Take Control of Expense Approvals with Navan

Managing employee expenses effectively requires striking the right balance between flexibility and control to give employees autonomy while keeping finances in check. That begins with a clear, enforceable approval process to help ensure compliance with SOX regulations (a U.S. law that aims to prevent corporate fraud), prevent out-of-policy spend, or streamline accounting workflows.

And with Navan Expense, that approval process happens automatically and in real time, giving finance teams control without delays. It’s an entirely different experience than with legacy expense management tools, which require multiple manual touchpoints.

Navan Expense also enables flexibility in the approvals process, thanks to built-in, customizable workflows, including:

• Automated policy approvals for real-time transaction reviews
• Accounting reviews to validate transactions before syncing to an ERP
• Manager monthly spend summaries for higher-level oversight without micromanagement
• Escalation approvals for high-value transactions to the right stakeholders

Here’s a closer look at how the approvals process in Navan Expense helps businesses maintain compliance, improve visibility, and reduce manual work.

1. Policy Approvers: Customizable Workflows for Automated Compliance

Navan Expense allows finance teams to automate approval rules and create custom expense policies that define approval rules based on factors such as:

• Employee groups
• Expense categories
• Transaction limits
• Time of purchase
• Per-person amounts

When an employee submits an expense outside of preset policy limits, Navan Expense automatically flags it for approval by a manager, expense admin, or designated approver — without the need for manual intervention. 

This automation eliminates unnecessary approvals while helping to ensure compliance, which gives finance teams greater control without manual bottlenecks.

Imagine, for example, a company policy that caps meal expenses at $75 per transaction. If an executive assistant spends $80 on lunch, Navan Expense flags the transaction instantly and routes it for approval before reimbursement.

2. Accounting Review: A Final Check Before ERP Syncing

On Navan Expense’s accounting review page, finance and accounting teams can audit, prep, and finalize transactions before they’re synced to an ERP system.

Using the accounting review features such as workflow tabs, in-page search, and filtering options, finance teams can:

• Verify that expenses are correctly categorized
• Lock approved transactions before syncing
• Help ensure compliance with financial reporting requirements

These reviews help eliminate errors and manual corrections by giving finance teams complete control before expenses are posted to the company’s financial system.

3. Manager Monthly Spend Summary: Delegate Review Without Micromanagement

The manager monthly spend summary allows for a dual-layer expense review process without requiring managers to approve every transaction manually. (This feature is not enabled by default; customers should contact their Navan account manager to activate it.)

Each month, managers receive a summary report of their team’s total spend. They can then:

• Approve the summary as is
• Request additional details on specific transactions
• Reject non-business-related expenses

Finance admins can track which managers have or haven’t reviewed their team’s expenses, which helps prioritize accountability at every level. Instead of creating unnecessary approval steps, managers can focus on high-level spend trends, while finance teams maintain real-time oversight.

For example, a manager can log into Navan Expense, review their team’s monthly spend, and approve it with a single click — eliminating the need for manual approvals on individual transactions.

4. Escalation Approver: Extra Oversight for High-Value Transactions

Navan Expense provides an escalation approver workflow for high-value transactions to help ensure senior-level review when needed.

If the feature is enabled and a transaction exceeds a pre-defined threshold, Navan Expense automatically escalates it to a senior approver (e.g., the CFO or VP of finance). This escalation, which replaces the standard approval process, means that critical transactions can receive a higher level of scrutiny.

After all, high-value transactions require additional oversight. By automating that process, Navan Expense eliminates approval gaps and reduces risk.

For example, any transaction over $10,000 could be set up to bypass lower-level approvers and automatically route to the CFO for approval.

Navan Expense: Expense Approvals That Work Smarter, Not Harder

Navan Expense empowers finance teams with approval workflows that increase compliance, reduce manual work, and enhance spend visibility. With customizable approval paths, companies can eliminate inefficiencies while maintaining strict financial oversight.

Here’s how:

• Real-time policy enforcement: Automate approvals and prevent out-of-policy spend before it happens
• ERP-ready accuracy: Lock transactions for approval before syncing to accounting systems
• Manager oversight without bottlenecks: Hold teams accountable for spend without micromanaging individual transactions
• Automated escalations for high-value transactions: Help ensure major expenses get the right level of review — without delays

See how automated approvals can reduce manual work and increase policy compliance. Request a demo today.