Frequently asked questions

US

What is a virtual corporate card?

Virtual corporate cards are designed for companies to make secure payments online or over the phone. Each card comes with a unique number, spending limit, and vendor restrictions, giving users greater control over their expenses. Virtual corporate cards for business offer complete visibility into transactions, which helps finance teams manage spending more effectively in an increasingly digital world.

How does a virtual corporate card work?

Virtual corporate cards are a digital extension of your company’s main account. When you need to make a payment, you generate a virtual corporate card for business use by setting specific spending limits and vendor restrictions. Each card has a unique number, so you can assign it to different employees or expenses. This gives you control over who spends what and where. Transactions are tracked in real time by your virtual corporate card company, making expense management easier.

What are the benefits of using a virtual corporate card?

Virtual corporate cards offer several advantages for businesses. They enhance security by providing unique card numbers for each transaction or vendor, reducing the risk of fraud. They give businesses greater control over spending with customizable limits and vendor restrictions. They also offer real-time visibility into expenses, helping finance teams monitor and manage budgets effectively. In addition, these virtual corporate cards for business can be easy to issue to employees, especially for remote teams or immediate purchasing needs. For example, a business can issue a virtual card to an employee for a specific purchase, such as travel or training expenses. This eliminates the need for the employee to use a personal corporate card and then submit an expense report.

How do I apply for a virtual corporate card?

You can get a virtual corporate card in three simple steps: 1. You need to choose a virtual corporate card company that suits your business needs. You should consider factors such as the types of cards offered, the fees associated with the cards, and the level of customer service provided by the company. 2. Once you have chosen a company, you will need to provide information about your company and its financial details to set up an account. 3. When your account is approved, you can create virtual cards with custom spending limits and vendor restrictions. With Mesh Payments, the process is quick, and our cards allow you to take control of your company’s expenses.

How can I manage my virtual corporate cards?

Managing your virtual corporate cards can be easy using your provider’s online platform. You can create or cancel cards instantly, set spending limits, and restrict usage to specific vendors or expense categories. The built-in real-time tracking lets you monitor expenses, providing full visibility into the company’s spending. With a virtual corporate card company like Mesh Payments, you can integrate with accounting systems and automate workflows to gain valuable insights for better finance.

Can I use my Amex card with Mesh?

Absolutely. Connect your eligible Amex corporate cards to get 360° visibility on all card transactions in the Mesh platform.

How can I ensure travel policy compliance with Mesh?

With Mesh, you can maintain travel policy compliance using customizable policy settings. The travel management platform allows you to define spending limits, approved vendors, and expense categories. These rules are then automatically enforced through the platform and the intelligent traveler cards provided to employees. If someone attempts to make a purchase that doesn’t align with the policy, the system can prevent the transaction or require additional approval. This proactive enforcement helps maintain compliance effortlessly, which makes Mesh an effective business travel system for policy management.

How can Mesh help optimize travel spending?

Mesh helps optimize travel spending by offering real-time analytics and insights into your expenses. The platform’s corporate travel software solutions provide detailed reports on spending patterns, vendor usage, and employee behaviors. This data allows finance teams to identify areas where costs can be reduced or negotiated with suppliers. Mesh’s travel business management software lets you set and adjust budgets easily, so spending aligns with company goals. By centralizing all travel expenses, Mesh empowers businesses to make informed decisions that optimize their travel budgets.

How does Mesh ensure compliance during business travel?

Mesh maintains compliance during business travel by embedding your company’s travel policies directly into the platform. Every transaction made with Mesh’s corporate travel software gets automatically checked against your predefined rules. If an expense falls outside policy, it will be flagged for review. This proactive approach reduces the risk of unauthorized spending and simplifies audits. Using Mesh’s travel management application, companies can confidently maintain compliance without burdening employees with complex procedures.

How does Mesh track and control expenses?

Mesh tracks and controls travel expenses with smart traveler cards. Each card comes with preset budgets and policies, allowing you to manage spending before, during and after the trip. Every expense is automatically captured and categorized within the platform, which eliminates the need for manual expense reports. Mesh’s travel management software gives real-time insights into where and how you use funds. This level of control transforms how companies handle travel expenses by making it easier to stay within budget and company policies.

How does Mesh simplify business travel bookings?

Mesh Payments makes business travel bookings easier by integrating directly with your preferred Travel Management Company (TMC) or allowing you to book anywhere online, while maintaining total spend control and visibility. This flexibility means using Mesh as your go-to travel management solution without changing your existing workflows. The platform consolidates all travel bookings in one place, giving you real-time visibility and control over travel arrangements. This approach makes business travel booking more straightforward and manageable.

