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Account activation

Welcome to Spendesk! Your Account Owner or Administrator has invited you to join Spendesk. Let’s finalize your sign-up & get started!

Activate your Spendesk account

Activate your Spendesk account after receiving an invitation, by choosing a login method and completing your profile. For: Any newly invited member (Requester, Controller, or Administrator) of a company using Spendesk.

Before you start

  • You need an invitation from your company's Account Owner or Administrator: either an email invitation ("Accept the invitation" link) or a shareable invite link.

  • The invitation link stays valid indefinitely until you complete activation. If you received several invitation emails, only the most recent one contains a working link.

  • No prior setup or integration is required on your side.

Activate your account

  1. Open the invitation email from Spendesk, or open the invite link shared by your company.

  2. Click Accept the invitation in the email (or follow the invite link).

  3. Select your login method on the sign-up screen:

    • Email + Password

    • Google

    • Microsoft

    • SAML SSO (only shown if your company has activated it)

  4. Enter your credentials, or authenticate with the selected provider.

  5. Check your inbox for a verification email and click the confirmation link. This step happens right after you attempt to log in for the first time, not at the end of the flow.

  6. Open the confirmation link from the same device. Using the same browser you started in avoids repeating this step on future logins.

💡 Tip: The login method you choose becomes your default. If you select Google, for example, you'll need to use Google to log in every time afterward.

⚠️ Warning: If your company enforces SAML SSO as the only login method, you can't switch back to email + password yourself. Contact your Administrator, who can raise a support ticket to reset your login method.

Set up your profile

Once logged in, complete your profile:

  1. Click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of Spendesk.

  2. Select My Profile.

  3. Enter your first name, last name, and phone number.

  4. Add your bank details if your company uses XML SEPA files or Reimburse by Spendesk.

💡 Tip: Avoid special characters or apostrophes in your name. They can prevent card creation. Your last name is required to generate a virtual card.

Additional features

  • Link to Slack: If your company has enabled the Slack integration, connect your account from your profile to receive notifications directly in Slack.

  • Physical card: If your company ordered a physical card for you, activate it from Cards, or from Avatar > Physical Card if you're an Administrator.

Expected results

Once activation is complete, you can log in to Spendesk with your chosen method, create purchase requests, and receive a virtual or physical card once your requests are approved.

Troubleshooting

Symptom: You haven't received the invitation email.
​Cause: The email may be in your spam folder, or the invite may not have been sent yet.
​Resolution: Check your spam folder first. If you still can't find it, ask your Administrator or Account Owner to resend the invitation from Settings > Organisation > Members, using the Resend invitation button.

Symptom: Your invitation link doesn't work.
​Cause: You may be using an older invitation email. Only the most recent invite email contains a valid link.
​Resolution: Ask your Administrator to resend the invitation, then use the link from the newest email only.

Symptom: You get an error message when trying to log in with Google or Microsoft.
​Cause: You may have originally activated your account with email + password, not SSO.
​Resolution: Log in using the same method you selected during activation (email + password). Switching methods yourself isn't possible without support intervention.

Symptom: The verification link in your confirmation email doesn't work.
​Cause: The link may have expired, or your email client blocks the redirect.
​Resolution: Request a new confirmation email and open the link in a standard browser, ideally the same one you started the login in.

If none of these steps resolve your issue, contact our support team with a screen recording of the issue and a screenshot of the exact error message.

FAQs

What happens if I accidentally choose the wrong login method?
Your choice won't affect your profile visibility. However, changing it later — especially away from an enforced SSO method — requires your Administrator to raise a support ticket.

Can I use special characters in my name?
No. Avoid special characters or apostrophes, as they can cause issues with card creation.

How do I enable Slack notifications?
Go to My Profile and connect your Spendesk account to Slack, if your company has enabled the integration.

Can I activate my account from the mobile app?
No. Account activation must be completed on desktop. Once your profile is set up, you can log in through the mobile app.

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