When a corporate card transaction first appears in Sage Expense Management, it may show up as Pending. This means the merchant has not yet finalized the transaction amount.
This is common for:
Gas station charges
Restaurant transactions with tips
Hotel stays
Merchants that place temporary authorization holds
For example:
A gas station may initially send a $1 authorization hold, while the final amount is higher. (Read more about how gas charges are captured: Understanding gas station charges in Sage Expense Management)
A restaurant charge may initially appear without the final tip amount
A hotel charge may initially appear as a smaller amount held by the hotel on your card
The final settled amount is sent later by the bank/card network
Once the merchant finalizes the charge:
Sage Expense Management automatically updates the transaction with the final amount
The transaction status changes from Pending to Posted
Why you should avoid editing Pending transactions
Since Pending transactions are temporary, editing the amount or date before settlement can create:
Reconciliation mismatches
Duplicate expenses
Confusion during accounting export
Incorrect reporting
We recommend waiting until the transaction is marked Posted before making any changes to amount or date.
You can still:
Upload receipts
Add categories, projects, or notes
Split expenses (if allowed by your admin)
What happens if the final amount changes?
If the final settled amount differs from the Pending amount:
Sage Expense Management automatically updates the transaction
The latest value from the card feed becomes the source of truth
This ensures your expenses stay aligned with the actual card statement and accounting records.