Why approval thresholds matter
Full manual approval removes much of the value of autonomous purchasing, while unlimited authority creates obvious financial risk. Thresholds create a middle state: routine spend can proceed automatically while unusual or material decisions escalate.
Amount is only one trigger
Transaction value is useful, but approval can also be triggered by a first-time merchant, unusual category, new geography, unsupported payment rail, high velocity, policy exception or missing evidence.
Make approval contextual
A £500 purchase may be normal for one agent and exceptional for another. Thresholds should therefore be attached to the agent's role and policy rather than being one global company number.
Design the approval workflow
A good approval request should show the agent, purpose, merchant, amount, requested rail, relevant policy rule and supporting evidence. The approver should be able to approve, deny or send the transaction back for more information.
Frequently asked questions
Does every agent payment need human approval?
No. The point of policy-based autonomy is to allow low-risk actions inside defined boundaries while escalating higher-risk or unusual transactions.
What should trigger human review besides amount?
New merchants, disallowed or unusual categories, policy exceptions, high transaction velocity, missing evidence and sensitive payment rails are common triggers.
Who should approve agent payments?
The approver should be appropriate to the amount and business context, such as a budget owner, finance reviewer or designated operational manager.