What happens when an employee is added to or removed from an active spend program?

On Ramp, employees gain access to spend programs when they match the program's targeting rules (such as department, location, or all employees). Admins can also issue funds or cards to eligible employees within a program. Terminating a card locks spending and preserves transaction history for audit purposes.

When an employee is added to a spend program

An employee gains access to a spend program when they match the program's eligibility criteria or when an admin issues funds or cards to them within the program. This grants them spending authority under predefined rules:

What happens automatically:

1. Funds are issued with the program's preset amount, frequency, and spending limits (depending on how the program is configured, such as issuing by default to new users based on department, location, or all employees)
2. Controls apply instantly, including merchant restrictions, category blocks, and transaction limits
3. Accounting rules are inherited from the program, routing transactions to the correct cost centers
4. Approval workflows activate based on your company's configured thresholds and designated approvers
5. Cards become available (virtual cards issue instantly; physical cards are mailed)

On Ramp:
* Navigate to Spend programs and select the program
* Click Issue or approve an employee request
* The employee receives funds immediately with all program controls active
* Transactions sync to your accounting system with preset coding

When an employee is removed from a spend program

When an employee no longer qualifies for a spend program or you need to restrict their spending, you can terminate or lock their card:

What happens:

1. Cards can be terminated or locked, blocking all future transactions
2. Transaction history is preserved for audit and compliance purposes
3. Pending expenses require review, with all outstanding transactions approved or denied by your team
4. Physical cards should be collected during offboarding as part of your operational process

On Ramp:

For admins terminating or locking a card:
1. Go to Ramp → Funds or Cards
2. Locate the employee's card or funds
3. Click Edit → Terminate to deactivate immediately, or use the lock function to temporarily restrict spending
4. Collect physical cards during the employee's final day
5. Review and complete reconciliation of any pending transactions

What gets preserved:
* All transaction history remains visible to admins
* Accounting records stay intact in your ERP
* Audit trails show when cards were terminated and by whom

Special scenarios

Role changes or transfers:
If an employee moves to a different department but stays employed, their eligibility for spend programs may change based on the new department's targeting rules. You can also issue them new funds or cards under a different program to apply new limits, controls, and approval chains.

Temporary removal:
For employees on leave, lock their card instead of terminating. This preserves their account while preventing new transactions. Unlock when they return.

Shared funds:
When an employee using shared funds has their card terminated, only their access is revoked. Other team members continue using the shared budget without disruption.

Best practices

• Terminate cards on or before the employee's final working day to prevent unauthorized spending
• Collect physical cards before the employee leaves the building
• Complete reconciliation of all pending expenses within 24 hours of termination
• Document card collection and termination dates for compliance records
• Review transaction history for any policy violations before final reconciliation