Expenses
Expenses is where you record the day-to-day money your business and team spend — a taxi to a client meeting, a box of printer paper, lunch with a supplier. You log each one under the right category, attach the receipt, send it for approval, and it lands neatly in your books.
This page explains what Expenses is for in plain terms. The step-by-step guides are linked at the bottom.
Availability depends on your plan and your role.
What is an expense?
An expense is a single piece of everyday spending that you want on record — what was spent, on what, on which day, and by whom. Instead of loose bills and mental notes, each one becomes a tidy entry you can find, approve and account for later.
Typical examples: travel and taxis, meals, office supplies, phone and internet bills, small repairs, or a payment to a vendor for a one-off service.
Who is an expense for?
Every expense is for one of two situations, and you choose which when you record it:
| Situation | What it means | Real-world example |
|---|---|---|
| The team member paid | Someone on your team spent their own money and needs to be paid back. This is a claim for reimbursement. | "Priya took a taxi to a client and paid ₹ herself" |
| The company paid | The business paid directly — by card, bank or cash — so no one needs to be paid back. | "We paid the courier bill from the company account" |
When a team member paid out of pocket, the expense is linked to that person, and once it's approved it becomes money the business owes them. Paying it back is handled in Reimbursement.
You can also tie an expense to a vendor — the shop or supplier you bought from — and note their bill number, so the record is complete for your accounts.
What are categories and policies?
Every expense goes under a category — Travel, Meals, Office Supplies, and so on. Categories keep your spending organised and make reports meaningful, so you can see at a glance where the money went.
Your business can set up an expense policy that lists the categories your team may use and the rules around each one. In plain terms, a policy can:
- List the allowed categories (and sub-categories, such as "Travel → Taxi" or "Travel → Flight").
- Set a spending limit — a cap per claim, or a total per month.
- Require a receipt above a certain amount.
- Require approval above a certain amount.
- Set a standard rate for some categories — for example a per-kilometre rate for mileage or a per-day allowance — so the amount is worked out for you.
Different rules can apply to different roles, so senior staff and new joiners can have different limits. If your business hasn't set up a policy, you can still record expenses freely — the policy simply adds guardrails when you want them.
What happens after you record an expense?
An expense moves through a few simple steps, from the moment it's logged to the moment it's settled:
- Record it — pick a category, enter the amount, and say who it's for.
- Attach the receipt — add a photo or PDF of the bill so there's proof on file.
- Send for approval — the expense goes to a manager to review.
- Approval — the manager approves it (or sends it back). An approved expense is recorded in your books automatically, so your accounts stay up to date without any extra typing.
- Settle it — if the company paid directly, you're done. If a team member paid, the approved amount becomes a reimbursement to pay back to them.
A real example
Priya, in Sales, takes a taxi to visit a customer and pays for it herself. Back at her desk she opens Expenses, records a Travel expense for the amount she spent, and attaches a photo of the taxi receipt. She marks it as her own out-of-pocket claim and sends it for approval.
Her manager sees the expense waiting, opens it, checks the receipt against the amount, and approves it. The moment it's approved, it's recorded in the business's books, and the amount Priya paid is now owed back to her — ready to be paid out through Reimbursement.
Expense statuses at a glance
Each expense carries a status so you always know where it stands:
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Draft | Started and saved, but not yet sent for approval. |
| Pending approval | Submitted and waiting for a manager to review it. |
| Approved | Reviewed and approved, and recorded in your books. |
| Rejected | Sent back or declined — usually needs a fix or more detail. |
| Paid | Fully settled — reimbursed to the team member, or paid by the company. |
Getting started
| Task | Guide |
|---|---|
| Record a new expense | How to record an expense |
| Track and approve expenses | Track and approve expenses |
Related guides
- How to record an expense — log a single piece of spending, with its receipt
- Track and approve expenses — find, review and approve what your team has logged
- Reimbursement — pay a team member back for what they spent
- Employees — the team records an expense is linked to
- Payments Made — money paid out to vendors and suppliers
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