What is a spend control solution?

A spend control solution acts as a financial gatekeeper for your company, ensuring that spending is within budget and that every dollar spent is tracked and monitored. It enables you to set limits and require purchase approvals and provides a real-time overview of expenses. This information can help you maintain control over costs and avoid unexpected financial issues.

How does a spend control solution work?

A spend control solution gives you full control over your company’s finances, as you set the rules for who can spend, how much, and on what. Employees use corporate cards or submit requests in accordance with your guidelines. Every transaction is tracked in real time, giving you a live feed of all spending activity. It connects with your existing financial systems, keeping everything organized.

How does a spend control solution help reduce costs?

Setting spending controls and approval processes helps you stop unnecessary expenses before they happen. By doing so, you can control where and how much money is being spent. When expenses are kept within predefined limits, you can avoid overspending and reduce costs. Also, by setting up an approval process, you can ensure that only authorized expenses are made and that proper documentation is submitted. This can help you avoid costly mistakes.

Can I track spending in real time with this solution?

Absolutely! The best feature of our spend control solution is real-time tracking. The moment an employee makes a purchase or submits an expense, you see it instantly. This immediate visibility lets you keep a finger on the pulse of your company’s spending so you can quickly address any issues and adjust budgets if needed. Using our solution is like having a live feed of your financial activity at all times that allows you to make informed decisions based on the most current data.

How scalable are spend control solutions for growing businesses?

Spend control solutions are designed to grow with businesses. Whether you’re a small startup or an expanding enterprise, these solutions adapt to your changing needs. You can easily add new team members, departments, or even international entities. Setting up additional spending policies or integrating with new financial systems is also simple. This scalability means you won’t outgrow the solution, and it continues to support your financial management as your business reaches new heights.

What is Mesh’s T&E management platform?

Mesh’s T&E management platform is an all-in-one global enterprise travel and expense management solution. Integrating corporate cards, expense management, and travel bookings into a single system simplifies handling travel expenses across multiple entities. With AI-powered automation and customizable policies, Mesh Payments provides real-time visibility into spending while promoting compliance and reducing costs. This platform, which supports multiple currencies, is a comprehensive travel expense management system that manages the entire T&E lifecycle from request to reconciliation.

How does Mesh support global operations?

Mesh supports global operations by offering multi-entity solutions for large and international companies. With local currency card issuing and global payment acceptance, Mesh Payments handles transactions in over 200 currencies worldwide. The platform complies with regional security and regulatory requirements, which makes it ideal for businesses operating across different countries. Mesh also facilitates international reimbursements by automating the process and supporting 100+ countries. By providing real-time visibility and customizable policies, Mesh simplifies travel expense management across the globe. Its AI-powered automation allows companies to handle their travel expense management system worldwide effectively.

What are the benefits of using Mesh corporate cards?

Mesh corporate cards provide complete control over transactions with virtual and physical cards. These smart cards have features like spend limits, vendor locks, and real-time alerts that allow you to manage payments securely. Mesh corporate cards integrate with mobile wallets, which enable contactless payments for added convenience. Receipts are automatically collected and matched to transactions, simplifying the expense reporting process. By offering real-time visibility and advanced controls, Mesh Payments enhances your travel and expense management system, making tracking and managing travel expenses across your organization easier.

How does Mesh automate expense management?

Mesh automates expense management by eliminating traditional expense reports. It tracks, categorizes, and analyzes your expenses across all entities in real time. Mesh automates reimbursement processes, allowing timely payments to employees in over 100 countries. With best-in-class travel expense controls, you can oversee all travel spending, from booking flights and hotels to paying for the cab ride home. Receipts are automatically captured and matched to transactions, simplifying the entire process. Mesh Payments transforms your travel expense management by providing real-time visibility and automation, making it more accurate and hassle-free.

How can Mesh help streamline travel bookings?

Mesh assists with travel bookings by offering Mesh Travel, which allows you to book business travel directly or through your preferred Travel Management Company, including support for offline bookings. You gain control over every cost before, during, and after the trip. Smart traveler cards ensure all trip expenses are within company policy and budget. Mesh automatically captures receipts and transactions to eliminate the need for expense reports and provide complete control over travel spending. With support for multi-entity travel, local currencies, and corporate rates, Mesh Payments makes worldwide travel cost-effective and compliant.

What is expense management software?

Expense management software is a digital solution that helps businesses track, process, and control company spending. It automates expense reporting, receipt collection, and reimbursement workflows while providing real-time visibility into all company transactions and ensuring policy compliance.

How does automated expense management software save time?

