---
title: "Getting started for Payhawk cardholders"
slug: "getting-started-for-payhawk-cardholders"
description: "Learn how to set up your Payhawk spend management account, activate the card, submit expenses and use your card confidently."
updated: 2026-10-19T10:56:00Z
published: 2026-10-19T10:56:00Z
canonical: "payhawk.com/getting-started-for-payhawk-cardholders"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://payhawk.com/help/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Getting started for Payhawk cardholders

Welcome to Payhawk!

We are super excited to have you on board and hope to make your life easier with our platform!

- The Payhawk Customer Success Team is available to guide you through the entire process and you can also find them in the live chat every Monday-Friday from 08:00-18:00 CET for proactive support.
- If you need to check some of the most common questions, search through the resources on the Payhawk [help center](https://payhawk.com/help-center).

## Audience

This guide is for company employees who pay company expenses, use their Payhawk corporate cards for company spending, upload expenses, and submit and approve expense requests by teammates.

## Summary

This quick start will lead you through the basic steps for using Payhawk and will help you get up and running with the Payhawk Web Portal and Payhawk Mobile App:

[Step 1 - Register to Payhawk with an email invitation from your Payhawk Administrator](/help/getting-started-for-payhawk-cardholders#h_834255e633)

[Step 2 - Activate your account on the Payhawk Mobile App](/help/getting-started-for-payhawk-cardholders#h_f344369286)

[Step 3 - Activate your Payhawk corporate card](/help/getting-started-for-payhawk-cardholders#h_1c88e80ec4)

[Step 4 - Pay with your Payhawk card](/help/getting-started-for-payhawk-cardholders#h_d7d6c0fff1)

[Step 5 - Upload your expenses with the Payhawk Mobile App](/help/getting-started-for-payhawk-cardholders#h_977021465f)

[Step 6 - Approve and decline expense requests](/help/getting-started-for-payhawk-cardholders#h_d5ceee1db2)

**Let's get started with your Payhawk experience!**

---

## Step 1 - Register to Payhawk with an email invitation

---

The most common way to register your Payhawk account is through an email invitation your Payhawk Administrator has sent you:

1. Go to your **Inbox** and open your main folder.
2. Open the invitation email and click on the **Register** button link. As a result, you will be redirected to the Payhawk Web Portal.
3. Create a password for your Payhawk account and re-enter it to confirm it. Click on **Create account**.

See [password requirements](/help/registering-to-payhawk-with-an-email-invite).
4. On the next screen, fill in your first name, last name, and mobile phone number, including the country code starting with a **+** (plus). Click on **Continue**. As a result, you will receive an SMS on the provided number to verify it.
5. In the **Confirm your phone number** dialog, enter the code from the SMS and click on **Verify phone**.

![Payhawk Web Portal registration: setting a password, filling in the user profile, and confirming the phone number with a 6-digit code.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261001/register_steps.png)

For more information:

- [Registering to Payhawk with an email invite](/help/registering-to-payhawk-with-an-email-invite)
- [Registering to Payhawk over Active Directory](/help/registering-to-payhawk-over-active-directory)

---

## Step 2 - Activate your account on the Mobile App

---

Before you can start using Payhawk, you need to download the Payhawk Mobile App and activate your Payhawk account from there.

- [Download Payhawk on iPhone](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/payhawk/id1440618802)
- [Download Payhawk on other mobile devices](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.payhawk)

The activation of your Payhawk account can be done only from the Payhawk Mobile App:

1. Open the Payhawk Mobile App, tap **Login with email**, and enter the email you have already [registered with Payhawk](/help/registering-to-payhawk-with-an-email-invite). Tap **Next**.
2. Enter the password you have already created during registration. Tap **Log In**.
3. If you are asked to confirm the login, open the notification on your device and tap the number shown on the **Confirm login to Payhawk** screen. If you don't have your device with you, tap **Authenticate via email**.
4. If you have Payhawk cards already assigned to you, on the next screen, you will need to create a four-digit security code, which will protect the usage of your virtual and physical cards. Remember, you must not share the security code with anyone!
5. You will automatically be redirected to the next screen. Re-enter the security code. You can now start using Payhawk.

![Payhawk Mobile App login: the work email screen, the password screen, setting and confirming a four-digit security code, and the Home screen.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261001/mobile_login_security_code.png)

You can easily update your security code by tapping your profile picture to open **Settings** and tapping **Change security code**.

![Payhawk Mobile App: the profile picture in the top-right corner of the Inbox, and the Settings screen with the Change security code option.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261001/change_security_code_mobile.png)

For more information:

- [Activating your personal Payhawk account](/help/activating-your-personal-payhawk-account)
- [Activating your personal Payhawk account with a one-time password](/help/activating-your-personal-payhawk-account-with-a-one-time-password)

---

## Step 3 - Activate your Payhawk corporate card

---

You can now activate your physical and virtual Payhawk corporate cards.

