How to Raise a Reimbursement
Raising a reimbursement gathers a person's approved expenses into a single payout, so you pay them back once instead of chasing every bill separately. You pick the employee, add the expenses they've already had approved, say how you'll pay them, and save. The total works itself out as you go.
Availability depends on your plan and your role.
Before you start
- You need permission to manage People. If you don't see the option, ask whoever manages your account.
- The expenses must already be approved. A reimbursement is built from approved expenses, so log and approve them first under Expenses.
- Know which employee you're paying back, and how you intend to pay them (for example, a bank transfer and the account it will come from).
Step 1: Open the Add Reimbursement form
From the left sidebar, open People, then Reimbursement. On the Reimbursement list, click + Add Reimbursement.
A blank form opens. You'll notice the reimbursement number is already filled in for you — it's created automatically, so you never have to make one up, and no two reimbursements can end up with the same one.
Step 2: Choose the employee
Pick the person you're paying back from the list of employees. Their team details fill in on their own, so it's always clear whose money this is.
Choose the employee first — the expenses you add in the next step belong to this person, so getting the right name in place keeps everything tidy.
If the person isn't in the list, add them under Employees first, then come back and raise the reimbursement.
Step 3: Set the reimbursement date
The date defaults to today. Change it from the calendar if you're recording a reimbursement for another day. This is simply the date of the reimbursement itself, not the date you pay the person — that comes later.
Step 4: Add the approved expenses
This is the heart of the reimbursement. Add one or more of the employee's approved expenses:
- Choose an approved expense to add. Its details — what it was, its date and its amount — come across with it, so you're not retyping anything.
- To pay back several things at once, add another expense, and another. There's no limit — a single trip might have three or four.
- If you add one by mistake, remove that line.
As you add expenses, the total updates on its own — it's simply the sum of the amounts you've added. That total is what the person is owed, and you don't work it out by hand.
Only approved expenses belong here. Bundling a whole trip's expenses into one reimbursement means the person gets a single, clean payment instead of several small ones.
Step 5: Say how you'll pay
Record how the money will reach the person:
- Payment method — how you're paying them, such as a bank transfer or cash.
- The account it comes from — the business account the payment is made from.
- Payment date — the day the money actually goes out. You can leave this until you pay, and fill it in then.
If you haven't paid yet, that's fine — you can save now and record the payment later from the reimbursement itself. See Tracking and managing reimbursements.
Step 6: Add a note (optional)
If there's anything worth remembering — "August client visit to Pune", say — add a short note. It's optional, but a line of context makes the reimbursement easy to recognise later.
Step 7: Save the record
Check the details, then click Save.
The reimbursement now appears in your Reimbursement list with its own number and total, marked as paid.
Field definitions
| Field | What it means |
|---|---|
| Reimbursement number | The unique reference for this reimbursement, created for you automatically. |
| Reimbursement date | The date of the reimbursement record itself. Defaults to today. |
| Employee | The person being paid back. Their team details fill in automatically. |
| Expenses | The approved expenses gathered into this payout — one or more lines, each with its own amount. |
| Total | The sum of the expenses added. This is what the person is owed, worked out for you. |
| Payment method | How you're paying the person, such as bank transfer or cash. |
| Account | The business account the payment comes from. |
| Payment date | The day the money goes out. Can be filled in when you actually pay. |
| Note | Optional context to help you recognise the reimbursement later. |
What to check afterwards
- The reimbursement appears in the Reimbursement list under the right person's name.
- The total matches the expenses you added.
- Every expense on it was one that had already been approved.
Common issues
I can't find the expense I want to add. The expense may not be approved yet, or it may already sit on another reimbursement. Open Expenses, confirm it's approved, and check it hasn't already been paid back.
The total doesn't look right. The total is simply the sum of the expenses on the reimbursement. Check each line — you may have an expense too many, or one still missing. Remove or add lines and the total re-adds itself.
The person I want to reimburse isn't in the list. Add them under Employees first, then return here.
I haven't paid the person yet — should I still save? Yes. Save the reimbursement now and record the payment later, once the money has gone out. Leaving the payment date blank is fine until then.
Related guides
- Tracking and managing reimbursements — find, review and reverse reimbursements
- Reimbursement overview — what a reimbursement is and how it fits together
- Expenses — record and approve the spending that gets reimbursed
- Employees — the record of the person you're paying back
Need help? Contact support at support@bizconnekt.com