You can now set a Float Card as a recipient's payment method to track a bill being paid by Float card instead of a bank transfer. This article covers what the feature does, how to set it up, and how Float matches the resulting payment to the bill.
This feature does not pay your recipient. Setting a Float Card as a recipient's payment method doesn't send the recipient any money or card details - you still need to give the recipient the card details yourself, the same way you'd set up any card payment with them. This feature records that a bill is being paid by a Float Card, so it's tracked in Bill Pay and Payments without you having to manage it separately.
Guide Overview
What paying by Float Card means for a recipient
Setting a Float Card as a recipient's payment method
How a bill paid by Float Card moves through Float
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What paying by Float Card means for a recipient
Bill payments follow a standard lifecycle: a bill is created, submitted for approval, scheduled for payment in Bill Pay, then moves to the Needs Authorization tab in Payments once scheduled, awaiting funds authorization.
A bill paid by Float Card goes through this same intake and approval process. Because the recipient (not Float) charges the card whenever they process the payment, Float assigns the bill a placeholder payment date just so it can move into Needs Authorization alongside every other payment.
Once funds are authorized, instead of waiting for that placeholder date, Float automatically matches the bill to the card transaction as soon as it appears in the Pending tab. Once matched, the payment date updates to the actual date the recipient charged the card.
Before you start
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You need Bill Pay permissions to set or change a recipient's payment details
For more details, see: Bill Pay User Roles
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We strongly recommend using a dedicated Float Card for each recipient, rather than a card that's also used for other (non-bill) spend - mixing them makes it harder to tell which transactions belong to which bill and complicates your accounting reconciliation.
- You can either select an existing card or create a new one right from this flow (see below) — you no longer need to create it separately through Cards first, though you still can
- To do so, see: Creating Float Cards as an Administrator
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Once the card is active, give the recipient the Float Card details yourself, the same way you normally would
For details, see: Viewing Your Card Details
Setting a Float Card as a recipient's payment method
- Go to Bill Pay > Access the recipient's profile, either by selecting "Manage Recipients" or viewing a bill's recipient via the draft bill detail view or via the Bill Pay table's "Recipient" column
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Draft bill detail view:
- Select the draft bill > Select "View" to the right of the recipient's name > Select the pencil icon to edit the recipient's payment details
- "Manage recipients":
- Search and select the recipient
- "Recipient" column on the Draft tab's bill pay table:
- Hover your mouse over the recipient's name and select the pencil icon to edit their payment details
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Draft bill detail view:
- In the recipient details, select the Payment method drop-down > Select "Pay by Float Card"
- In the Float card drop-down, you can either choose an existing card or create a new card:
- Select which card you'd like to pay this bill from
OR - Select "Create New Virtual Card" to create a new card
- Select the cardholder that the card will be assigned to
- Select the limit amount (can switch from a recurring limit to a temporary limit)
- When adding the limit amount, you can toggle on the "Add a buffer to this card's limit"
- This allows you to add a buffer to the limit amount
- Select which card you'd like to pay this bill from
- Add the remaining recipient payment details
- Add the recipient's address
- For more details, see: Managing Recipients and their Payment Details for Bill Pay + FAQs
- Add the recipient's address
- Select "Save Recipient" at the top of the page to save your changes
Important considerations:
Once this is set, any bill you upload for this recipient automatically uses this card as its payment method
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If you created a new card in this flow, it isn't created immediately. It's created once the bill's funds release is authorized from the Needs Authorization tab on the Payments page
Creating it this way follows the bill's funds release authorization, and not the standard card-approval policy
How a bill paid by Float Card moves through Float
- The bill enters Float via manual upload, email forwarding, or importing it directly from your accounting software
- The bill is approved through the Approval Policy, then scheduled for payment. Bills paid by Float Card are auto-scheduled about a week out; this date is a placeholder and updates automatically once the transaction is matched
- The payment needs authorization of the funds release, same as any other Bill Pay payment. You'll find it in the Needs Authorization tab of the Payments page
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Once authorized for funds release, the payment lands in one of two places, depending on whether the recipient has already charged the card:
- If the recipient hasn't charged the card yet, the payment moves to the Pending tab with status "Pending Card Transaction" and waits there until the transaction appears
- If the recipient already charged the card, the payment moves to the Complete tab with status "Payment Sent", and it's matched to the card transaction automatically
- Either way, once the card transaction is matched to the bill, the payment date updates to the actual date of that transaction. You can also match a transaction to its bill manually at any time, instead of waiting for the automatic match
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do I need to give the recipient the card details myself?
Can I create a new Float Card while setting up a recipient's payment method?
Why does Float recommend a dedicated card per recipient instead of reusing one I already have?
Does the card's currency need to match the bill's currency?
Can I manually match the card transaction to the bill?
Can I edit the transaction from the Transactions page?
How do I confirm a bill was paid by Float Card?
Will I be asked for a receipt for these transactions?
Will I earn cashback on a bill paid this way?
Can I send an invite for my recipient to select a Float card as the payment method?
Do I need to give the recipient the card details myself?
Yes. Float doesn't send the recipient the card details or initiate the payment - this feature only tracks a bill payment made by Float Card. You need to give the recipient the card details directly, the same way you'd set up a card payment with any recipient.
Can I create a new Float Card while setting up a recipient's payment method?
Yes. You can create a new virtual Float Card directly while setting a recipient's payment method in Bill Pay - no need to create it separately in Cards first. Note that it's only possible to create a virtual card, and not a physical card, from this workflow.
The card itself isn't created right away: it's created once the bill's funds release is authorized, following that same funds release approval rather than Float's standard card-approval policy.
Why does Float recommend a dedicated card per recipient instead of reusing one I already have?
A shared card mixes recipient bill payments with other spend, which makes reconciliation harder and interferes with matching transactions to the right bill.
Does the card's currency need to match the bill's currency?
No. You can select any existing Float Card regardless of the bill's currency.
Can I manually match the card transaction to the bill?
No. Float will automatically match the pending card transaction to the bill in Float. Manual matching is coming soon.
Can I edit the transaction from the Transactions page?
No, transactions created by paying a bill with a Float Card can't be edited from Transactions.
How do I confirm a bill was paid by Float Card?
If you go to the Payments page > On any tab (Needs Authorization, Pending, Complete, All Payments), the Method column for the bill will show "Float Card" or the name of the Float card.
Will I be asked for a receipt for these transactions?
No. As long as the transaction is matched to the corresponding bill, transactions used to pay a recipient bill this way don't require a receipt.
Will I earn cashback on a bill paid this way?
Cashback on these transactions follows your existing Float Card cashback terms and conditions. Paying a bill by card is a great way to earn cashback if your business meets the requirements.
For more details, see: Float Cashback FAQ
Can I send an invite for my recipient to select a Float card as the payment method?
No. Recipient invites do not allow recipients to select a Float card as their payment method.