How Visaala works
A real-time pipeline from card swipe to payroll reimbursement — powered by AI tax classification and direct card network integrations.
The full flow
The employee links any Visa or Mastercard via a 2-minute enrollment flow. We authenticate using bank-grade OAuth — no card numbers shared, no credentials stored. Access is read-only.
Visaala connects directly to Visa Transaction Controls (VTC) and Mastercard TNS APIs — getting a real-time authorized transaction feed without touching payment credentials.
Each transaction is checked against the employer's benefit policy and the correct IRS tax treatment. The AI uses MCC code, merchant name, amount, and spending history to make an instantaneous classification.
Result: approved / pending attestation / out of policy — with a tax bucket assignment. Employee gets a quick notification to confirm business purpose if needed.
Approved transactions are batched into a payroll journal entry. On the next pay run, the employee receives the reimbursement alongside their regular paycheck — with the correct tax treatment applied.
Finance gets a reconciliation export. HR sees utilization by category. No manual processing. No approval queues.
AI classification — with human-in-the-loop
AI handles the clear cases instantly. People handle the edge cases carefully. Accuracy is enforced at every step.
1. AI match (instant)
MCC code + merchant name + prior spending history is matched against your policy rules in real time. High-confidence matches are approved automatically — no employee action required.
e.g. Equinox → Wellness policy ✓
2. Employee attestation
When AI confidence falls below threshold, the employee confirms the business purpose in plain language — a short note on their phone, not a form. This also creates the substantiation record.
e.g. “Standing desk for home office setup”
3. Admin review queue
Disputed or flagged transactions surface in your admin dashboard with full context. You approve or deny. The AI learns from each decision, improving auto-approval rates over time.
e.g. mixed-basket purchase, unclear merchant
How purchases are categorised
Visaala classifies each transaction against your employer's plan and the applicable tax treatment — flagging edge cases for attestation before reimbursement.
Eligible under plan
Purchase matches a category in your employer's benefit policy. Approved automatically or after attestation, then queued for reimbursement.
e.g. gym membership under Wellness plan
Needs attestation
Purchase could qualify but requires context — employee confirms the business purpose. Attestation creates a substantiation record for the employer's files.
e.g. Amazon purchase — home office or personal?
Taxable benefit (LSA)
Lifestyle spending that doesn't qualify for tax exclusion. Reimbursed as a taxable fringe benefit — correctly flagged for inclusion in W-2. No surprises at year-end.
e.g. streaming subscription under general LSA
Out of policy
Purchase doesn't match any active benefit category. Automatically excluded — no reimbursement, no flag, no employee notification.
e.g. personal clothing, entertainment
Who sees what
Visaala sees transaction data to do classification. Your employer only sees what's relevant to the benefit plan — nothing more.
Employer view = only transactions that match an active benefit category under your plan. All other spending is invisible to them.
Security architecture
Encryption
AES-256 at rest, TLS 1.3 in transit. No exceptions.
OAuth 1.0a + mTLS
Direct card network APIs via mutual TLS — no third-party aggregators.
SOC 2 roadmap
Type II audit in progress. Enterprise security controls from day one.
Frequently asked questions
Is my payment data safe?
Visaala receives a read-only transaction feed from Visa and Mastercard's APIs. We cannot initiate payments, move money, or access your card credentials. You can revoke access at any time with one click.
What cards are supported?
Any Visa or Mastercard — personal credit, debit, business, or joint. American Express and Discover support is on the roadmap.
How does reimbursement work?
Approved transactions are batched and sent to your employer's payroll system as a journal entry. You receive the reimbursement alongside your regular paycheck on the next pay run.
What if a transaction is misclassified?
You can flag any transaction in your dashboard within 30 days. Our team reviews flagged items and updates the AI model. Conservative defaults mean we'd rather ask you than auto-approve ambiguous purchases.
Does my employer see my personal spending?
No. Your employer only sees transactions that match their benefit policy categories. Everything else is invisible to them — including the rest of your card statement.
Ready to try it?
15 minutes to set up. No card issuance. No expense reports. No card declines.