The Lock Account tool blocks access to high-risk features when an account may be compromised. Locking protects sensitive data by preventing unauthorized actions and triggering a review by the Expensify security team. Most account issues do not require locking, so confirm your situation before you lock.

When to lock your account instead of disputing a charge

Most issues don’t require locking your account. Find your situation below:

• Lost card or unfamiliar charges: Cancel your card and contact Concierge to dispute unknown transactions. You don’t need to lock your account for this. Learn how to dispute an Expensify Card transaction.
• Unauthorized account access: Lock your account using the steps below. This blocks new Expensify Card transactions, card orders, and account changes. If you’re a Domain Admin, it also pauses all domain-wide card activity and admin actions.

What gets blocked when you lock your account

The following actions are blocked while an account is locked:

Admin functionality

• If you own a reimbursement account in Expensify, all reimbursements for anyone with access to that bank account are locked.
• If you’re a Domain Admin with Expensify Cards, all Expensify Cards for the domain or workspace are locked and card activity is suspended.

Contact and security

• Adding or removing a contact method
• Changing the default contact method
• Adding or removing Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
• Adding or removing Copilots

Wallet and bank accounts

• Adding, deleting, or editing bank accounts (Account > Wallet)
• Enabling the Wallet

Workspace members

• Inviting new members
• Removing members from Workspaces > [Workspace Name] > Members

Expensify Cards

• Enabling Expensify Cards under Workspaces > [Workspace Name] > More Features
• Issuing cards or changing card limits
• Revealing virtual card details
• Activating physical cards

If the locked user is a Workspace Admin, all Expensify Cards in the workspace are suspended. If the locked user is a cardholder only, only their cards are suspended.

Reimbursements and payments

• Clicking Pay on reports, IOUs, or invoices is blocked for reports submitted by the locked user, and for all reimbursements if the locked user is a reimburser.

How to lock your account in New Expensify

1. In the navigation tabs (on the left on web, and at the bottom on mobile), click Account > Security.
2. Click Report suspicious activity.
3. Review the on-screen guidance to confirm locking is the right action.
4. Click Lock my account.
5. Confirm when prompted.

After you lock your account, the Expensify security team will follow up from risk@expensify.com.

⚠️ Important: Locking is not reversible from within the product. Once an account is locked, only the Expensify team can unlock it.

How to unlock your account

Unlocking requires help from the Expensify team. After you lock your account, the security team reviews it and reaches out from risk@expensify.com with next steps. You may be asked to:

• Verify your identity
• Reset your login credentials
• Review recent activity
• Confirm that no unauthorized changes remain

Once the security checks are complete, the Expensify team unlocks the account.

FAQ

Why can’t I unlock my account myself?

For your security, only the Expensify team can unlock an account. This prevents a malicious user from reversing a lock if they’ve gained access. Watch for follow-up from risk@expensify.com, and reach out to Concierge if you need help.