Motive Card Policy

Motive Card policy provides administrators with a single, powerful toolset to enforce spending compliance, protect against misuse, and maintain accurate financial data collection for every card purchase.

Overview 

Motive Card policy is a centralized hub that centralizes spend limits, merchant controls, and transaction requirements. Fleets can manage where, when, and how the card can be used, along with what key information is collected from card purchases.

• Control Spend: Use spend controls to block unauthorized transactions before they occur. They can be customized to meet operational requirements and can be modified anytime, with changes reflected instantaneously. 
• Better Oversight: Use transaction requirements to require cardholders to provide details before completing a purchase, allowing the capture of required details so expenses are categorized correctly. This improves reporting accuracy and reconciliation.
• Block Merchants: Use merchant controls to block transactions at non-preferred merchants, preventing fraudulent use of cards. Declined or attempted unauthorized transactions appear instantly in the Motive Dashboard.

Note: Motive Card policy controls can only be accessed if the Policy Management permission is enabled for the user role in the Roles and Permissions tab in the Fleet Users section.

Viewing Motive Card policy 

1.   On the Fleet Dashboard, go to Admin > Cards > Policies.

2. Select the desired policy under Spend Limits, Transaction Requirements, and Merchant.

   

   

Understanding spend controls 

Spend controls allow you to define spending rules per card, group, or the entire fleet. You can set: 

• Spend caps
• Merchant category restrictions (e.g., fuel-only)
• Time-of-day or day-of-week usage rules

These settings help prevent unauthorized purchases, align spend with operational needs, and reduce fraud risk.

Creating a spend limit policy  

1. Go to Admin > Cards > Policies.

2. Click Spend Limits > Create.  

   

3. Enter a Policy name and Set as default if required. 
4. Set up Time Limits for card use, either Everyday or a Custom schedule. 
5. Customize the Spend Limits per day,  week, calendar month, billing cycle, or transaction. 
6. Check the box in Cash Advance to allow users to withdraw cash at select ATM locations. 
7. Customize Category Limits to Allow all categories or Allow specific categories.  

8. Click Save.

   

   

Customizing spend controls

Spend controls are managed by creating spend profiles in the Motive Dashboard and assigning them to cards, drivers, vehicles, or groups. Spend profiles can only be assigned to cards. Profiles can include one or more of the following settings:
Time limits

• Restrict card use to specific days and hours (e.g., Monday–Friday, 6 AM–8 PM).
• Transactions outside the allowed times are automatically declined.

Spend limits

• Set limits per transaction, day, week, month, or billing cycle (e.g., $500/day, $1,000/transaction, $5,000 per billing cycle).
• Limits can apply to all merchants or only to certain categories.

Category limits (Merchant Category Codes: MCCs)

• Allow or block specific merchant categories (e.g., fuel, tolls, maintenance, travel).
• For fuel-only purchases, allow MCC 5542 (fuel pumps) and optionally MCC 5541/5983 (in-store fuel/retail).
   

To edit a spend profile:

1. Log in to the Fleet Dashboard, go to Admin > Cards > Policies.

2. Click the three dots next on the desired spend profile.

   

3. Adjust Policy Details, Time Limits, Spend Limits, Cash Spends, and Category Limits by clicking Edit.

4. Click Save.

   

   

Changes apply instantly to all cards using the profile.
 

To set daily and per-transaction limits:

1. Log in to the Fleet Dashboard, go to Admin > Cards > Policies. 

2. Click the three dots in the desired spend profile.

   

3. Click Edit in Spend Limits.
4. Set Per day, Per week (Sun-Sat), Per calendar month, Per billing cycle, Per transaction caps.

5. Click Save.

   

Spend control violations 

If a driver attempts a transaction outside the established rules, such as exceeding a spending limit or purchasing a blocked item, the transaction is instantly declined. These declined transactions can be reviewed in the Fleet Dashboard: 

1. Log in to the Fleet Dashboard and click Cards > Transactions. 
2. Click Status > Declined.

Understanding transaction requirements

Transaction requirements are details that cardholders must provide before completing a purchase with their Motive card. These requirements give managers and accounting teams the necessary context to track expenses, categorize transactions, and maintain accurate records. By ensuring these details are captured, fleets can simplify reconciliation, support compliance, and prevent reporting errors.

