---
title: "Setting spend policies and card controls for linked cards"
slug: "spend-limits-and-card-controls-for-linked-cards"
description: "Set spend limits and card controls for linked cards in Payhawk to reduce risk, prevent misuse, and keep purchases within policy."
updated: 2026-10-26T15:05:03Z
published: 2026-10-26T15:05:03Z
canonical: "payhawk.com/spend-limits-and-card-controls-for-linked-cards"
---

> ## 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.

# Setting spend policies and card controls for linked cards

Payhawk Administrators can manage corporate cards by setting or updating spend limits and applying card controls, such as defining recurring limits, allowing or blocking ATM withdrawals, fund requests, merchants and merchant categories, and more.

## Advanced card controls for linked cards

You can set and update advanced card controls for linked cards and for virtual cards, issued on top of linked cards in the case of American Express.

To set or update a card control:

- For linked cards, open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to **Cards** > **Linked cards**, select the desired card, and go to its **Settings** tab.
- For virtual cards issued on top of linked cards, open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to **Cards**, select the desired virtual card, and manage the card controls in the same way as for native Payhawk virtual cards.

For example, to adjust spend limits or advanced controls for a virtual American Express Card, issued on top of a linked American Express Main Card, open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to **Cards** > **Linked cards** > **Virtual cards** and select the card you want. The following image shows where to find the advanced card control settings for a virtual American Express Card.![Overview of American Express virtual card settings and available balance details.](https://storage.googleapis.com/payhawk-cdn/Adm%3AAcc%3AEmp%3A%20US%20docs/amex.png)

## Spend policies for linked cards

> [!WARNING]
> A linked card can have a spend policy set in Payhawk only if the card‑issuing bank provides for this capability. If the feature is not visible in Payhawk, contact your Implementation Manager.

You can update spend policies or set a standalone spend limit for linked cards and for virtual cards, issued on top of linked cards.

To assign a spend policy or set spend limits:

- For linked cards, open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to **Cards** > **Linked cards**, select the desired card, and go to its **Settings** tab.
- For virtual cards issued on top of linked cards, open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to **Cards**, select the desired virtual card, and manage the spend policies in the same way as for [native Payhawk virtual cards](/help/assigning-changing-and-removing-spend-policies-from-employee-cards).

For example, to manage a spend policy or set a spend limit for a virtual American Express card, issued on top of a linked American Express Main Card, open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to Cards > Linked cards > Virtual cards and choose the card you want. The following image shows where to find the spend policy settings for a virtual American Express Card.

Payhawk logs every change to the spend policy, limit, and refill amount of a linked card in the card's **Activity** tab, together with who made the change and when. For more information, see [viewing the activity of linked cards](/help/viewing-the-activity-of-linked-cards).