---
title: How to Enable Auto Assignment of Per Diem Policies?
description: Automate per diem in SmartBarrel with project-level policies that apply allowances on punches, use distance and routing rules for auto-assignment, support daily/weekly/custom rates, and flow cleanly into reports and payroll exports.
---

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# How to Enable Auto Assignment of Per Diem Policies?

## SmartBarrel can automatically assign workers to the correct Per Diem Policy when they punch in/out, based on distance and routing rules.

#### 1. Go to **Project \> Per Diem Policies**.

#### 2. Click the **Auto Per Diem** button at the top of the page. ![Per diem auto button](https://ask.smartbarrel.io/hs-fs/hubfs/Per%20diem%20auto%20button.png?width=670&height=357&name=Per%20diem%20auto%20button.png)

#### 3. In the **Automatic Per Diem Settings** modal:

- Turn **Automatic Per Diem** **ON** to enable auto-assignment.
- Configure your rules (distance thresholds, routing criteria, and exclusions).
- When **Automatic Per Diem** is:
  
    - **OFF -** All settings in the modal are visible but disabled.
      
          - No new workers are auto-assigned to policies based on distance/routing. You must manually assign workers to each policy.
    - **ON -** SmartBarrel will evaluate workers as they punch into the platform and can auto-assign them to policies based on **eligibility conditions**:
      
          - **Distance from worker’s home address**
          - **Distance from to worker's default office address**

![image](https://canny-assets.io/images/98a8c384bab0ae2de59b19cb76f6dbe0.png)

- - - Worker's home address and office address are both set up at the worker profile level.

![](https://ask.smartbarrel.io/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Mar-11-2026-07-23-37-1019-PM.png?width=670&height=226&name=image-png-Mar-11-2026-07-23-37-1019-PM.png)

#### 4. In Routing Customization, you have the option to either have all workers default to one policy or routed to different policies based on Group, Position, or Department for more precision.

![image](https://canny-assets.io/images/24c86eced77df0e834856cbebb0b2a83.png)

**Note:** Minimum hours to qualify – is configured in the per diem policies themselves.

---

This automation reduces manual admin and helps ensure workers are consistently assigned to the correct policy.

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