Skip to content

How to Assign Budget Limits to Perk Categories in 4Geeks Perks

🤖 Explain with AI

Employee benefits are a powerful tool for retention, but without proper financial controls, costs can spiral quickly. 4Geeks Perks empowers organizations to manage and deliver personalized employee benefits through a configurable, smart platform.

A key feature of the platform is the ability to assign specific budget limits to distinct perk categories—such as wellness, transportation, or office supplies. This ensures that while employees enjoy the flexibility of a personal points-based wallet, your organization maintains strict adherence to financial forecasting and compliance policies.

This article guides administrators through the process of defining and assigning budget caps to specific perk categories within the 4Geeks Console.

Prerequisites

To configure budget limits, ensure you meet the following criteria:

  • Administrative Access: You must be logged in as an Administrator or Finance Manager on the 4Geeks Console.
  • Active Perks Subscription: Your organization must have an active subscription to 4Geeks Perks (Standard or Premium).
  • Defined Categories: Ensure your Perk Catalog is active and categories (e.g., Wellness, Transportation) are enabled.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps to establish spending controls for specific categories.

Step 1: Access the Perks Dashboard

  1. Log in to your admin account at 4Geeks Console.
  2. From the main navigation menu, select the Perks module.
  3. Click on the Wallet & Budget tab in the settings sidebar. This section controls the logic behind the “points-based wallet” assigned to employees.

Step 2: Select a Category

  1. Navigate to the Spending Rules or Categories section.
  2. You will see a list of available categories supported by the platform, such as:
  3. Wellness and Fitness
  4. Corporate Transportation
  5. Office Supplies
  6. Coffee Station / Vending
  7. Click Edit next to the specific category you wish to limit (e.g., “Wellness and Fitness”).

Step 3: Define the Budget Limit

  1. Locate the Budget Cap field.
  2. Enter the maximum monetary value or point equivalent allowed for this category.
  3. Select the Frequency: Choose how often this limit resets.
    • Monthly: Best for recurring subscriptions (e.g., gym memberships).
    • Quarterly: Useful for larger, infrequent purchases.
    • One-time: Ideal for onboarding stipends like workstation delivery.
  4. Set Policy Type:
    • Hard Limit: The transaction is declined if it exceeds the budget.
    • Soft Limit: The transaction is approved, but an alert is sent to the admin for review.

Step 4: Apply to Employee Groups (Optional)

You can apply these limits globally or to specific segments.

  1. Under Target Audience, leave as “All Employees” to apply the limit company-wide.
  2. To target specific roles, select Filter by Team (e.g., “Sales Team” or “Engineering”).
  3. Click Save Changes to activate the limit immediately. The rules will instantly update on the employees’ 4Geeks Perks Cards.

Common Use Cases

Scenario 1: Encouraging Healthy Lifestyles with Controls

Goal: You want to support employee health but prevent overspending on luxury spa treatments. Configuration: - Category: Wellness and Fitness. - Limit: $100 USD / Month. - Result: Employees can use their 4Geeks Perks card for gym memberships or yoga classes. If they attempt to spend $150 at a luxury spa, the transaction is either declined (Hard Limit) or flagged (Soft Limit), ensuring the wellness budget remains sustainable.

Scenario 2: Managing Remote Work Stipends

Goal: Ensure new hires can set up their home office without exhausting the budget on non-essential electronics. Configuration: - Category: Office Supplies / Workstation Delivery. - Limit: $500 USD (One-time). - Target Audience: “New Hires” group. - Result: New employees receive a dedicated budget for monitors or chairs via 4Geeks Asset integration or direct purchase, preventing budget creep.

Troubleshooting

Issue 1: Employee card declined despite available total balance

  • Cause: The employee may have sufficient total funds in their wallet, but they have hit the category-specific cap you just configured.
  • Solution: Check the “Spending Rules” for that category. If the limit is intended to be higher, adjust the cap in the dashboard.

Issue 2: Budget limit changes aren’t reflecting immediately

  • Cause: There may be a slight delay in syncing with the physical RFID Perks Cards.
  • Solution: Wait 5–10 minutes for the update to propagate. If the issue persists, contact 4Geeks Support.

Issue 3: Unable to select a specific team for limits

  • Cause: The employee groups may not be defined in the main HR directory.
  • Solution: Ensure your employee data is synchronized correctly, potentially via the 4Geeks Talent integration, which manages worker profiles.

Conclusion

Assigning budget limits to specific perk categories allows you to balance employee freedom with fiscal responsibility. By utilizing the centralized management features of 4Geeks Perks, you can automate policy enforcement, reduce administrative overhead, and ensure your benefits program scales sustainably.

For further assistance with integrations or advanced configurations, please contact our support team.

Related Resources: