Corporate credit cards for employees: features and controls

Company cards for staff are a great way to stay in control of your spending and business cash flow. Instead of using your own credit card to cover those everyday operational expenses, you can sign up for an employee corporate credit card and issue cards to the whole team. 

Some card providers will offer multiple employee cards. This helps you and your team manage spending, make use of an agreed credit facility and (with some cards) earn cashback.

Let’s take a closer look at what a business credit card for employees is, how they work and the benefits they offer for managing your company’s finances. 

What are corporate credit cards for employees?

Corporate credit cards for employees are a way for larger businesses to simplify and manage everyday operational spending. Your company signs up for a business account and the card provider issues company credit cards to your authorised team members.  

You decide who gets a card, whether that’s employees, managers or your company directors. Once issued, your cardholder can use their company card to cover company costs, without having to pay with their personal credit card and reclaim the spending. 

It’s a fast, straightforward way to cover those everyday business costs. Settle a bill from your accountant. Pay a monthly subscription for a software tool. Buy sundry items for the office kitchen. Wherever there’s regular or ad hoc spending, your card can be used. 

With many cards, you have complete oversight of all employee spending. That’s a big bonus when it comes to managing your operational spending and cash flow position. 

How issuing employee cards works

Once you’ve successfully applied for your corporate credit card, your provider will set you up with an online account. This is where you manage your employee cards, set card limits and have physical cards sent out to your staff. 

To set up your employees’ cards:

• Send out card invites: From your online dashboard, you enter the employee’s name, email and mobile number to trigger an automated digital invitation for their new card.

• Identity verification: The employee will receive a link to download the card app. With the app, they can upload the required proof of identity (like a passport or UK driving licence) and pass the mandatory know your client (KYC) checks.

• Activation and deployment: Once verified, the employee confirms the postal address for their physical card. Some providers even issue an instant ‘virtual business card’ that can be immediately added to Apple Pay or Google Pay.

Additional cardholders and individual cards

Having multiple employee cards is far more effective than using a single company credit card, or relying on team members to use their own personal credit cards.  

Each employee has a unique card number and uses their card to pay for travel, client hospitality or supplier invoices, etc. This removes the reliance on a shared company card or the employee’s personal credit cards. It also means your employees are not left out of pocket while waiting to be reimbursed through an expenses claim.

Some providers’ mobile apps can snap photos of their receipts immediately after a cardholder makes a purchase. The software automatically matches the image to the transaction, cutting down the burden of manual data entry and time-consuming expense reports.

Setting per-card and per-category limits

One of the key benefits of having multiple employee cards is the ability to set individual spending limits and merchant category limits for each employee. As the main account holder, you’re in full control of how much each cardholder can spend, and with which merchants. 

Keeping control of team spending

As your business grows and employee numbers increase, managing spending across the business can become more challenging. But by using multiple employee expense cards, you make cash flow and spend management far easier to control. 

Using the online dashboard, your finance lead has complete oversight over who’s spending what, where and up to which pre-agreed limit. This means you get better control over your expenses.

Spend controls and approvals

To manage your company expenses effectively, it’s helpful to control the access each employee cardholder has to spending. 

Many employee expenses cards will allow you to set card limits, per card. You can also have total oversight and approval over regular and ad hoc spending.  

With the spend controls in your online dashboard, you can:

• Assign distinct monthly or transaction spend limits to each staff spending card 

• Tailor spending to the employee’s seniority or specific operational needs

• Toggle spending categories on or off per business credit card

• Approve spending on large or unusual amounts through the app

• Adjust spend limits or categories instantly on each card.

Real-time visibility and reporting

Having a real-time view of company-wide spending is a game-changer. 

Instead of waiting until month-end to see expense reports, you have total oversight of every transaction, in real time. If someone on the team is using their employee expense card to overspend beyond their agreed budget, you see this before it has a cash flow impact. 

If you need to, you can revise limits or freeze cards with one click.

Accounting integration with cloud accounting software 

Another benefit of using employee expense cards is the ability to integrate your card spending with your accounting platform. 

