You can invite the same person (for example, an external accountant) as a Controller on a second Spendesk company. Spendesk requires a unique email address per company, so you'll need to use an email alias for the invitation.
For: Account Owners and Admins managing users who work across more than one Spendesk company.
Before you start
You must be an Account Owner or Admin on the company you're inviting the controller to.
The controller must already have an active Spendesk account on another company with the email address you want to reuse.
Spendesk doesn't allow one email address to be used on two separate companies, unless both companies belong to the same Spendesk organization.
This workaround lets the controller access both companies with separate logins. It does not automatically let them switch between companies without logging out. That's only possible when companies belong to the same organization.
Step-by-step instructions
Navigate to Settings > Organisation > Members.
Click Invite new members.
Enter the controller's name.
Enter the controller's email address, adding a "+1" alias before the "@" symbol (for example, if their existing address is
name@domain.com, entername+1@domain.com).Select Controller from the role dropdown.
Click Send invitation.
Expected result: The controller receives an invitation email at the alias address and can create a separate login to access the second company.
👥 Roles: Only Account Owners and Admins can invite new members and assign the Controller role.
Troubleshooting
Symptom: You see an error such as "This email is already associated with an account" when inviting the controller.
Cause: Spendesk doesn't allow the same email address to be used on two companies that don't belong to the same organization.
Resolution: Invite the controller using an alias (add "+1" before the "@" in their email address), as described in the steps above.
⚠️ Warning: Email aliases may not always work with every email provider, and some notification emails linked to the alias account may not reach the controller's inbox. Ask the controller to check their spam folder and confirm their email provider supports "+" aliasing (most providers, including Gmail and Google Workspace, do).
Symptom: The controller wants to switch between the two companies without logging out each time.
Cause: This capability is only available when both companies belong to the same Spendesk organization.
Resolution: Contact Spendesk Support to check whether your companies can be linked under the same organization.
FAQ
Can I invite the same controller to a second company with the exact same email address?
No. Spendesk requires each account to use a unique email address, unless the companies belong to the same organization. Use an email alias instead.
Will the controller receive all their notifications on the alias account?
Most notifications are delivered normally, but this depends on the controller's email provider. Contact Spendesk Support if the controller reports missing emails.