This article is for: admins.
Decide which kinds of expenses your company reimburses: regular expenses with a receipt, mileage, per diems, or any mix. Employees then only see the options that apply to them, so they don't claim kinds of expense your company doesn't reimburse.
Expense types
Overview
There are three expense types:
- Regular expenses: standard out-of-pocket expenses with a receipt.
- Mileage: reimbursement for distance travelled by vehicle.
- Per diems: daily allowances for travel and trips.
When you turn a type off:
- Employees can't create it any more, on the web, in the mobile app or by asking One.
- Expenses already submitted aren't affected.
- Drafts of that type can't be submitted until you turn it back on. The employee sees "To send this expense for approval, ask an admin to reactivate this type."
- At least one type must stay on.
- Card expenses keep coming in. Turning off Regular expenses only stops people creating them by hand. Expenses created from Factorial card payments still appear and can be submitted.
You need the Can access expense settings permission.
How to use
- Go to Settings > Expenses.
- In the menu on the left, under Configuration, click Expense types.
- Use the switch next to Regular expenses, Per diems or Mileage.
The change is saved straight away: you'll see "Saved successfully".
Tips and Best Practices
- If your company pays everything with Factorial cards and never reimburses out-of-pocket costs, you can turn off Regular expenses: card expenses keep arriving, and nobody can claim out-of-pocket costs by mistake.
- Tell employees before you turn a type off, so they submit any drafts first.
- If you turn off a type, its form and rates settings are kept. They apply again when you turn it back on.
- Related: How do I choose what the expense form asks for? · How do I set up mileage and per diem rates? · Card expenses and manual expenses
Troubleshooting and FAQ
Troubleshooting
An employee still sees a type I turned off.
Ask them to refresh the page or reopen the mobile app.
I can't turn off the last type.
That's expected: at least one expense type must stay enabled.
Card expenses still appear after I turned off Regular expenses.
That's expected. Factorial creates card expenses itself, so only expenses created by hand are affected.
An employee can't submit a draft.
If they see "To send this expense for approval, ask an admin to reactivate this type.", its expense type was turned off. Turn it back on, or ask them to delete the draft.
The mobile app says the expense type is disabled.
In the mobile app, a draft of a type that was turned off shows "This expense type is disabled, so this expense can't be submitted until an admin re-enables it." Turn the type back on, or ask the employee to delete the draft.
FAQ
1. What happens to existing expenses if I turn a type off?
Submitted expenses keep their status and can still be approved and reimbursed. Only drafts of that type are blocked.
2. Does turning off a type affect Factorial card expenses?
No. Card expenses keep being created as usual, even with Regular expenses turned off, and they can still be submitted.
3. Can employees create a disabled type in the mobile app or with One?
No. Disabled types are hidden in the mobile app and refused wherever the expense is created.
4. Can I turn a type off for some employees only?
No. Expense types are the same for the whole company. To make sure claims follow your rules for each group of people, use Expense checks. See How do I check expenses against my expense policy?
5. Can I turn a type back on later?
Yes, at any time. Its form and rates settings come back as they were.