Issue and Manage American Express® Virtual Cards

Once your organization has enrolled in the American Express® Virtual Card Program, admins may issue Virtual Cards to users on demand and in response to pre-approval requests. This gives your organization access to Card controls and built-in policy enforcement that reduce the opportunity for fraud, improve compliance, and streamline operations. 

Issue an American Express® Virtual Card Via Pre-Approval

Users may initiate their own American Express Virtual Card requests by creating a pre-approval or, if your organization does not use Pre-Approval in Emburse Enterprise, using the Card Request feature. Reach out to your Emburse ESA, CSM, or consultant to enable either of these features, and see Get Started With American Express Virtual Card Issuance for complete details on using them.

All the Cardholder record requirements described in "American Express Virtual Card User Requirements," below, apply to Virtual Cards issued via Pre-Approval and Card Request as well.

Issue an American Express Virtual Card On Demand

1. In Emburse Enterprise, select Admin Settings > Transactions > Card Programs, then select Issue New Card.

2. If necessary, select the American Express Virtual Card Program from which you wish to issue the Virtual Card.

3. If you, as the admin issuing the Card, do not yet have a Cardholder profile within the participating financial institution that is associated with an Emburse Enterprise account email address, you will be required to provide your personal information before you can issue any Cards. Otherwise, skip to Step 4.

4. Select the Cardholder and enter the Card Purpose, Budget, and Frequency. The Advanced Controls allow you to set the dates the Card will be valid, a transaction limit, and allowed vendors. 

Required Information

• Select Cardholder: Select the user to whom the Card will be assigned.
• Card Purpose: Describe what the Card will be used for.
• Budget: Choose the maximum amount that can be spent on this Card in USD. 
• Frequency: Determine whether the Card has a recurring budget and how often the budget is reapplied.

Advanced Controls (Optional)

• Start Date: Enter the date on which the Cardholder may begin using the Card.
• End Date: Enter the last date on which the Cardholder may use the Card.
• Transaction Limit: Set a per-transaction limit in USD. This defines the maximum amount the Cardholder can spend on a single purchase. 
• Allowed Vendors: Limit the Card's use to specific vendors.

When you have entered all the desired options, select Issue Card.

5. Users will be notified via email that they have been issued a Virtual Card. They can click the link in the email to view the Card or navigate to their eWallet in Emburse Enterprise to view it in the Cards section.

American Express Virtual Card User Requirements

If a Virtual Card is issued to a user who does not have a Cardholder record with the participating financial institution, the user will receive an email requesting the necessary information. When they select Finish Setup, they will be taken to their Personal Settings screen in Emburse Enterprise.

In the banner at the top of the Personal Settings screen, users should select Add Info.

On the Add Personal Info screen, users must enter the following information in order to receive an American Express Virtual Card.

• Personal Address
• Date of Birth
• Phone Number

A banner will indicate that the information has been submitted and a Card issued. Users may select View Card to be taken to the Card details in the eWallet.

Manage American Express Virtual Cards

Administrators may manage American Express Virtual Cards individually via the Card Programs screen in Emburse Enterprise.

1. Select Admin Settings > Transactions > Card Programs, then select the name of the desired American Express Virtual Card Program.

2. Selecting the name of the Cardholder will display all the details about the Card except the full Card number.

3. Select the Manage drop-down in the upper right to edit or cancel the Virtual Card.