Issuing and Managing Corporate Cards

#Cards Page Overview

The Cards page has three tabs:

• : View all card transactions with Date, Merchant, Ledger account, Amount, and Tax code. Filter by status and search by keyword.
• : View all issued cards with Owner, Vendor, Type, Card, and Description columns.
• : View card accounts with Account number, Account name, Currency, Entity, and Cards connected.

#Creating Cards

To create a new card, click + Create card from the Cards page. Light supports two card types:

#Employee Cards

Use for employee expenses like travel or supplies.

1. Click + Create card

2. Select Employee card

3. Fill in the details:

   • Owner: Select the employee from the dropdown
   • Authentication phone number: Phone number for card verification
   • Card account: Select which card account to link
   • Card description: A label for this card (optional)
   • Limits: Set a spending limit (Monthly by default) with the currency and amount

4. Click Create card

The virtual card becomes available immediately.

#Vendor Cards

Use for recurring vendor payments like subscriptions.

1. Click + Create card

2. Select Vendor card

3. Fill in the details:

   • Owner: Select the card owner from the dropdown
   • Authentication phone number: Phone number for card verification
   • Card account: Select which card account to link
   • Vendor: Select the vendor (or click Quick-add vendor to create one)
   • Card description: A label for this card (optional)

4. Click Create card

#Card Accounts

Before issuing cards, you need at least one card account. To create one:

1. Go to the tab on the Cards page
2. Click + Create account
3. Configure the account details including account name, currency, and entity

Card accounts group cards together and control the funding source and entity association.

#Managing Cards

#Viewing Cards

1. Navigate to

2. See all cards with:

   • Owner: Who the card is assigned to
   • Vendor: The associated vendor (for vendor cards)
   • Type: Employee or Vendor
   • Card: Card identifier
   • Description: Card label

3. Click a card to see its details and manage it

#Adjusting Card Limits

Increase or decrease individual card limits:

1. Open the card
2. Click Edit Limit
3. Adjust the limit amount
4. Click Save

New limit takes effect immediately.

#Blocking/Unblocking Cards

Temporarily block a card without cancelling:

1. Open the card
2. Click Block Card
3. Optionally, select a reason: Under investigation, Unusual activity, etc.
4. Card is immediately frozen (no transactions allowed)
5. Employee is notified

To unblock:

1. Click Unblock Card
2. Card is immediately active again

Use blocking to investigate suspicious activity without permanent cancellation.

#Cancelling Cards

Permanently cancel a card:

1. Open the card

2. Click Cancel Card

3. Provide a reason: Employee left, Card replaced, etc.

4. Light immediately:

   • Cancels card
   • Freezes any pending transactions
   • Prevents future use

5. Card cannot be reactivated (new card must be issued)

#Transactions and Reconciliation

#Viewing Transactions

Card transactions appear automatically in the Transactions tab:

1. Navigate to

2. Each transaction shows:

   • Date: When the transaction occurred
   • Merchant: Where the card was used
   • Ledger account: The GL account for this transaction
   • Amount: Transaction amount
   • Tax code: Applicable tax code

3. Use the status filter and search bar to find specific transactions

#Card Reconciliation

Reconcile card transactions through bank reconciliation:

1. Navigate to

2. Light matches:

   • Transactions: Individual card charges
   • Card Bill: Aggregate bill from issuer
   • Approved Expenses: Expenses approved in Light

3. Verify:

   • All transactions appear on bill
   • No duplicate charges
   • Amounts match

4. Click Reconcile to mark settled

#Card Settlement

Settlement happens automatically:

1. Card issuer submits bill to company (monthly typical)

2. Light creates an AP bill for card charges:

   • Vendor: Card issuer
   • Amount: Total card charges
   • Line items: Grouped by employee or department
   • GL accounts: Posted to respective expense accounts

3. Finance team pays card issuer

4. Reconciliation complete

#Spending Controls

#Policy Enforcement

Spending policies can be configured under to limit what can be purchased:

• Monthly Limit: Max spending per month
• Merchant Category Limits: Limits by category (e.g., meals, travel)
• Blocked Merchants: No purchases allowed

Light enforces policies at transaction time. If a transaction violates a policy, it is declined.

#Spending Approvals

Require approvals for large purchases:

1. Configure spending thresholds in your approval workflows
2. When an employee makes a large card purchase:
   • Transaction pending (card charges immediately)
   • Manager receives approval request
   • If approved: Expense is approved, posting continues
   • If rejected: Refund is initiated, charge reversed

#Reporting

Analyze card spending using the reports available under . You can create custom reports to track card spending by employee, merchant, category, or time period. Export reports to Excel for further analysis.

#Fraud Detection

Light monitors for suspicious patterns:

1. Velocity Checking: Too many transactions in short time
2. Amount Checking: Unusually large transactions
3. Merchant Checking: Known high-risk merchants

Flagged transactions are:

• Temporarily held
• Employee notified to confirm
• Finance team alerted if suspicious
• Investigation initiated if fraud suspected

#Employee Support

#Card Troubleshooting

Employees can get help:

1. Card Declined: Contact support to understand why (limit, blocked merchant, etc.)
2. Wrong Amount: Investigate transaction and dispute if needed
3. Duplicate Charge: Review settlement and request refund

#Related Articles

• Setting up Light cards (KYC)
• Virtual cards
• Apple Pay and Google Pay
• Expense management overview