WorkbamiFinance & approvals
Approval Request Form: Free Template, Example and How to Write It
An approval request form is the document you send up the chain before you spend money or commit the company to something: buying equipment, signing a vendor contract, hiring a contractor or booking an event. It turns "Can I go ahead?" in a chat thread into a clear, traceable decision.
On this page you will find a free approval request form in Word, a field-by-field guide, a filled example with a budget breakdown, a step-by-step routine that gets approvals signed faster, and the mistakes that most often get requests sent back.
What is an approval request form?
An approval request (also called a purchase approval, spend request or pre-approval form) describes what you want to do, why, how much it will cost, and by when you need a decision. It is routed through an approval chain, for example requester → team lead → department head → finance or CEO, according to your company's delegation of authority. Only after the final approver signs do you place the order or sign the contract.
It is different from an expense report, which claims back money that has already been spent, and from a purchase order, which is the document you send to the supplier once the purchase is approved. A typical flow is: approval request → purchase order → invoice → payment. Keeping that order protects both you and the company, because every commitment has a named approver and a documented reason.
When do you need an approval request?
- Before buying hardware, software subscriptions or furniture above your spending limit
- Before signing a contract with an agency, consultant, landlord or SaaS vendor
- Before adding headcount, extending a contractor or approving overtime budgets
- Before committing to an event, trade show, training course or business trip budget
- When a cost was not in the annual budget or would exceed the approved amount
How to fill in the approval request form, field by field
The download contains these fields in this order. Assume the approver reads only the subject, the total and the recommendation, and put the decision they need to make near the top.
Request details and approval chain
| Field | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Request no. and date | Your internal reference and the date submitted. | AR-2026-042, November 2, 2026 |
| Requester and department | Name, team and contact for questions. | Jordan Lee, Sales Operations |
| Approval chain | Approvers in order, following your delegation of authority policy. | Team lead → VP Sales → CFO |
| Reviewers | Teams that must check before approval (finance, IT, legal, security). | Finance (budget), IT (security review) |
The request
| Field | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | One line: what you want to do. | Buy a CRM for the 12-person sales team |
| Purpose and background | Why now, and what happens if you do nothing. Two or three sentences. | Deals are tracked in spreadsheets; 9 follow-ups were missed last quarter |
| Details | Scope, quantities, vendor and timeline. | 12 annual seats, go-live by December 1 |
| Options compared | Two or three quotes or alternatives and why you chose one. | Vendor A $600/seat vs Vendor B $720/seat → A |
| Expected benefit | Measurable outcome and when you will check it. | Follow-up rate back above 95% by Q1 |
| Attachments | Quotes, comparison sheet, draft contract, security questionnaire. | 2 quotes, comparison sheet |
Budget breakdown
| Field | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Item | What you will pay for. | CRM licence |
| Detail | Spec, term or how the cost was calculated. | Annual seat, billed yearly |
| Qty | Numbers only. | 12 |
| Unit price (USD) | State below the table whether tax is included. | 600 |
| Amount | Qty × unit price. The total must match the amount in the subject block. | 7,200 |
Approval request example: CRM purchase for the sales team
A sales operations manager asks for approval to buy a CRM. The approver can decide from the summary alone; the table shows where the money goes.
| Subject | Buy a CRM for the 12-person sales team |
|---|---|
| Requester | Jordan Lee, Sales Operations |
| Approval chain | Sales team lead → VP Sales → CFO |
| Total requested | $10,600 (first year, before sales tax) |
| Decision needed by | Friday, November 6, 2026, to go live on December 1 |
Budget breakdown
| Item | Detail | Qty | Unit price (USD) | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRM licence | Annual seat, billed yearly | 12 | 600 | $7,200.00 |
| Onboarding and data import | Vendor fixed-fee package | 1 | 2,500 | $2,500.00 |
| Admin training | Half-day session per admin | 2 | 450 | $900.00 |
| Total (before tax) | $10,600.00 |
Amounts exclude sales tax. Funded from the Sales Operations software budget; renewal from year two would be $7,200 per year at current pricing.
Free download
Free, no sign-up. Opens in Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers, Word, Google Docs and LibreOffice.
Open the downloaded file in Nobami, our web office, to edit it right away.
How to write an approval request that gets signed quickly
- Check your approval limits first. Your delegation of authority policy decides who signs at which amount. Routing to the wrong person usually means starting over.
- Collect quotes before you write. Two or three quotes, or a short comparison of alternatives, answer the approver's first question: why this option?
- Write the subject and total as one clear line. Say what you want to do and the total, and state whether tax is included.
- Explain the cost of doing nothing. Contrast the problem today with the expected benefit, in numbers where you can.
- Fill in the budget table and check the maths. Qty × unit price must equal each amount, and the total must match the summary.
- Get reviewers' input, then submit. Ask finance, IT or legal to review before the request reaches the final approver, so it is not bounced back at the last step.
Good practice: internal controls and record keeping
There is no legal form for an approval request; it is an internal control. Most auditors look for three things: a written delegation of authority, segregation of duties (the person who requests a purchase should not also approve and pay it), and evidence that approval came before the commitment.
Keep the approved request with the quote, purchase order, invoice and payment record. In the United States, the IRS says records supporting items on a tax return should generally be kept for at least three years, and longer in some situations. In the UK, limited companies must generally keep accounting records for six years from the end of the financial year they relate to.
If the purchase involves personal data, such as a new HR or CRM system, add your security or privacy reviewer to the chain and attach the vendor's data-processing terms.
Sources
- IRS: How long should I keep records? (checked November 1, 2026)
- GOV.UK: Running a limited company — company and accounting records (checked November 1, 2026)
General information, not legal or tax advice. Approval limits and retention rules depend on your country, industry and company policy; follow your finance team's guidance.
Common approval request mistakes
- Placing the order first and asking for approval afterwards
- Not saying whether the amount includes tax, so the numbers do not reconcile
- Only one quote, with no reason why that vendor was chosen
- A long background section with the actual decision buried at the bottom
- Sending the request to someone without authority for that amount
- A budget table total that differs from the amount in the summary
Approval request form FAQ
What should an approval request form include?
Request number and date, requester, approval chain and reviewers, subject, purpose, details, options compared, expected benefit, a budget breakdown with a total, the date a decision is needed, and attachments such as quotes.
How is an approval request different from an internal proposal or an expense report?
An internal proposal or memo puts forward an idea or a document for review in general. An approval request asks for permission to spend or commit before acting. An expense report claims back money after it has been spent.
Who should approve the request?
Whoever your delegation of authority policy names for that amount and type of spend. Many companies use thresholds, for example team lead up to $1,000, department head up to $10,000 and the CFO above that.
Can I use email or an approval workflow instead of a form?
Yes, as long as the same information is captured and the approval is recorded with a name and timestamp. A workflow tool makes it easier to find the approval later and to link it to the purchase order and invoice.
Does the template work in Google Docs?
Yes. The .docx file opens in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Pages and LibreOffice.