Configure spend rules – Highnote

Table of contents

Overview
Create spend rules
Attach and detach spend rules
View spend rule results
Update spend rules
Delete spend rules

Spend rules allow you to automate authorization decision-making using configurable logic that permits or restricts transactions. This guide overviews spend rule types and steps for attaching, managing, and detaching spend rules.

Overview

Highnote supports various spend rule types to allow you to customize your card program. The following table outlines the different types of supported spend rules:

Spend rule	Description
Amount	Sets limits on the maximum dollar amount a cardholder can spend in a single transaction
Authorization count	Sets a maximum number of transactions a cardholder can authorize within a given period
Card transaction processing type	Allows or blocks card transaction processing types, for example, purchases or withdrawals
Card verification value	Requires cardholders to enter their payment card's CVV at the point of purchase
Conditional rule	Combines multiple spend rules in an all-or-nothing approach. For a conditional rule to pass, it must meet the following requirements: All rules contained within the velocity control must pass All rules contained within the velocity control must fail
Deposit amount	Limits the dollar amount that an account holder can deposit in their Highnote financial account
Deposit count	Limits the number of times a cash deposit can be made within a set period
Deposit processing network	Limits which deposit processing networks can be used to make a deposit
Merchant category (MCC)	Limits and prevents spending at specific merchant categories, for example, airlines or fuel stations
Merchant identifier (MID)	Some merchants supply the merchant identifier (MID) when transactions are processed. This spend rule limits transactions for specific merchant identifiers
Merchant country	Limits spending based on a merchant's geographical location
Point of service category	Permits or restricts purchases at specific types of payment terminals, such as ATMs or gas station fuel dispensers
Street address	Requires cardholders to enter their payment card's associated address at the point of checkout for address validation service (AVS)

Create spend rules

You can create spend rules from the Highnote dashboard using the following steps:

From the Highnote dashboard, click Auth Controls from the left-hand navigation.
On the spend rules tab, click Create Spend Rule.
Choose a Spend Rule Type from the drop-down list.
Fill out the Rule Name and corresponding spend rule conditions. Spend rule conditions vary depending on the spend rule type you are creating.
When finished, click Create Spend Rule.

Attach and detach spend rules

Once you have created spend rules, you can attach them to either a card product, payment card, or financial account:

Card product: Applies the spend rule to all payment cards under the card product
Payment card: Applies the spend rule to an individual payment card
Financial account: Applies the spend rule to an individual financial account

Attach and detach to card products

Note: Some card product spend rules are attached at the card program level. The Highnote team adds these spend rules at the time of card product creation, and they cannot be attached or detached.

Use the following steps to attach a spend rule to a card product:

From the Highnote dashboard, click your card product name in the left-hand navigation. If you only have one card product, skip to step 2.
Click Product Settings and click the Settings tab.
In the authorization controls section, ensure you have Our Rules selected. You cannot attach or detach program rules.
Click Attach / Detach.
On the spend rules tab, attach your spend rules using the toggles next to your spend rule names. You can attach multiple spend rules at once, with no limit to how many spend rules you can have.
For each enabled spend rule, use the version drop-down to use a specific version, or choose Always Use Latest Version.
Once finished, click Update Spend Rules.

To detach a spend rule, repeat steps 1-4 and detach your spend rule using the toggles next to your spend rule names.

Attach and detach to payment cards

Use the following steps to attach a spend rule to a payment card:

Use the dashboard search bar to search for the last four digits of the payment card. For tips on using the search bar, see Using the Highnote dashboard.
On the payment card page, click Attach / Detach in the authorization controls section.
On the spend rules tab, attach your spend rules using the toggles next to your spend rule names. You can attach multiple spend rules at once, with no limit to how many spend rules you can have.
For each enabled spend rule, use the version drop-down to use a specific version, or choose Always Use Latest Version.
Once finished, click Update Spend Rules.

To detach a spend rule, repeat steps 1-2 and detach your spend rule using the toggles next to your spend rule names.

Attach and detach to financial accounts

Use the following steps to attach a spend rule to a financial account:

Use the dashboard search bar to search for an account holder. For tips on using the search bar, see Using the Highnote dashboard.
On the account holder page, click on the financial account to which you want to attach a spend rule.
On the financial account page, click Attach / Detach in the authorization controls section.
On the spend rules tab, attach your spend rules using the toggles next to your spend rule names. You can attach multiple spend rules at once, with no limit to how many spend rules you can have.
For each enabled spend rule, use the version drop-down to use a specific version, or choose Always Use Latest Version.
Once finished, click Update Spend Rules.

To detach a spend rule, repeat steps 1-2 and detach your spend rule using the toggles next to your spend rule names.

View spend rule results

You can view your spend rule results using the transactions page of the dashboard. Use the following steps to view spend rule results:

From the Highnote dashboard, click your card product name from the left-hand navigation.
Click Transactions to view the transaction history for your card product.
In the status column, find a Declined transaction and hover over the declined icon.
The decline reason will populate. If the decline was due to a spend rule, the spend rule parameter is reflected in the reason for the decline.

Update spend rules

In some cases, you may need to update a spend rule. Use the following steps to update a spend rule from the dashboard:

Locate the spend rule on the Product Settings or payment card page of the dashboard.
Click the spend rule you wish to update.
On the spend rule page, click Update Spend Rule.
Complete your updates in the spend rule tab and click Update Spend Rule.

Delete spend rules

Warning: Deleting spend rules permanently removes them from the system, and you can no longer attach them to a card product or payment card. If you delete a spend rule attached to a card product, payment card, or financial account, it is automatically detached and deleted.

In some cases, you may need to delete a spend rule. Use the following steps to delete a spend rule from the dashboard:

Locate the spend rule on the Product Settings or payment card page of the dashboard.
Click the spend rule you wish to update.
On the spend rule page, click Delete Spend Rule.
Confirm the deletion by clicking Delete in the pop-up window.