Modern expense management software uses AI and automation to eliminate manual tasks like data entry, receipt matching, and expense categorization. It automatically syncs with your accounting system, matches receipts to transactions, and enforces expense policies, saving finance teams hours of work each month.

What features should I look for in expense management software?

Key features should include automated receipt capture, real-time expense tracking, policy enforcement, automated approval workflows, ERP integration capabilities, and comprehensive reporting. The best business expense management solutions also offer virtual cards, mobile compatibility, and multi-currency support.

How does Mesh’s corporate expense management software handle global operations?

Our expense management platform supports multiple entities, currencies, and tax requirements while providing unified visibility across all operations. It includes features like local currency card issuing, global payment acceptance, and automated compliance with regional regulations.

Can expense management software integrate with existing systems?

Yes, modern expense management solutions offer seamless integration with major ERPs, accounting software, HRIS systems, and other business tools. This ensures automated data sync, reduced manual entry, and consistent reporting across all platforms.

Can anyone open a Mesh account?

Mesh is available to businesses in the US, EU, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, and other select locations.

What accounting software do you integrate with?

Mesh is accounting system agnostic. It inherits your accounting software set up so to streamline the transition of data between platforms. You can import your accounting custom fields and export all your transaction details every time you wish to reconcile your transactions. For more information, please check out all our accounting integrations here.

What is the difference between subscription payments and on‑demand payments?

A subscription is a transaction that repeats multiple times on a specific vendor, such as online software. When you create a subscription payment with Mesh , a dedicated virtual card per subscription is automatically issued via SoFi Bank so to prevent use of the card outside the designated vendor. When you generate an on-demand payment with limits, a virtual card will be issued by SoFi Bank that can be used at any vendor under the specified controls that you define.

Do virtual cards only work for online purchases?

Mesh Payments virtual cards can be used for online purchases and linked to digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay. Virtual cards can also be linked in a matter of seconds to any Plug & Pay physical card* for in-person purchases. *Read the full terms here.

Can employees get cashback or withdraw money from an ATM?

No. Mesh is designed to enable businesses to control company expenses in the simplest way possible – no cash necessary.

What is a virtual card?

A virtual card is a digital card funded by a U.S. bank account that you connect to your Mesh Payments Balance. Virtual cards can be precision controlled by amount, vendor, number of transactions, and more.

Are Mesh’s virtual cards debit or credit cards?

Mesh Payments uses virtual debit cards issued by SoFi Bank.

Do Mesh cards work with Apple Pay?

Yes. You may add your Mesh VISA card to your Apple wallet and can use your Mesh card anywhere that accepts Apple Pay. To add your Mesh card to Apple wallet, please follow the standard instructions for Add a Card and How to use a card via Apple Pay.

What banks are supported by Mesh?

We can connect with any bank in the U.S. using ACH or Wire.

Why should I use Mesh instead of a corporate card?

With Mesh your finance team can enable company wide spend for any employee without handing out multiple corporate cards. Mesh will also ensure your business continuity by minimizing critical vendors payment failures so you can sleep better at night. Plus, you’ll earn cashback on every transaction that goes right back into your cash flow. Corporate cards typically don’t offer any return on your spend or try to confuse you with useless points – it’s like leaving money on the table.

Is Mesh secure?

Mesh uses 256-bit Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption to protect your personal data. Your information is stored in highly-secure data centers that use state-of-the art electronic surveillance and multi-factor access control systems.

How much does it cost?

Mesh is available in feature packages for all types of businesses at no cost, no hidden fees. Please see our pricing page for details.

How do I sign up for Mesh Payments?

Go to app.meshpayments.com and sign up , it takes only a few minutes to open an account.

What is Mesh Payments?

Mesh transforms the way finance teams operate with a centralized spend management platform that gives finance managers a whole new insight into their corporate spend. With this heightened visibility, we empower finance managers to know everything about their business, so they are equipped with all the insights, control and seamless automation they need to optimize spend, saving time and effort along the way.

How long does it take to get started?

It takes only a few minutes to set up an account and start issuing virtual cards. There is no waiting period.

What is the exchange rate on Mesh?

Mesh uses the Visa exchange rates or the European Central Bank (ECB) exchange rate (for Cards issued in Europe) to calculate the equivalent value in their local currency automatically. In Europe, the European Central Bank (ECB) publishes reference exchange rates between currencies. On top of the Visa / ECB rate, VISA adds a small mark-up to its mid-market rate. Mesh also adds a small mark-up to cover costs associated with multi currency transactions, as detailed in our Card Holder Agreement. Companies with a EUR or GBP balance currency can see the exchange rate on our currency calculator here.