Common mistakes

1 min read · Chapter 9 of 10

What usually goes wrong

Symptom	Likely cause	Reversal path	Who absorbs it
Off-policy spend approved during an outage	Decision webhook timed out; default rule or network stand-in approved	Recover from the employee; review fallback rules	The issuer at network level; the program manager by contract
Charges keep posting to a canceled card	Late or forced captures; recurring charges	Dispute; cancel rather than suspend; tell merchants	The company until a dispute is won
Card declined at the hotel desk	A hold or incremental authorization used up the limit; a category block	Raise the limit; release the hold	The employee's evening; the company's goodwill
Close waits on receipts	Missing receipts, uncoded card lines	Reminders; suspend cards until receipts arrive; accrue	Finance
A leaver's card still in use	Not canceled within two business days; subscriptions on the card	Cancel, written notice, waiver claim within 90 days	The company, unless the waiver pays
Same expense paid twice	A card line and an out-of-pocket claim; two reports	Duplicate checks across card and claims; recover	The employer
Fake or inflated receipts	Fictitious, overstated or AI-generated documents	Check against card data, itinerary and e-receipts; audit	The employer
Late reimbursement becomes a wage claim	Approval backlog; paid through payroll	Pay with interest; move to ACH or EFT	The employer
Allowance taxed after an audit	Flat car allowance with no log; kilometre allowance plus fuel card	Redesign the plan; payroll catch-up	Employer and employee
Canadian input tax credits denied	Card statement only; invalid GST/HST number; meals not halved	Capture tax fields and supplier numbers	The company
Sponsor bank freezes onboarding or exits	Consent order on the bank	Second sponsor; BIN migration and reissue	The program manager; customers get new card numbers
Limits cut across the book	Funder covenants; customers' cash falling	Reg B notices; daily settlement	Customers; the program manager

Off-policy spend approved during an outage

Likely cause: Decision webhook timed out; default rule or network stand-in approved
Reversal path: Recover from the employee; review fallback rules
Who absorbs it: The issuer at network level; the program manager by contract

Charges keep posting to a canceled card

Likely cause: Late or forced captures; recurring charges
Reversal path: Dispute; cancel rather than suspend; tell merchants
Who absorbs it: The company until a dispute is won

Card declined at the hotel desk

Likely cause: A hold or incremental authorization used up the limit; a category block
Reversal path: Raise the limit; release the hold
Who absorbs it: The employee's evening; the company's goodwill

Close waits on receipts

Likely cause: Missing receipts, uncoded card lines
Reversal path: Reminders; suspend cards until receipts arrive; accrue
Who absorbs it: Finance

A leaver's card still in use

Likely cause: Not canceled within two business days; subscriptions on the card
Reversal path: Cancel, written notice, waiver claim within 90 days
Who absorbs it: The company, unless the waiver pays

Same expense paid twice

Likely cause: A card line and an out-of-pocket claim; two reports
Reversal path: Duplicate checks across card and claims; recover
Who absorbs it: The employer

Fake or inflated receipts

Likely cause: Fictitious, overstated or AI-generated documents
Reversal path: Check against card data, itinerary and e-receipts; audit
Who absorbs it: The employer

Late reimbursement becomes a wage claim

Likely cause: Approval backlog; paid through payroll
Reversal path: Pay with interest; move to ACH or EFT
Who absorbs it: The employer

Allowance taxed after an audit

Likely cause: Flat car allowance with no log; kilometre allowance plus fuel card
Reversal path: Redesign the plan; payroll catch-up
Who absorbs it: Employer and employee

Canadian input tax credits denied

Likely cause: Card statement only; invalid GST/HST number; meals not halved
Reversal path: Capture tax fields and supplier numbers
Who absorbs it: The company

Sponsor bank freezes onboarding or exits

Likely cause: Consent order on the bank
Reversal path: Second sponsor; BIN migration and reissue
Who absorbs it: The program manager; customers get new card numbers

Limits cut across the book

Likely cause: Funder covenants; customers' cash falling
Reversal path: Reg B notices; daily settlement
Who absorbs it: Customers; the program manager

Ranking these by volume or cost needs an operator's data, and I haven't found any public.