- The virtual Payhawk cards are intended for online payments and offer an option to add them to Google and Apple Pay.
- The physical Payhawk cards are intended for online and POS payments.

### Activate your virtual card

The Payhawk virtual corporate cards are delivered instantly to the cardholder's mobile phone. Your virtual card will be automatically activated once it's issued.

To access your Payhawk virtual card, go to the Payhawk Mobile App and tap **Cards** in the bottom bar.

### Activate your physical card

Congrats, your Payhawk physical card has arrived! Now, you can use it for company-related in-store purchases and your travels all around the world!

The activation of your physical Payhawk card can be done only from the Payhawk Mobile App:

1. Tap **Cards** in the bottom bar.
2. Enter your Payhawk Mobile App security code.
3. Select the card you want to activate.

Tap **Activate card**, enter the last 4 digits of your physical card number, and your Payhawk physical card is now ready to use!

![Payhawk Mobile App: the security code screen, the Cards screen with a physical card awaiting activation and the Activate card button, and the Activate card screen asking for the last 4 digits of the card number.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261001/activate_physical_card_mobile.png)

> [!WARNING]
> - Your physical Payhawk cards are ordered through the Payhawk Web Portal by your Payhawk Administrator.
> - Each physical card is associated with an individual employee.

For more information:

- [Activating your Payhawk card](/help/activating-your-payhawk-card)
- [Adding your Payhawk card to Google Wallet](/help/adding-your-payhawk-card-to-google-wallet)
- [Adding your Payhawk card to Apple Wallet and Apple Watch](/help/adding-your-payhawk-card-to-apple-wallet-and-apple-watch)

---

## Step 4 - Pay with your Payhawk card

---

Now, let's start spending money and pay with your Payhawk cards!

### Pay with your virtual Payhawk card

Virtual cards are delivered instantly to the cardholder's mobile phone. Your virtual card is automatically activated once it's issued. It is perfect for paying for all online expenses.

To access your virtual card data, open the Payhawk Mobile App and access the card from **Cards** in the bottom bar.

![Payhawk Mobile App: the security code screen and a virtual card in Cards with the card details blurred, the available balance and the View PIN option.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261001/virtual_card_mobile.png)

### Pay with your physical Payhawk card

[After you have activated your physical Payhawk card](/help/activating-your-payhawk-card), you can start using it for company-related in-store purchases and pay for your travels all around the world!

You can make your first payment with your physical Payhawk card by using the contactless method if the amount is within the contactless limit set by the merchant. If the amount is above this limit, you'll need to insert your card into the POS terminal and enter your PIN code. Both the contactless limit and whether you need to enter your PIN depend on the merchant’s policies.

To access your PIN code:

1. Open the Payhawk Mobile App and tap **Cards**.
2. Select the card and tap the **View PIN** option. The PIN will appear on the screen for five seconds.

![Payhawk Mobile App: an active card in Cards with the card details blurred, the available balance and the View PIN option.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261001/view_pin_mobile_3.png)

For more information:

- [Activating your Payhawk card](/help/activating-your-payhawk-card)
- [Paying with your Payhawk card](/help/paying-with-your-payhawk-card)

---

## Step 5 - Upload your expenses with the Mobile App

---

After you have paid with your Payhawk corporate card, you can upload the expenses to the Payhawk Mobile App.

The types of expenses you can create in Payhawk are the following:

- **Card expense.** These are the expenses you paid with your physical or virtual Payhawk card.
- **Bill payment.** These are the expenses that are due or have been paid by your company through a bank transfer.
- **Reimbursement.** These are the expenses you paid for with your private funds. For this spend type, you need to be reimbursed.
- **Company cash.** These are the company expenses you paid with cash provided by your company.
- **Mileage.** These are the expenses for traveling with your vehicle on a business trip.
- **Per diem.** These are the expenses for travel-related costs on a business trip.

### Upload card expenses

When you pay with your Payhawk card, an expense is automatically created in **Spend**.

Once a card payment is made, you will receive a notification on your mobile phone to submit the receipt.

1. Open the Payhawk Mobile App.
2. Tap **Spend** and select the expense. Your mobile camera will automatically open.
3. Take a picture of the receipt.

If you have received the invoice or receipt note over email, you can also upload the image from your gallery or as a file from your local **File** folder.
4. Payhawk automatically adjusts the edges of the document and automatically takes the photo.
5. Enter a description (note) of the expense and its category.

If someone at your company has already paid this supplier, Payhawk will suggest the right category.

![Payhawk Mobile App: a card expense in Spend, the expense with no document attached, the camera capturing the receipt, and the expense with its receipt attached and ready to submit.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261001/card_expense_upload_mobile_3.png)

### Upload bills, reimbursements, and company cash

You can upload any expense you need to pay or have already paid through a bank transfer, company funds, or personal funds by following these steps:

1. Open the Payhawk Mobile App.
2. Go to **Spend** and tap the **+** (plus) button.
3. Select the type of expense you are uploading (**Bill** or **Reimbursement**).
4. Your phone camera will open, and Payhawk's data extraction tool will enable the device to automatically take a photo of the invoice or receipt note.
5. Enter the currency and amount.
6. Add a note of the expense (for example, dinner with a client).
7. Select the expense category, project, trip, or cost center (if required).
8. Click on the **✔** button to finalize the process. As a result, your expense request is sent to the relevant approvers.

