You can request a single-use, recurring, or multi-use virtual card directly from Spendesk to pay online without a physical card. Approval depends on your company's approval policy.
For: Requesters on all Spendesk plans. Multi-use cards are not available for companies based in the US, and quarterly/yearly recurrence is not available for US entities.
Before you start
You need the Requester role to submit a virtual card request.
Add and verify your phone number in your Spendesk profile. Some online payments require 3D Secure (3DS) confirmation, which uses this number.
Your request follows your company's approval policy. It may be approved automatically or require approval from your manager or Account Owner.
Multi-use virtual cards are only available for companies in the UK and EEA.
Recurring cards with quarterly or yearly recurrence are only available for companies in the UK and EEA.
Choose your card type
Card type | Best for | Number of payments | Validity |
Single-use | A one-off online purchase | 1 payment | Until used or cancelled |
Recurring | A subscription or repeated payments to the same supplier | Multiple payments per period (monthly, quarterly, or yearly) | Up to 4 years from first card generation |
Multi-use | Short-term spending with several payments (e.g. a project or business trip) | Multiple payments until the set budget or end date is reached | Set by the requester at creation |
Tip: Use a recurring card if you're paying the same supplier several times, and a multi-use card for short-term spending with a fixed end date.
Request your virtual card (desktop)
Go to your Spendesk account and click New Request.
Select Make a purchase request > Request a Virtual Card.
Choose your card type: Single-use, Recurring, or Multi-use.
Enter the amount, description, supplier, and other required fields.
Click Confirm my request.
Wait for approval. Depending on your approval policy, your request is either approved automatically or sent for approval.
Navigate to Cards > Virtual.
Click See card details.
Enter the card number, expiry date, CVV code, and billing address at checkout, as you would with your own card.
Complete the 3D Secure (3DS) confirmation if your bank or the merchant requests it.
Request your virtual card (mobile)
You can also request a recurring card from the Spendesk mobile app.
Log in to the mobile app.
From the Home page, tap +New Request.
Select Ask for a virtual card.
Choose your card type: Single-use, Recurring, or Multi-use.
Enter the amount, description, supplier, and other required fields.
Tap Submit request.
Wait for approval, unless your approval policy is set to "no approval" or "sometimes," in which case it may be approved automatically.
Navigate to Cards > Virtual. Access the card details.
Enter the card number, expiry date, CVV code, and billing address at checkout, as you would with your own card.
Complete the 3D Secure (3DS) confirmation if your bank or the merchant requests it.
Set the right budget
Suppliers can only charge what's loaded on the card. Spendesk automatically adds €/$/£2 to your requested amount to cover extra fees. Still, round your requested amount up to the nearest euro, dollar, or pound. Any unused funds return to your Wallet as soon as the payment settles.
For recurring cards, card budgets reset automatically at the start of each period:
Monthly: reset on the 1st of each month.
Quarterly: reset on Jan 1, Apr 1, Jul 1, and Oct 1.
Yearly: reset on the request's creation date, each year, for up to 4 years.
You can edit a recurring card's budget at any time from the Subscriptions tab.
Cancel your card
If you no longer need a card you requested, you can cancel it:
Go to the Cards tab.
Go to the Card details.
Click the Cancel button that appears at the bottom of the page.
Warning: Cancelling (or archiving) a card permanently removes it. It cannot be retrieved afterward.
FAQs
Can I change my recurring card's recurrence after creation?
No. To change the recurrence (e.g. from monthly to yearly), cancel the current card and submit a new request.
What happens if my card request is rejected?
The decision is final. You'll need to submit a new request.