Platforms like Xero, Sage or FreeAgent can be synced with the online dashboard for your employee cards. This cuts down on manual data entry of expenses and automates the whole bank reconciliation process, giving you a real-time view of your finances. 

Reducing expense admin for your finance team

Scrolling through expenses reports and manually entering expenses is a drain on your time. But with the right employee expense card system in place, managing your team’s expenses doesn’t need to be a burden. It can actually put you back in the expenses driving seat. 

When each employee has their own expense card, you can forget about expense claims, reimbursements, chasing receipts and month-end processing.

Instead, you give your team the freedom to make the necessary purchases, while reducing the admin time for your finance department and giving them full, real-time control of spending.

That means less time spent on low-value admin tasks and more high-value time available for optimising cash flow and boosting the company’s bottom line. 

What to look for in an employee card programme

Choosing the most effective employee card programme doesn’t need to be a chore. Think about your business needs, the core functionality that’s important for your team and the added benefits that each card programme would bring to the business. 

Once you’ve done your homework, you’re ready to review the current provider market and find the programme that ticks the right boxes. 

Here are five key questions that will keep your search on track:

1. Credit or prepaid cards? Choose between cards that offer a line of credit (like Funding Circle) or prepaid business cards, based on your cash flow needs.

2. Is there accounting integration? Make sure the platform syncs with your bookkeeping software, such as Xero, Sage or FreeAgent, for seamless reconciliation.

3. How much control? Select a provider that offers real-time, customisable spending limits and merchant category blocks tailored to individual employee roles.

4. What’s the fee structure? Compare monthly subscription models, fees for issuing cards and foreign transaction charges to get the best value for your money.

5. How does the app measure up? Prioritise platforms that have good ratings for their mobile apps and that allow employees to instantly capture receipts and submit expenses on the go.

What’s the cost per card?

Not all card providers offer multiple cards for free. Some will charge for each additional employee card you request. This extra fee can soon start to eat into the cashback or rewards you earn by choosing this platform.

Always check the small print to see if extra employee cards are free and if there are other fees that could reduce the financial efficiency of a card programme. 

What are the eligibility requirements?

Most company card programmes will have specific eligibility requirements in place. Because of this, it’s important to check if you and your business are eligible to apply for a card. 

For example, when applying for a Funding Circle Company card, you must:

• Be a director of the company

• Be a UK-based limited company

• Have 1+ year of trading history

• Have a turnover of £30,000+

Corporate credit cards for employees with Funding Circle

If you’re looking for a flexible employee card solution, the Funding Circle Company card ticks all the right boxes and delivers multiple cards for your whole team.  

The Company card also offers the perk of cashback on all your spending, allowing you to boost your cash flow while staying in complete control of your business expenses. 

With a Company card account, you get:

• 2% cashback for the first 6 months (up to £2,000)

• 1% uncapped cashback after that

• Free unlimited Company cards

• Control over spending limits for individual cards

• Integration with Sage, Xero or FreeAgent accounting software

• Up to £250,000 credit limit

Forget about messy expenses claims and hours spent on admin. Just sign up for a Company card and start experiencing the most effective way to manage your company’s spending.

Apply for a Company card today

FAQs

Can I give employees their own company credit cards?

Yes. With a Funding Circle Company card account, you can issue cards to multiple team members and manage their spending centrally for all company expenses. 

Is there a cost per employee card?

No. The Funding Circle Caschback credit card offers unlimited employee cards for free. That’s no additional charges per card. As your workforce expands, just add new cards for approved team roles. 

How do I stop employees overspending?

The Company card allows you to add spending limits and merchant category limits for each individual card. And you have a real-time view of all cardholder spending. 

Are employees personally liable?

No. Employees are not personally liable for spending made using the Company card. But the director who owns the account might have to offer a personal guarantee.

02/07/26: While we want to help as much as we can, the information found here is provided solely for informational purposes and should not be considered financial or legal advice. To the extent permitted by law, Funding Circle does not accept any liability for any loss or damage which may arise directly or indirectly from the use of, or reliance on, the information contained here. If you have any questions, please speak to your professional adviser or seek independent legal advice.