![Payhawk Mobile App: the Add menu in Spend with Bill selected, the New Bill camera capturing an invoice, the currency and amount screen, and the bill ready to submit.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261001/bill_upload_mobile_3.png)

### Upload mileage expenses

You can create mileage expenses in the Payhawk Mobile App and submit them to the relevant approvers by following these steps:

1. Open the Payhawk Mobile App.
2. Go to **Spend** and tap the **+** (plus) button.
3. Select the type of expense you are uploading (**Mileage**).
4. Enter the details of your trip, including the vehicle information and the street name and number for both your origin and destination.
5. Tap **Add mileage**.
6. Fill in the required details and tap **Submit**. As a result, an expense request will be automatically submitted to the relevant approvers at your company.

![Payhawk Mobile App: the Add mileage screen, the address search, the route with the Add mileage button, and the mileage expense ready to submit.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261001/mileage_mobile.png)

### Upload per diems

You can create per diem expenses in the Payhawk Mobile App and submit them to the relevant approvers by following these steps:

1. Open the Payhawk Mobile App.
2. Go to **Spend** and tap the **+** (plus) button.
3. Select the type of expense you are uploading (**Per Diem**).
4. Enter the required trip details.
5. In the **Deductions** field, select the meals that have been included in the price, if any.
6. Tap **Create per diem**. As a result, an expense request will be automatically submitted to the relevant approvers at your company.

![Payhawk Mobile App: the Add menu with Per Diem selected, and the Per diem screen with the trip details and the Create per diem button.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261001/per_diem_mobile.png)

---

## Step 6 - Approve and decline expense requests

---

If you are part of an expense approval workflow, you will be able to approve and decline expense requests.

As an approver, you will receive the expense requests in your **Inbox**. All requests that you have to review will be under the **PENDING** tab. Once you approve or decline them, the requests will move to the **ALL** tab.

When rejecting expense requests, note the following:

- When you reject a request for a card expense, this will not delete the expense, but will display the reason for declining to the Payhawk Accountant.
- When you reject a request for any other expense, this will delete the expense as well.

### Approve expenses in the Payhawk Web Portal

To [approve expense requests in the Payhawk Web Portal](/help/approving-and-declining-expense-requests-from-the-payhawk-inbox):

1. Open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to **Inbox**, then select **Requests to me** in the left pane and open the desired request.
2. Review the expense-related information and the uploaded expense document.
3. If you want to proceed with approval, click on **Approve**. As a result, the assigned reviewers can continue with the review process.

![Payhawk Web Portal Inbox: Requests to me, Pending, with a pending expense request opened and the Approve and Decline buttons.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261001/expense_request_approve_portal.png)

If you want to [return an expense to the employee who submitted it](/help/approving-and-declining-expense-requests-from-the-payhawk-inbox), click on the **Decline** button. In the dialog that opens, select the **Return to employee** option, provide the reason for your decision, and click on **Return**.

If you want to [reject expense requests and delete unpaid expenses](/help/approving-and-declining-expense-requests-from-the-payhawk-inbox), click on the **Decline** button. In the dialog that opens, select **Reject**, provide the reason for your decision, select the confirmation checkbox, and click on **Reject**.

### Approve expenses in the Payhawk Mobile App

To [approve expense requests in the Payhawk Mobile App](/help/approving-and-declining-expense-requests-from-the-payhawk-inbox):

1. Go to your **Inbox** and select a request that you want to review.
2. Review the expense-related information and the uploaded expense document.
3. If you want to proceed with approval, tap **Approve**. As a result, the Payhawk Accountants can continue with their review process.

![Payhawk Mobile App: Inbox, Requests, Pending with a pending expense request, and the request details with the Approve and Decline buttons.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261001/expense_request_approve_mobile_2.png)

If you want to [return an expense to the employee who submitted it](/help/approving-and-declining-expense-requests-from-the-payhawk-inbox), tap the **Decline** button. In the dialog that opens, select the **Return to employee** option, provide the reason for your decision, and tap **Return**.

If you want to [reject expense requests and delete unpaid expenses](/help/approving-and-declining-expense-requests-from-the-payhawk-inbox), tap **Decline**. In the dialog that opens, select **Reject**, provide the reason for your decision, select the confirmation checkbox, and tap **Reject**.

For more information:

- [Approving and declining expense requests](/help/approving-and-declining-expense-requests-from-the-payhawk-inbox)
- [Approving and declining fund requests](/help/approving-and-declining-fund-requests)
- [Approving and declining ATM withdrawal requests](/help/approving-and-declining-atm-withdrawal-requests)