Payment Approval Matrix and Controls Starter Pack

If approvals happen after the payment, you do not have approvals. You have documentation.

This starter pack installs a beginner-safe approval operating system:

• clear thresholds
• segregation of duties
• emergency definitions
• evidence requirements
• a review cadence for exceptions

Not legal advice.

What you will produce

1. Payment approval matrix by amount and payment type
2. Segregation of duties rules
3. Emergency payment rules and evidence
4. Payment release checklist
5. Weekly exception review cadence

Step-by-step implementation

Follow these steps in order.

Step 1: Define the payment types you actually use

Examples:

• ACH
• wire
• check
• virtual card
• card reimbursements

Different payment types have different risk profiles.

Step 2: Define approval thresholds

Beginner-safe: 3 tiers.

• routine
• elevated
• executive

Step 3: Install segregation of duties

At minimum:

• the person who changes vendor bank data cannot release payments
• the person who approves cannot also execute the release (where possible)

Step 4: Define emergency payments

Emergency must be explicit or everything becomes emergency.

Define:

• what qualifies
• who approves
• what evidence is required
• what post-incident review occurs

Templates

A) Approval matrix (copy/paste)

Copyable template (TEXT)
Copy
Payment Approval Matrix

Tier 1 (routine)
- Threshold:
- Approver:
- Evidence required:

Tier 2 (elevated)
- Threshold:
- Approver:
- Evidence required:

Tier 3 (executive)
- Threshold:
- Approver:
- Evidence required:

Emergency payments
- Definition:
- Approver:
- Evidence required:
- Post-review owner:

B) Payment release checklist (copy/paste)

Copyable template (TEXT)
Copy
Payment Release Checklist

1) Payment batch matches approved invoices
2) Vendor bank change verification completed (if any changes)
3) Segregation of duties maintained
4) Outliers flagged (new vendor, unusual amount, urgent request)
5) Evidence attached (approvals, work order, contract as needed)
6) Release executed and logged