Managers in Float oversee spending across people and teams. They can manage cards, approve spending, and review transactions — but their visibility and access depend on how they're assigned.
This article explains what Managers can see and do, how direct and team manager assignments work, and how they’re used in workflows.
To learn how to assign or update a user's role to Manager, see Assign or Update a Manager Role in Float
What Managers Can See and Do
Direct Managers can:
Manage their own and their direct reports' cards and transactions
Pause and unpause their own and their direct reports' cards
Approve Spend Requests according to the Approval Policy configuration
Review transactions according to the Transaction Review Policy configuration
Add new users to Float who are their direct reports
Everything a Spender can do. See: User Roles
Direct vs Team Managers
There are different manager types in Float, and a user can be both.
Direct Manager
Assigned on a user’s profile in the Manager field
Can see and edit all cards and all transactions belonging to their direct reports
Often used in approval or review workflows
Team Manager
Assigned to a specific Team
Can see and edit all cards assigned to their team
Can see and edit all transactions tagged to their team, even if the card used is not associated with that team
Self-assign a delegate for themselves or assign a delegate to members of their team in Float
Cannot see or edit transactions on their team’s cards if those transactions are tagged to a different team
Example 1: A transaction on a card assigned to Team A and tagged to Team A is visible to the Team A manager
Example 2: A transaction on a card assigned to Team A but tagged to Team B is not visible to the Team A manager
Example 3: A transaction on a card not assigned to Team A but tagged to Team A is visible to the Team A manager
Indirect Manager
-
A user's manager's manager
For example: if Employee A's manager is Employee B, and Employee B's manager is Employee C, Employee C is Employee A's indirect manager
Can view cards/card details that belong to their indirect reports but cannot edit card details
Can see Spend Requests submitted by their indirect reports to their direct managers
Cannot pause or unpause their indirect reports' cards
-
Can view their indirect reports' transactions but cannot edit them
Visibility Summary
| Manager Type | Sees Cards From... | Sees Transactions From... |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Manager | Their direct reports | Their direct reports |
| Team Manager | Their team’s cards | Any transactions tagged to their team |
| Indirect Manager | Their direct reports and indirect reports | Their direct reports and indirect reports |
Requirements for Being a Manager
To be set as a direct manager or team manager, a user must have the "Manager" role.
To learn how to assign this role, see Assign or Update a Manager Role in Float
Managers in Workflows
Managers can be added to:
Approval policies for spend requests and reimbursements
Transaction review workflows, where they’re automatically notified to review team or direct report expenses
Float checks manager relationships when applying workflow logic. If a direct manager is listed on a user profile, they are automatically included in any approval or review policy that uses the "Manager" condition.
To learn more, see:
Approval Policies Overview
Create Teams & Track Spending
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t a team manager see some transactions on their team’s cards?
They can only see transactions if they’re tagged to their team. If a transaction on a team-assigned card is tagged to another team, they won’t see it.
Can team managers see transactions from other cards?
Yes — if a transaction is tagged to their team, they can see it, even if the card isn’t associated with their team.
Why does a direct manager have more visibility than a team manager?
Direct managers are tied to users, not teams, so they have full visibility into their direct reports’ cards and transactions.
How can I make sure a team manager sees a transaction?
Make sure the transaction is tagged to the same team the manager oversees.
Why can’t I assign someone as a user's direct Manager?
A user can be selected as a user's Manager if:
-
They are not already below the user in the hierarchy.
Ie. if User A's Manager is User B, and user B's Manager is User C, then User A cannot be set as User C's Manager
They have the Manager, Administrator or Primary Administrator role
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If the prospective manager is not already being managed by the selected user
- Ie. User A cannot manage User B if User B is already managing User A
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They have an equal- or higher-permissioned role
Ie. if User A is a Manager, but User B is an Administrator, then User A cannot be set as User B's Manager.
Why can’t two users manage each other?
When managers start managing each other, it can lead to circular relationships which aren't supported in Float.
If you are looking to utilize expense management functions between users, you may want to explore our new Delegate feature! Delegation covers tasks such as uploading receipts, coding transactions, and submitting reimbursement reports on behalf of another user. Pro or Enterprise Plan Users only.
If you'd like your users to handle transaction visibility or manage the approval and review process differently, the best approach is to configure new teams or update your existing approval and review policies. This helps ensure the right individuals have access to the appropriate information and that workflows are completed efficiently and accurately.
Related Articles
Assign or Update a Manager Role in Float
User Roles
Create Teams & Track Spending
Approval Policies Overview
Configuring Transaction Review Policies
Delegate Access Overview & Configuration