Overview
Most small businesses approve invoices via email chains that create delays, lost approvals, and compliance gaps. Bill.com's approval workflow engine routes invoices to the right approver automatically based on rules you define — invoices under $500 go to the department head, over $5,000 require both the CFO and CEO. Approvers receive a notification, click to approve or deny within Bill.com, and payment is queued automatically. This reduces approval cycle time from days to hours and creates a complete audit trail.
Before you start
- Bill.com Essentials plan or higher
- Bank account connected to Bill.com
- Team members set up as approvers in Bill.com
Step-by-step guide (5 steps)
Define your approval policy tiers
Map out your approval rules before touching Bill.com. Common structure: $0-$500 → Department Manager, $501-$5,000 → Director/VP, $5,001+ → CEO + CFO. Also consider vendor-based rules: all payments to a new vendor require dual approval regardless of amount.
Set up approver roles in Bill.com
In Bill.com → Settings → Approvers, invite team members and assign them as approvers. Configure each person's approval limit (the maximum invoice amount they can approve solo). Bill.com uses these limits to automatically route invoices that exceed them to the next tier.
Create approval policies in Bill.com
Go to Bill.com → Settings → Approval Policies → Create Policy. Set conditions: if invoice amount is greater than $5,000, require approval from [CFO] AND [CEO]. If vendor is new (first invoice), require dual approval. Assign this policy to your AP workflow.
Create separate policies for different departments or expense types. Marketing spend may need different approvers than IT equipment purchases.
Test with a real invoice
Enter a test invoice that should trigger multi-level approval. Verify that both approvers receive the approval request email with the correct invoice details. Check that the invoice cannot be paid until all required approvals are collected.
Enable mobile approvals for faster turnaround
Ensure all approvers download the Bill.com mobile app. Mobile approvals take under 30 seconds and prevent payment delays when approvers are out of the office. Remind them to enable push notifications for approval requests.
What you'll get
Invoice approvals happen in hours instead of days
Complete audit trail for every approval decision
Prevents unauthorized payments — no invoice paid without required sign-offs
Approvers can act from their phone in under a minute
Common mistakes to avoid
Setting approval thresholds too high, bypassing meaningful oversight
Not testing the policy with invoices at each tier before going live
Forgetting to set up mobile app for approvers, creating delays when people are out of office
Not creating a policy for new vendors — the highest fraud risk comes from new, unverified payees
Frequently asked questions
Do I need coding experience to set up this Bill.com automation?
No coding is required. This guide walks you through everything using Bill.com's built-in features and Zapier's visual interface. If you can follow a recipe, you can follow this guide.
How long does this automation take to set up?
Most users complete this setup in 30–60 minutes on their first try. Once set up, it runs completely automatically with zero ongoing effort.
What happens if the automation fails?
Zapier and Make both have error notifications and task history, so you'll know immediately if something goes wrong. We cover troubleshooting steps in the guide above.
Can I customize this automation for my specific business?
Absolutely. The guide includes notes on common customizations. Most automations have multiple variation points — timing, conditions, notification recipients, and more.