--- title: "Take control of your AI spend with Payhawk" slug: "take-control-of-your-ai-spend-with-payhawk" description: "Discover how Payhawk spend management platform helps you control AI and software spend: assign budgets, monitor usage and optimize subscriptions." updated: 2026-10-19T12:36:31Z published: 2026-10-19T12:36:31Z canonical: "payhawk.com/take-control-of-your-ai-spend-with-payhawk" --- > ## 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. # Take control of your AI spend with Payhawk As companies adopt AI tools across teams, managing costs and visibility becomes harder. Payhawk helps by making it easy to trial AI tools with corporate cards, while keeping subscriptions visible and under control. Payments sync directly with your ERP, supporting better spend management and freeing up finance to focus on higher-value decisions. This article highlights practical examples to help you support AI growth while maintaining full visibility and control over spending. --- # Cards: Best practices for AI spend --- There are two primary strategies for managing AI-related expenses using [Payhawk cards](/help/cards-1): one for [high-value subscriptions](/help/take-control-of-your-ai-spend-with-payhawk#h_cb4d6147aa) and another for [experimentation and trials](/help/take-control-of-your-ai-spend-with-payhawk#h_32251fcdf9). ![](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Help%20desk%20images%20moved/Take_control_of_your_AI_spend_with_Payhawk_20250930_manual.jpg) ## High-value subscriptions These include ongoing subscriptions to premium AI services such as OpenAI, Microsoft Copilot, Anthropic, and others. To manage them efficiently and securely in Payhawk, follow the steps: 1. **Create a virtual card.** In the Payhawk Web Portal, navigate to **Cards** and [issue a **New** virtual card](/help/issuing-virtual-cards). 2. **Assign to the tool owner.** Allocate the card to the relevant stakeholder, such as the Head of Data or Marketing Lead. 3. **Set a monthly spending limit.** Define a high [monthly limit](/help/overview-of-cards-card-limits-and-advanced-card-controls-for-administrators) that covers the expected subscription or usage costs. 4. **Apply usage restrictions.** Under the card's **Settings** > **Advanced controls**, [restrict the card](/help/overview-of-cards-card-limits-and-advanced-card-controls-for-administrators) so it can only be used with the specific AI provider. > [!TIP] > **Result** > > Even with a higher spending limit, the card remains secure and cannot be used for unauthorized or unrelated expenses. ## Experimentation and trials For teams exploring new AI tools or services on a trial basis, you can control spending and reduce risk by using Payhawk in the following way: 1. **Card request or issuance.** Employees can [request cards](/help/submitting-and-canceling-card-requests) through the approval workflow, or Payhawk Administrators can issue them directly. 2. **Create a single-use or time-bound card**. - [**Single-use card**](/help/issuing-virtual-cards) - Valid for one-time trial sign-up, preventing any future charges. - **Time-bound card** - Set an expiry date via API (for example, 14 or 30 days), after which the card is automatically deactivated. 3. **Encourage safe experimentation.** Promote the use of these cards for testing new AI tools without long-term commitment. > [!TIP] > **Result** > > Teams can safely explore new AI solutions without the risk of ongoing charges, hidden fees, or vendor lock-in. --- # Spend policies: Best practices for AI spend --- [Spend policies](/help/spend-policies) in Payhawk give you precise control over which AI tools your teams can access and use. By leveraging advanced controls, Payhawk Administrators can configure rules that deliver one of the following outcomes: - [**Allow only approved vendors**](/help/using-payhawk-cards-for-your-custom-needs)**.** Limit spending to trusted providers such as OpenAI, Microsoft, or Anthropic, ensuring that funds are used exclusively on vetted, enterprise-grade tools. - [**Block specific vendors**](/help/overview-of-cards-card-limits-and-advanced-card-controls-for-administrators)**.** Restrict spending on unapproved, consumer-grade, or duplicate AI tools, helping prevent shadow IT and unauthorized tool adoption. > [!TIP] > **Result** > > Every card operates within clearly defined rules. Teams get access to the tools they need, while Finance maintains oversight and avoids fragmented, high-risk AI spending. --- # Expense fields: Best practices for AI spend --- While most companies track AI spend by vendor, this method often lacks the granularity needed to accurately measure ROI. With [Payhawk's expense field capabilities](/help/expense-fields-1), you can take a more targeted approach to categorizing and analyzing AI-related expenses. ![](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Help%20desk%20images%20moved/Take_control_of_your_AI_spend_with_Payhawk_2_20250930_manual.jpg) ## Option 1: AI Category or G/L Account expense fields 1. [Create](/help/creating-editing-and-deleting-expense-categories) a dedicated **AI Spend** category within your existing **Tech/IT chart of accounts**. 