Understanding Approval Workflows
Q: What is an Approval Workflow?
An Approval Workflow lets you establish multi-level approval processes for outgoing payments. You can assign users to a list of predefined Approval Groups (A, B, and C), set specific payment amount thresholds, and define which combination of groups must approve payments within each threshold. This ensures payments receive the appropriate level of scrutiny based on their size.
Q: What are the key features of this system?
Configurable Thresholds: Set specific payment limits (in EUR, USD or GBP) that trigger approval requirements. Note: Future releases will support more currencies.
Approval Groups (A, B, C, D): Assign users to different Approval Groups.
Flexible Rules: Define complex approval logic, such as requiring one Group A approvers, two Group B approvers, or a combination of groups depending on the payment amount.
Dual Admin Control: If active, all changes to the workflow configuration must be approved by a second administrator before taking effect.
Audit Trail: Maintain comprehensive logs of all configuration changes and approval actions for transparency and compliance.
Q: Who can set up Approval Workflows?
Authorised users who hold the "Manage permissions" permission are eligible to act as Administrators.
Q: I have the "Manage permissions" permission but I cannot see the "Approval Workflows" tab. What is happening?
If multiple authorised users have "Manage permissions", the first user to access the "Approval Workflows" section automatically becomes the sole Admin. That administrator is then responsible for adding other Admins as needed.
Q: What type of transactions can I create Approval Workflows for?
Currently, approval workflows are exclusively for payments. This includes payments initiated online from the Payments section, Convert & Pay, or adding a payment to Convert sections, as well as payments allocated by your Account Manager.
Q: How many approval levels can I set up?
You can set up up to five levels of approvals.
Setup & Technical Mechanics
Q: How do I set up and use a Payment Approval Workflow?
As an Administrator, you can activate a workflow through these steps:
Assign Users: Add the relevant users to Groups A, B, C, or D.
Set Thresholds: Establish your payment value ranges.
Apply Rules: Assign the required group approval combinations to each threshold.
Save & Approve: Save your configuration changes so another administrator can review and approve them.
Enable: Go to the Approval Workflows main section and click on Approval Workflow to make it active.
Q: How do payments move through the system in practice?
Submission: A user creates and submits a payment.
Routing: The system checks the payment amount against your active thresholds and identifies the required rules.
Approval: Designated approvers review the payment details in Ebury Web and either approve or reject it.
Processing: Once all required approvals are obtained according to the configured rules, the payment proceeds to processing.
Tracking: All users can track the live status of the payments they have submitted or need to approve, while administrators can access detailed audit logs.
Q: What happens if I have a pending payment and I change the payment approval rules?
Approval rules are not applied retrospectively, so the pending payment will be subject to the previous rules. If you need to process this payment with the new payment rules, delete the old payment and create a new one now you have the new rules.
Configuration Scenarios
Below you’ll find practical scenarios demonstrating how to translate internal corporate policies into functional system rules.
Scenario 1: Simple
Groups: A (1 Member)
Band | Rule |
0.00 → Unlimited | 1 person from Approvers |
"Count payment creator as approver" ON → creator self-approves.
Dual admin OFF. Lowest friction, minimal segregation of duties.
Scenario 2: Tiered by amount (segregation of duties)
Groups: A (2 Members); B (2 Members)
Band | Rule |
0.00 → 10,000 | 1 from A |
10,000 → 100,000 | 1 from A + 1 from B |
100,000 → Unlimited | 2 from B |
"Count creator as approver" OFF → true four-eyes on larger payments.
Scenario 3: Parallel combinations
Groups: A (2 Members) ; B (2 Members); C (2 Members)
Band 50,000 → Unlimited — any one combination satisfies it:
1 A + 1 C, OR
1 B + 1 C, OR
2 C
Redundancy means no single absence blocks payments.
Scenario 4: High-control (dual admin + full four-eyes)
Groups: A = (3 Members); B (2 Members); C (2 Members)
Band | Rule |
0.00 → 25,000 | 1 A + 1 B |
25,000 → 250,000 | 1 A + 2 B |
250,000 → Unlimited | 1 B + 1 C |
Dual admin approval ON, "Count creator as approver" OFF. Maximum segregation and change-control.
Scenario comparison
| Scenario 1 | Scenario 2 | Scenario 3 | Scenario 4 |
Approvers per payment | 1 | 1–2 | 2 | 2–3 |
Tiered by amount | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Parallel combinations | No | No | Yes | Optional |
Dual admin | Off | Off | Optional | On |
Creator counts as approver | On | Off | Off | Off |
Best Practices for Complex Workflows
To ensure your approval rules perform exactly as intended, keep these operational recommendations in mind:
Map It Out: Draw your workflow on paper before entering it into Ebury Online. Clearly define each value threshold and the specific "who can approve" logic for each tier.
Use Groups Logically: Establish clear, hierarchical user group assignments (for instance, Group A holds the highest authority level) to keep complex rules simple to manage.
Avoid Gaps: Double-check that your threshold ranges are continuous and completely seamless so that no transaction value is left without an applicable rule (e.g., if one rule ends at €12,000, the next rule must begin at €12,000.01).
Test Your Setup: Once your new rules are fully approved and live, create a low-value test payment to confirm the system routes it to the correct approvers.