This article guides you through setting up an “approval needed” process to define specific rules and triggers for traveler bookings. Use it to customize when approval is required and how reviewers are notified before a trip is finalized.

Approval needed processes allow you to set approval rules for certain travelers and decide when approval is required. You can also decide to send notifications to a reviewer. This is only available for approval processes with at least one approval rule.

For information about other types of approval processes, see Set up a travel approval process and Travel approval processes in Perk.

Setting up an approval needed process

1. Go to Settings > Travel management > Travel approvals.
2. Click New approval process.
3. Give the approval process a name and select who the process is for.
4. Under Is approval needed when booking?, select Yes.
5. Under Approval rules, click select approver and type or select the approver.
6. Click select setting and choose which types of bookings require approval. In-policy and out-of-policy rules depend on your travel policies.
7. If you want to request approval for specific cost objects, click + restrict by cost object, and select the cost object.
   
8. Under Approvals for changes to booked trips, select one of the options or set up your own rules.
9. Click Create approval process.

Note: Only Pro accounts can add a second-level approver as part of a two-step approval process.

Sending notifications to a reviewer

If you have at least one approval rule in an approval needed process, you can send notifications to a reviewer. They can’t approve or decline trips, but they’ll receive an email with information about the trip.

1. Step up an approval process with at least one approval rule.
2. Under Approval rules, click Add approval rule.
3. On the second approval rule, click Request approval and then select Send notification.
   
   
    
4. Click select person and type or select the reviewer.
5. Click select setting and choose which types of bookings you want notifications sent for. In-policy and out-of-policy rules depend on your travel policies.
6. If you want notifications to be sent only for specific cost objects, click + restrict by cost object, and select the cost object.
7. Under Approvals for changes to booked trips, select one of the options or set up your own rules.
8. Click Create approval process.