Transaction requirements and management

Required transaction details

Fleet managers can configure what information cardholders must provide at the time of purchase. Common requirements include:

• Vehicle number: Identifies the vehicle involved in the purchase. This information can be auto-filled through the Vehicle Gateway.
• Odometer reading: Records mileage at the time of purchase to support usage tracking and maintenance planning.
• Custom fields: Managers can create additional fields, such as Job ID, transaction category, or GL code, to meet business or accounting needs.
• Receipt: Proof of purchase. Unlike other fields, the receipt can be uploaded after the purchase is complete.
   

Managing transaction information

• All required transaction details, except receipts, must be entered before completing a purchase.
• Cardholders can edit transaction information in the Motive Driver App for up to seven days after the purchase.
• Fleet managers can update transaction details at any time in the Motive Dashboard.
   

Creating a transaction requirement policy

1. Go to Policies > Transaction Requirements > Create.  

   

2. Enter a Policy name and set it as the default if required. 
3. Mark the checkbox to Require Vehicle ID or Asset ID, or add a custom pre-transaction requirement. 
4. Mark the checkbox to Require a receipt after every transaction as a post-transaction requirement. 

5. Click Save.

   

Understanding merchant policy

Merchant controls let fleet admins define which fuel merchants are allowed or blocked for Motive Card use. You can block specific merchants. They help prevent misuse, maintain compliance with company policies, and reduce unnecessary spending at personal or high-cost locations.
 

Creating a merchant policy 

1. Go to Policies > Merchant >  Create.  

   

2. Enter a policy name and set it as the default if required. 
3. Click Manage in the Merchant Controls section and add your policies. You can allow or block specific brands or locations.

4. Click Save.  

   

Blocking or allowing specific merchants or merchant categories

1. From the Fleet Dashboard, go to Admin > Cards > Policies and select a policy.
   
2. Go to Merchant > Edit.
   
3. Check the box to either block or allow a specific merchant. 
4. Click Select and use the search box to find a specific brand, merchant, or location.
   
   
5. If needed, fleet managers can check the box to allow a daily spend limit at blocked locations. 
6. Click Save to restrict locations or allow locations. Restrictions take effect immediately for all cards using that spend profile.
   

Review settings regularly to adapt to changing business needs and maintain optimal spend control.

Driver transactions viewing allowed merchants

1. Log in to the Motive Driver App and go to Cards > Savings Finder.
2. To view allowed locations, tap  All locations > Allowed locations > Apply.  
3. To view discounts at Motive partners, tap  All locations > Motive partners > Apply. 
4. To view truck stops, tap All locations > Truck stops > Apply.
   
   
5. Tapping a specific location shows the fuel pricing details.
   
6. Review the fuel price details of the location.
   
7. If a driver attempts to select a blocked location, a warning message is displayed.
   

Creating transaction review policy

1. Go to Admin > Cards >  Policies > Transaction Review > Create and select a policy.

   

2. Click Edit

   

3. Check the box to require cardholders to upload a receipt when they purchase a non-fuel item, and only for merchants that don't provide sufficient data. 

4. Click Select to choose which Roles and Fleet Users receive the transactions for review and click Save.

   

5. The transaction review settings are saved for the policy.

Uploading a receipt for flagged non-fuel purchases 

1. Drivers receive a notification through SMS and their Driver App to upload a receipt if a non-fuel transaction is fagged as suspicious. Tap the notification to review the transaction.

   

2. Tap the camera icon to upload an image, add details about the transaction under comments, and tap Save.
   
   
3. The changes are saved immediately.
   
4. If the uploaded receipt is illegible, drivers must upload a new receipt. 
   Tap the x icon on the current image and tap the camera icon to upload a new image. Add details about the transaction under Comments and tap Save. 
   

FAQ 

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