Budgetly has four user roles, each with different levels of access. Admins can change a user’s role at any time.
User roles
| Role | What they can do |
|---|---|
| Admin | Full access — manage users, budgets, cards, transactions, bills, suppliers, settings, integrations, billing, and statements |
| Operator | Day-to-day admin — manage cards, categories, integrations, reporting, and approvals, but not company settings, billing, spend policies, bill approvers, or users |
| User | Spend from assigned budgets, view own cards and transactions, upload receipts, request money |
| Accountant | Read-only access for reconciliation — view transactions, budgets, and statements |
Note: The Operator role gives someone day-to-day administrative access without control over your most sensitive settings. See Understanding the Operator role for the full breakdown.
How to change a user’s role
- Open Settings in the sidebar and select Users.
- Choose the user you want to update, then click Edit user.
- Navigate to the Role tab.
- Choose the new role.
- Click Save.
Permissions by role
| Permission | Admin | Operator | User | Accountant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manage users | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Company settings | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Manage billing | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Spend policies (create/edit) | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Bill approvers (assign/edit) | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Manage all budgets | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| Manage own budgets | ✓ | As owner | As owner | — |
| Manage all cards | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| Manage own cards | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Categories and workflow setup | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| Edit all transactions | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| Edit own transactions | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| View transactions | ✓ | ✓ | Own only | ✓ |
| Day-to-day approvals | ✓ | ✓ | Submit only | — |
| Manage bills | ✓ | ✓ | With access | — |
| Manage integrations | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| View statements | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ |
Common questions
Can I have more than one admin?
Yes. There’s no limit on the number of admins. All admins have the same level of access.
What's the difference between an Admin and an Operator?
An Operator can run day-to-day tasks like managing cards, categories, integrations, reporting, and approvals. Only Admins can access company settings, billing, spend policies, bill approvers, and user management.
Can an accountant make changes to transactions?
No. The Accountant role is read-only. They can view transactions, budgets, and statements but cannot edit anything.
Does changing a user's role affect their cards or budgets?
No. Changing a role updates what the user can access and manage, but their existing cards and budget memberships stay the same.