This article explains how to manage the expense types (Meal, Accommodation, Fuel, etc.) employees choose when entering a receipt. A user with Expense Manager Permission does this.
Before you start
You have Expense Manager Permission.
Nine types come with your company setup: Fuel, Transportation, Guest Hosting, Meal, Accommodation, Gift, Visa Procedures, Vehicle Maintenance, Organization Participation. Review them first.
Step by step
In the left menu, go to Configuration, pick Expenses in the list on the left and the Expense types card at the top. The Settings button in the header of the Expenses screen opens the same page. For every type the table shows its Code, Limit per receipt, Currency, Over limit (Allowed / Not allowed), Department limits (how many departments have a limit) and Status. Narrow it with the All, Active and Inactive filters or the search box ("Search by type name or code").
For a new type click Add expense type. The Add Expense Type window opens.
The window has three sections; labels are above the fields:
Basic details
Expense type name (required, 3–50 characters): Must be unique in the company.
Code (required, 2–10 characters): A short code shown in lists and reports (e.g. MEA). Must be unique.
Description (optional, up to 500 characters): Write what the type is used for (e.g. "City taxi, bus and metro receipts; plane tickets do not belong here."). The name stays short and the details go here.
Available to employees: A type that is off is not listed on the receipt form.
Limit and currency
Currency: The per-receipt limit and department limits are in this currency. Leave it empty if you set no limit.
Limit per receipt: The highest amount a single receipt can claim. Leave it empty for no limit. If you enter a limit, Currency is required.
Allow going over the limit: Whether a group over the department limit can be sent.
Department limits: Add department adds a row with a monthly and yearly limit per department; see Department limits.
Click Save (Update when editing).
To manage an existing type, open the Actions button at the end of its row: Edit, Activate / Deactivate or Delete. Editing rules:
The name and code of the types that came with the setup cannot be changed and these types cannot be deleted; their description, limits and visibility can be changed.
A type already used on receipts can have its name, code, limits and visibility changed; the limit currency cannot be changed and the type cannot be deleted. A new per-receipt limit applies to receipts added or edited afterwards; saved receipts do not change.
Result
Active types appear straight away in the Expense type list of the employees' receipt form; inactive ones do not.
For a type with a description, employees see the description under the type name in the list, and under the field once they pick the type. In the Expense types table the description is shown under the type name. To remove a description, empty the field and save.
If the type has a currency, receipts of that type must be entered in the same currency.
If the type has a Limit per receipt, no receipt's amount can exceed it. This limit only looks at a single receipt; for the total of a month or a year use department limits. The limit can have cents (e.g. 150.50).
Common issues
Symptom: Delete is greyed out and hovering shows "This type has receipts, so it cannot be deleted; you can make it passive." or "Setup expense types cannot be deleted…".
Cause: Receipts exist with this type, or the type came with the setup.
Solution: If you no longer want to use the type, remove it from the list with Deactivate.
Symptom: "This expense type code already exists" or "This expense type name already exists".
Cause: The same name or code exists in the company (inactive types included).
Solution: Use a different name or code.
Symptom: An employee saving a receipt gets "The receipt amount exceeds the allowed limit for this expense type".
Cause: The receipt amount is above the type's Limit per receipt.
Solution: Check the amount. If the limit is wrong, change it with Edit (also for a type in use; its currency is locked).