Step 3 - Customize Your Settings
The Settings section is one of the most important areas in Expense. This is where you configure workflows, accounting rules, payroll-related settings, integrations, and system behavior to match your organization's processes. Taking the time to review and customize these settings during implementation helps ensure a smooth rollout, accurate accounting, and an efficient user experience.
Important Settings to Configure
Approval Method
By default, Expense uses a digital approval workflow.
This setting determines how reports are reviewed and approved throughout the organization.
Key considerations:
- ✅ Supports fully digital approvals
- 👥 Helps streamline the approval process
- ⚙️ Can be adjusted to fit your company's approval structure
Allow Submission Without Posting
Enable this setting if employees should be able to submit reports without performing the accounting themselves.
This is particularly useful when:
- 📊 Accounting is handled centrally
- 👥 Users should only submit receipts and expenses
- ✅ Finance teams are responsible for posting transactions
This allows reports to move through the workflow while maintaining centralized accounting control.
EU VAT Handling
If your company purchases goods or services from other EU countries, activate the EU VAT setting.
To configure EU VAT correctly:
- Create two accounts in your chart of accounts:
- Incoming VAT account
- Outgoing VAT account
- Navigate to the Accounting tab
- Link the VAT accounts accordingly
✅ This ensures EU VAT is handled correctly during accounting and export.
Credit Accounts
Credit accounts determine where expense reports are posted.
Examples include:
- 💳 Corporate card clearing accounts
- 📊 Expense liability accounts
- 🏦 Reconciliation accounts
If your company uses corporate cards:
- Expense reports can be matched against card provider invoices
- Transactions can be reconciled automatically through the designated credit account
✅ This simplifies month-end reconciliation and bookkeeping.
Expenses and Private Cards
Configure the accounts used for:
- 💰 Employee reimbursements
- 💳 Private card transactions
- 👤 Personal expense claims
Typically, these transactions are posted against:
- Employee liability accounts
- Private card credit accounts
✅ Proper setup ensures accurate reimbursement reporting and accounting.
Import & Export Settings
Navigate to:
Settings > Import & Export
Here you can configure:
- 📄 Export formats
- 📊 Accounting integrations
- 🔗 ERP and payroll exports
- ⚙️ File structures and mappings
Expense supports a wide range of export options and integrations to fit your accounting environment.
Automated Email Reminders
To help employees stay on top of reporting tasks, you can enable automated reminders.
Navigate to:
Settings > Misc
From here you can:
- 📧 Enable automatic reminders
- 📅 Define reminder intervals
- ⏰ Schedule when emails are sent
✅ A simple way to improve compliance and reduce late submissions.
License Information
You can review your current license usage directly in Expense.
Navigate to:
Settings > Misc
Scroll to the bottom of the page to view:
- 👥 Total purchased licenses
- ✅ Active licenses
- 📊 Current license usage
This helps ensure you have the right number of licenses for your organization.
Why These Settings Matter
Better Workflow Management
Ensure reports flow through the approval process according to company requirements.
Accurate Accounting
Configure VAT, payroll, and credit accounts correctly from the start.
Improved User Experience
Show users the features and workflows that are relevant to them.
Reduced Administration
Automation and integrations help minimize manual work.
💡 Best Practice Tips
- ✅ Review all settings before inviting users
- 📊 Confirm account mappings with your finance team
- 💳 Verify credit account configuration for corporate cards
- 📧 Enable automatic reminders to improve compliance
- 🔍 Test accounting and payroll exports before going live
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I change these settings later?
Yes. Most settings can be updated at any time by an administrator.
Should users post transactions themselves?
This depends on your internal process. If accounting is managed centrally, users can submit reports without posting.
When should EU VAT be activated?
Activate EU VAT if your organization regularly handles EU purchases that require VAT reporting.
Where do I configure export formats?
Under Settings > Import & Export.
Where can I see my license usage?
Go to Settings > Miscellaneous and scroll to the bottom of the page.
Summary
- ⚙️ Configure workflows, accounting settings, and integrations in Settings
- ✅ Choose the approval method that matches your organization
- 💰 Set up VAT, credit accounts, and private expense accounts
- 📄 Configure import and export settings
- 📧 Enable automatic reminder emails
- 👥 Monitor license usage and availability
- 🚀 Proper setup helps ensure a smooth and efficient Expense implementation