UX CASE STUDY

Designing a Virtual Card Management System for Finance Teams

Designing a Virtual Card Management System for Finance Teams

A web-based dashboard that empowers finance admins to issue, control, and analyze employee card usage with precision and transparency.

Project Overview

Context: Mid-sized finance teams were relying on spreadsheets and disconnected tools to manage virtual corporate cards. This led to poor visibility, compliance issues, and delays in card issuance and control.

The Problem

Finance teams at mid-to-large companies struggle with managing virtual corporate cards. Existing tools are either fragmented or built for consumers not enterprises. Teams lack real-time control, clear visibility, and audit-friendly reporting, leading to inefficiencies and compliance gaps.

The Goal:

Design a web-based dashboard that gives finance admins the ability to:

  • Create and issue virtual cards to employees

  • Set granular rules around usage

  • Track spending in real time

  • Ensure audit readiness with clean, exportable data

Who We Designed For (JTBD Approach)

Finance Managers & Admins

  • Issue cards with predefined limits and rules

  • Monitor usage, flag anomalies, and freeze cards when needed

  • Export transactions for internal and external audits

Employees (Card Users)

  • Spend with confidence using company-issued cards

  • View limits, request increases, and manage subscriptions

  • Stay within policy without manual intervention

Accounting & Compliance

  • Access a full transaction history

  • Categorize expenses for reconciliation

  • Maintain a clean audit trail

Mapping the User Journey

The flow was split into two main parts:

Card Creation

Admins initiate a flow from the dashboard → enter card details → assign to user → set controls → confirm.

Ongoing Card Management

Includes viewing analytics, editing settings, freezing cards, and reviewing transactions.

Core Features

Card Creation Form

The card creation form is quick to access and directly embedded in the dashboard. Admins can:

  • Name the card

  • Assign it to an employee

  • Set monthly limits and expiry

Card Overview Page

Provides at a glance insights:

  • Card status (active/frozen)

  • Assigned employee

  • Limit vs usage

Settings & Permissions Panel

Granular controls without clutter:

  • Toggle international/online/ATM usage

  • Set category-level restrictions

  • Freeze or delete cards instantly

Expense & Analytics Dashboard

Visual insights tailored for finance teams:

  • Monthly spend breakdowns

  • Category heatmaps

  • Alerts for policy breaches

Design Highlights

Streamlined Interface for Card Creation and Control

Element

Rationale

Modular Card Views

Scales well with growing teams

Granular Settings Panel

Gives power users control without complexity

Clear Feedback Patterns

Success toasts and confirmations build user confidence

Role-based Dashboards

Tailors experience for employees vs admins

Export & Audit Features

Supports CSV/PDF exports, essential for compliance reviews

What We Learned

  • Card creation time dropped by ~60% post-onboarding

  • Finance teams loved the freeze & limit UI—inspired by banking patterns

  • Analytics view was a hit with accounting teams during monthly closing

  • Compliance flagged audit trail as critical—prioritized for next sprint

Conclusion

Designing the Virtual Card Management System helped streamline a previously fragmented process into a single, intuitive platform. By focusing on admin efficiency, real-time control, and clear role-based access, the solution significantly improved how finance teams issue, track, and manage corporate cards. The positive response from stakeholders and measurable impact on operational speed validated our design decisions—and laid the foundation for future enhancements like approval workflows and mobile access.

UI Screenshots

UI Screenshots

Tools used

Tools used

Figma

FigJam

Crafting products that blend functionality with aesthetics, creating seamless experiences for real people.

Crafting products that blend functionality with aesthetics, creating seamless experiences for real people.

Crafting products that blend functionality with aesthetics, creating seamless experiences for real people.