Understand self-approval limits

When you would read this

When you want to know why one payment went straight through and another is waiting for a colleague. Also before you change the limits, because they are the main dial between speed and safety.

What a self-approval limit is

A self-approval limit is the amount below which a single signer can create a payment and send it without anyone else approving. Above that amount, your full signing quorum applies and a second, independent signer must approve.

It exists so that routine payments move quickly while larger ones get a second pair of eyes.

The separate limits

Stablerail keeps several self-approval limits, because the risks are not the same.

External payments. Payments out to third parties. This is the limit most people mean. It can also be switched off entirely, in which case every external payment needs at least one additional signer.

Swaps. Exchanging one asset for another. Funds stay under your control throughout, so this limit is configured separately. It can also be switched off, making every swap require quorum.

Earn. Deposits into and withdrawals from yield vaults. Can be set to allow a single signer, or to require full quorum.

Internal transfers. Moving funds between your own vaults, with its own limit and its own auto-approval setting.

Native coins. Limits on stablecoin payments are set in your display currency. Native coins such as ETH, BTC or SOL have their own separate per-coin limits, entered in units of that coin. Until you enable and configure them, native coin payments require full quorum.

What to expect

The limit is evaluated when the payment request is created, against the policy in force at that moment. Changing a limit does not retrospectively change payments already in the queue.

Being under the limit is not a guarantee of a quick send. Other controls still apply: a flag from screening, a new recipient, or a missing document will hold a payment regardless of its size.

If you are the only signer in your organisation, additional safeguards apply, including dual verification when paying a first-time address.

Common problems and what they mean

A small payment still needs a second signer. Something other than the amount is holding it: a new recipient, a required document, or a flag. Read the policy checks on the item.

A swap went through alone but a smaller payment did not. They use different limits. Swaps have their own.

A native coin payment always needs quorum. Native token limits have not been enabled and configured. Until they are, full quorum is required for those coins.

Nobody can raise the limit. Only an Admin can, and the change has to be signed. See "Edit policies safely".