Business card feeds can make transaction capture quicker, but they do not automatically explain who made a purchase, why it was made or whether the evidence on file is sufficient. When several employees use cards, a bookkeeping team needs a review process that connects each unclear entry to the right cardholder and supporting information without turning a bank-feed description into an unsupported conclusion.
Start with the card and transaction identity
Record the account, card or cardholder identifier available in the client's records alongside the transaction date, amount and merchant description. The bookkeeping record should distinguish information supplied by the bank or card system from information later supplied by the client. That distinction matters because a merchant label can be abbreviated, unfamiliar or insufficient to establish business purpose.
Route the query to the person closest to the purchase
Where the client can identify the cardholder, direct the evidence request accordingly rather than sending every query to one finance contact. A central client contact may still need oversight, but the person who made the purchase is often better placed to provide the receipt and context. Define the route with the client in advance so staff do not receive unexpected or duplicate requests from the bookkeeping team.
Ask for evidence and purpose separately
A receipt may show what was purchased without explaining the business context, while a written explanation may lack the underlying document. Treat these as separate pieces of information where necessary. The query should state exactly what is missing and avoid suggesting an accounting category before the facts are available. This keeps evidence collection distinct from the later bookkeeping judgement.
Control duplicate submissions
Cardholders may upload a document, forward it by email and then send it again when chased. Link incoming evidence to the transaction reference before adding another copy to the client file. If a replacement document supersedes an earlier image, preserve enough history to understand what changed while ensuring the team knows which version should be used.
Keep unresolved transactions visible
Use a simple exception list for entries awaiting evidence or clarification. Useful statuses can distinguish a first request from a reminder, a partial response and an item ready for review. This is more reliable than treating an unread email or a note in someone's inbox as the control. It also makes handover easier if another bookkeeper needs to continue the file.
Handle personal or disputed purchases carefully
If a cardholder says a transaction is personal, unauthorised or otherwise disputed, record what has been stated and route the matter according to the client's agreed process. Do not silently alter the explanation to make the bookkeeping easier. A disputed transaction may involve steps outside routine bookkeeping, and the bookkeeping record should not imply that those wider questions have been resolved when they have not.
Reconcile the answer before clearing the exception
When evidence arrives, compare it with the transaction details and the explanation supplied. Check that dates, values and supplier information are consistent enough to support the next bookkeeping step. Where they are not, keep the exception open and ask the specific follow-up question. Closing an item should mean the evidence gap has genuinely been resolved, not merely that someone has replied.
Use recurring gaps to improve the collection routine
If the same cardholders or purchase types repeatedly generate missing evidence, the practice can suggest a clearer collection routine to the client. That might mean agreeing where card evidence is uploaded, how cardholders identify transactions or when outstanding items are reviewed. The objective is a cleaner evidence trail and fewer avoidable chases, while leaving accounting and tax judgements to the appropriate responsible person.