2. Assign all AI-related expenses to this category, ensuring they are correctly mapped in your ERP or accounting system. > [!TIP] > **Result** > > Finance teams gain clear visibility into AI spend at the general ledger level, enabling more accurate reporting and ROI analysis. ## Option 2: Custom expense fields 1. [Set up a custom field](/help/managing-custom-fields-and-values-from-the-fields-library) called **AI Spend** with a **Yes**/**No** toggle or dropdown menu. 2. Employees select this field when submitting expenses related to AI tools or services. 3. Make the field conditional, so it only appears when the expense category is **Tech/IT**. > [!TIP] > **Result** > > Provides a flexible and non-disruptive way to track AI spend without modifying your chart of accounts. --- # Approval workflows: Best practices for AI spend --- [Approval workflows](/help/supported-workflow-types) in Payhawk help you strike the right balance between speed and control, empowering teams to explore AI tools while maintaining full oversight. ## Card requests workflow Use the [**Card requests** workflow](/help/setting-approval-workflows-for-card-requests) as the central control point for AI trials. Here's how to configure it effectively: 1. **Set for single-use cards.** Prevent ongoing charges by issuing cards that expire after a single transaction, which is ideal for free trials or short-term evaluations. 2. **Add key approvers.** Include your Procurement Lead or Tech Manager as an approver to avoid duplicate or unnecessary subscriptions. 3. **Require tool identification.** Make it mandatory for users to specify the AI tool in the request, ensuring Finance and IT have visibility from the outset. > [!TIP] > **Result** > > Teams can quickly experiment with AI tools, while Procurement and Tech maintain control and keep spending consolidated. ## Expense approval workflow If you're using a custom **AI Spend** field (see the [section about expense fields](/help/take-control-of-your-ai-spend-with-payhawk#h_c8a9a9e27c)), you can [enhance your approval process](/help/workflow-conditions-and-custom-workflows) with an additional layer of oversight: - **Add an AI Approval step.** Automatically route any expense marked as **AI Spend** to a designated decision-maker, such as the Head of Data, CTO, or Innovation Lead. - **Ensure strategic alignment.** This step ensures that every AI-related expense is reviewed and approved by someone accountable for your company's AI strategy. > [!TIP] > **Result** > > All AI spend is validated by the right stakeholder, helping your organization stay aligned, avoid waste, and maximize ROI. --- # Subscriptions: Best practices for AI spend --- Once your first AI-related expenses are processed through Payhawk cards, it's important to mark them as [subscriptions](/help/subscriptions) to enable centralized monitoring and smarter spend optimization. ![](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Help%20desk%20images%20moved/Take_control_of_your_AI_spend_with_Payhawk_3_20250930_manual.jpg) Here's how to set it up: 1. In the Payhawk Web Portal, open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to **Spend**, then select [**Mark as subscription**](/help/creating-subscriptions) for any recurring AI costs, such as OpenAI credits or Microsoft Copilot. 2. Assign the subscription to the correct vendor. This ensures all recurring charges from the same provider are grouped and tracked together. 3. Use the **Subscriptions** app to monitor: - Current AI spend by provider - Spending trends over time, including spikes or anomalies - Usage patterns for credit-based tools, such as token consumption > [!TIP] > **Result** > > You gain a centralized, real-time view of AI costs across vendors, identify opportunities for optimization, and build a more efficient, data-driven AI spend strategy over time. --- # Budgets: Best practices for AI spend --- [Budgets](/help/budgets) in Payhawk help you assign clear ownership, track AI-related expenses in real time, and ensure spending stays aligned with business goals. Here's how to set it up: 1. **In the Payhawk Web Portal, open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to Budgets.** [Create a **New** budget](/help/managing-your-budgets). 2. **Create dedicated AI budgets.** Structure budgets by team (for example, Marketing AI or IT AI), project (for example, Sales Enablement AI or Data Analytics AI), or category, depending on how your organization manages AI initiatives. 3. **Assign relevant expenses.** Link AI-related expenses to the appropriate budget so spending is automatically tracked and categorized. 4. **Monitor and adjust in real time.** Track spend vs. budget continuously. If adoption increases or usage spikes, you can quickly adjust limits or reallocate funds directly through the **Cards** app. > [!TIP] > **Result** > > AI spend is clearly owned and tracked by the team or project, ROI becomes easier to measure, and Finance avoids overspending through real-time budget visibility and control. --- # **Getting help with configuring Payhawk for AI spend** --- For more hands-on support with configuring Payhawk for AI spend, consider booking a call with your Implementation Manager for personalized guidance. Alternatively, use the in-platform chat option to get in touch with Payhawk Support for prompt assistance.