does not complete the required fields, such as receipts or expense coding, within the grace period set by the company admin, their card will automatically lock until all missing information is submitted.

What Counts as “Required Information”?

Your organization defines which fields must be completed for each charge. These may include:

  • Receipt upload

  • Description

  • Expense account

  • Location

  • Department or function

  • Cost center

  • Fund or superfund

Only the fields enabled by your administrator are enforced.

How Auto-Lock Works

  1. A charge is made.

  2. Required information is missing.

  3. The system tracks how long the charge remains incomplete.

  4. If the grace period expires:

    • The card automatically locks.

    • New purchases will be declined.

How the Card Unlocks

Once the cardholder uploads or completes the missing required information:

  • The system re-checks the transaction.

  • The card automatically unlocks.

  • Unlocking occurs within approximately one hour.

No manual admin action is needed once all required information is completed.

Grace Period

Your organization sets the grace period in days.

This determines how long a cardholder has to complete required transaction details before the card locks.

Common grace periods are 7 to 14 days.

Company Policy vs Individual Card Settings

Auto-lock can be managed at two levels:

Company Policy (Default)

Most cards follow your organization’s standard auto-lock settings found in your company policies, including:

  • Required fields

  • Grace period

  • Locking rules

Individual Card Overrides

For specific cards, administrators may:

  • Disable auto-lock entirely

  • Enforce auto-lock at the card level

  • Allow the card to follow company policy

This flexibility allows organizations to adjust controls based on role or card type.

Why Auto-Lock Is Helpful

Auto-lock helps your organization:

  • Maintain receipt compliance

  • Ensure accurate accounting

  • Reduce manual follow-ups

  • Keep financial records audit-ready

  • Prevent ongoing spending when documentation is missing

Frequently Asked Questions

Will an employee be notified before their card locks?
If your organization has notifications enabled, the cardholder receive reminders about incomplete charges before the grace period expires.

Can an admin manually unlock cards?
Yes, administrators can manually unlock a card if necessary from the Cards tab.

What happens if I complete the missing information?
Your card will automatically unlock within the hour once all required information is submitted.