Who can make an urgent payment if the authorised signatory is unavailable — a continuity map and bank checklist

Owner’s problem

An urgent payment is due and the only authorised signatory is unavailable. Common ad‑hoc responses — sharing credentials, asking the bank to ‘‘make an exception’’ or relying on verbal approval — increase the risk of control failures, incorrect debits and later disputes with the bank.

Short practical conclusion

Do not loosen controls in an emergency. Implement a documented backup process agreed with your bank: a continuity card for typical payment types, appointed backup authorised persons with limits and activation rules, bank confirmation of acceptable documents and channels, and routine testing.

Why this works

Business Internet Banking products commonly support role separation (prepare / approve) and multiple users with individual limits. The operational task is to translate those product features into a company policy and to secure the bank’s written confirmation of what it will accept when activating a backup authorised person for the account and payment types concerned.

Practical tool — the continuity card

Use a short continuity card for each payment scenario. Keep completed cards accessible to the finance team and to the bank when requesting activation. Typical fields:

- Payment: purpose and urgency (24h / 48–72h / regular).
- Amount and debit account.
- Who prepares the instruction: name, role, contact.
- Who may confirm under policy: name, role, limit.
- Backup authorised person: name, activation condition (absence/incapacity of main signatory), authentication method, contact.
- Documents required to activate the backup — include only items the bank confirmed in writing.
- Bank channel for activation (signed PDF, secure message, pre‑agreed e‑mail address).
- Execution deadline and readiness status.

Note: the card is an internal editorial tool and must be validated with your bank before operational use.

Illustrative hypothetical scenario

A supplier invoice is due today. The main approver is travelling and MFA is tied to their device. The finance team has prepared the payment but cannot confirm it. With a documented continuity card and bank agreement the steps are:

1) Classify the payment urgency (24 hours — urgent).
2) Notify the named backup authorised person and check the continuity card: availability, documents and limits.
3) Send a written activation request to the bank using the pre‑agreed channel and reference the previously agreed checklist.
4) Receive bank confirmation of activation (automatic if roles are pre‑configured, otherwise per documented activation flow).
5) Execute the payment and record details in the emergency payments register for post‑factum audit.

Implementation checklist (one month)

1) Appoint a policy owner (CFO / Head of Finance).
2) Draft continuity cards for three scenarios (urgent 24h, critical 48–72h, high‑value/two‑signature) and populate them with sample operations.
3) Send the bank a written list of activation questions and obtain a written response that you retain.
4) Appoint backup authorised persons in writing, set limits and define activation conditions.
5) Configure online banking roles (prepare / approve), separate logins and MFA for backups, and ensure audit logs are preserved.
6) Conduct at least one tabletop test for the most likely scenario, document gaps and remediate them.
7) Include continuity cards and bank confirmations in the company emergency payments policy and the audit register.
8) Schedule periodic reviews: update cards at least annually or on key changes in personnel or bank.

Questions to ask your bank (request in writing)

- Which authentication methods do you accept for temporary activation of a backup authorised person for amount X or for cross‑border payments?
- Exactly which documents are required for activation (board minute, corporate resolution, power of attorney, ID copy)? Please provide the list in writing.
- Are temporary limit adjustments permitted? If so, in what format and for how long?
- What form of bank confirmation will we receive for the activation (signed PDF, secure message, e‑mail)?
- Which practices are explicitly unacceptable (password sharing, verbal approvals)?

What not to do

— Do not send passwords or one‑time codes via unsecured messengers.
— Do not rely on verbal approvals without documentary confirmation from the bank.
— Do not change limits through informal channels without documented bank confirmation and audit trails.

Control and accountability

Maintain an emergency payments register with date, justification, participants, bank confirmation and audit conclusions. The policy owner must run an annual test, refresh backup nominees and reconfirm the bank’s acceptance of the activation flow.

Next step

Complete continuity cards for your three most frequent urgent payments, send the bank the activation checklist questions today and schedule a tabletop test for the next working day.

Disclaimer: General information, not individual advice. Validate the bank’s acceptable documents and activation procedures for your account and payment types before operational use.