Approvals questions and answers

Why did my request go to that person and not the one I picked?#

An approval rule probably covered it. Rules send bills, transactions and payments over a set amount to a named admin, and a rule wins over the person you picked. On the Business plan, a request left on Any admin goes to your department's manager if you have one. The card on My requests always shows who it's waiting for after the arrow.

Why can't I approve my own request?#

So every request gets a second pair of eyes. Nobody can approve something they sent, not even the owner. You'll see You can't approve your own request. Another admin has to. If you're the only admin, add another admin, or add the entry yourself without ticking Needs approval.

Why don't I see Approve and Reject buttons?#

• You're not an admin. Only owners and admins approve. Employees and workers see My requests instead.

• You sent it. You see Edit and Withdraw instead.

• It's waiting for another admin. The owner sees Take over instead; other admins see it once the request has waited 3 days. See the next question.

• You already gave your approval on a request that needs two or more. It's under You approved, waiting for the next approval.

It says "This request is waiting for another admin. Take it over first."#

The sender picked a specific admin (or a rule did). The owner can click Take over right away. For other admins the Take over button appears once the request has waited 3 days. If the approver is away, they should set a stand-in.

It says "This request was changed since you opened it"#

The sender edited the request after you loaded the page. Plainstamp won't let you approve a version you haven't seen. Refresh the page, check the new details and decide again. The same thing can happen with the Approve button on a phone notification; in that case Plainstamp opens the page for you.

It says "This request was already decided"#

Another admin got to it first (common with requests sent to Any admin), or you clicked twice. Refresh the page to see who decided it.

It says "You already approved this"#

The request needs more than one approval and you've given yours. A different admin has to give the next one.

I approved it, but it isn't on the board#

Check whether it needs more approvals: the card shows 1 of 2 approved and sits under You approved, waiting for the next approval. Nothing is added until the last approval. If it was fully approved, it's on the board the message named (for example Bills to pay).

Can I undo an approval?#

No. Once the last approval is given, the entry is on the board. An admin can edit or delete the entry itself if it was a mistake. The activity log keeps a record of the approval.

Can I see who approved something?#

Yes. Open the entry and look at its History, or click Audit PDF on the decided request. All requests on the Approvals page shows who decided each request in the last 60 days.

Why did my small expense go for approval when I have a spending limit?#

Either the amount didn't fit in what's left of your allowance this month, it was an out-of-pocket expense you want paid back, the exchange rate couldn't be checked, or it was a resubmitted request. See Spending limits for employees.

Why did my two-step rule only ask for one approval?#

Two-step approvals need the Team plan and up, and chains of 3 or more need the Business plan. On a smaller plan, extra steps are left out. It also happens when the second approver is the person who sent the request; then any other admin can give the second approval.

Can a request expire?#

No. It waits until someone decides it or the sender withdraws it. To stop that happening, set up reminders in Settings › Reminders or use a stand-in.

Who gets told when I send something?#

The approver you picked (and their stand-in if they're away), or every admin if you chose Any admin. See Approval notifications and emails.