---
title: "Before an agent pays: 3 signed permissions"
slug: tres-permisos-agente-antes-de-pagar
lang: en
situation: gobernar
format: hoja
minutes: 10
updated: 2026-11-03
---

# Before an agent pays: 3 signed permissions

> For anyone offered an AI agent that pays invoices who wants the limits on one sheet before granting permission.

## When to use it

- A vendor offers you an agent to pay invoices.
- Every unusual case turns into a debate about whether the agent was allowed to act.
- Nobody can say who answers if the agent gets it wrong.

## The sheet

| Permission | What is written down | Process owner's signature |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The exact task | Pay invoices already approved by a person. Not decide whether they get approved. Task: ____________ | |
| 2. The limit and when it stops | Up to what amount, and which cases go to a person, such as a new vendor or an amount that does not fit. Limit: US$ ______ · Stops if: ____________ | |
| 3. Who answers if it gets it wrong | A named person, not "the system". Name: ____________ | |

The process owner signs it, not the vendor.

My rule: an agent without limits does not save you work. It hands you the risk.

Owner: ____________ · Date: ______ · Next review: ______

## How to fill it in 10 minutes

1. Write the exact task with a verb. If it includes deciding, it is not ready yet.
2. Set the limit in dollars and list the cases that go to a person.
3. Write the name of who answers. A shared title or "the system" does not count.
4. Get the process owner's signature and write down the next review date.

## The line that is almost always missing

When it stops. With the case written down, nobody has to reopen what to do when a new vendor or an amount that does not fit shows up: the agent stops and hands it to a person.

The data behind this sheet is in the [Gartner study on agents and governance](/resources/estudio-agentes-sin-gobierno/). For other risks, use the [AI operations risk checklist](/resources/checklist-riesgos-ia-operacion/).

## If this becomes a big decision

If the decision is hard to reverse and carries your name, the free tools at vicsol.org/decision-clarity/ help you structure it. They do not replace a formal review.

---

Vic Sol · Decision Desk · vicsol.org/resources/ · Free to use with attribution.
This sheet structures a conversation; it is not legal, financial or audit advice.