What Travel & Expense owns
- Trips — business travel records with destination, dates, and purpose
- Expense reports — grouped expense submissions pending approval and reimbursement
- Receipts — individual expense items with attached proof of purchase
Data flows into Travel & Expense from
| Module | What it sends |
|---|---|
| HR | Employee travel policies and per diem rates |
Data flows out of Travel & Expense to
| Module | What it sends |
|---|---|
| Finance | Approved reimbursements posted as payables |
Expense reports must be approved by the employee’s reporting manager before they are posted to Finance. The reporting manager is set on the employee’s HR record.
Common tasks
Create a trip
Enter trip details
Set destination, departure date, return date, and purpose of travel. The purpose is used in reporting (e.g. Client Visit, Conference, Internal Meeting).
Link to a project or customer (optional)
If travel is for a specific client project, link it here. Travel costs can then appear in the project’s budget.
Add receipts to a trip
Upload the receipt image or PDF
Take a photo on mobile or upload a file from desktop. The system uses OCR to extract the amount, date, and merchant automatically.
Verify the extracted details
Review the auto-filled fields. Correct any OCR errors — especially the amount and date, which must be accurate for reimbursement.
Enter the currency
If the receipt is in a foreign currency, enter the original amount and currency. The system converts to your home currency at the mid-market rate. You can override the rate if you have a confirmed exchange rate.
Log a per diem allowance
Review the rate
The per diem rate is set by your HR travel policy (destination-based). Rates are configured by your HR Admin under Settings → HR → Travel Policies.
Submit an expense report for approval
Name the report
Give it a clear name (e.g. London Office Visit — March 2025) so approvers and Finance can identify it easily.
Link the trip (optional)
Attach the trip record to pull in all associated receipts automatically. You can also add receipts manually if they are not linked to a trip.
Add or review receipts
Confirm all receipts are included and correctly categorised. Check that totals match what you expect to claim.
Add a note for the approver (optional)
Include any context the approver might need (e.g. “Client dinner — approved in advance by Sarah”).
Approve and process reimbursement
Open Travel & Expense → Expense Reports (as a manager)
Pending approvals also appear in your notification feed.
Review the report
Check each receipt: is the amount reasonable, does the category match the receipt, is there a valid image attached?
Review against policy
Check the amounts against your company’s travel policy limits (e.g. meal allowance per day, hotel cap). Policy breaches are automatically highlighted.
Approve or reject
Click Approve to move the report to Finance for payment. Click Reject and provide a reason if anything is wrong — the employee is notified and can revise and resubmit.
Withdraw and edit a submitted expense report
Click Withdraw
The report is returned to Draft status. The approver is notified that it has been withdrawn.
Troubleshooting
My expense report is not moving to Finance after approval
My expense report is not moving to Finance after approval
After manager approval, the report is posted to Finance as a payable. Check Finance → Payments → Pending to confirm it arrived. If it is not there, check whether the Finance integration is enabled for your account under Settings → Finance. Also confirm the approver clicked Approve rather than just commenting on the report.
The OCR extracted the wrong amount from my receipt
The OCR extracted the wrong amount from my receipt
OCR extraction accuracy depends on receipt image quality. If the extracted amount is wrong, correct it manually before saving. Always verify the extracted fields — OCR is an assistant, not a guarantee. Use a clear, well-lit photo for best results.
A receipt currency conversion looks wrong
A receipt currency conversion looks wrong
The system uses the mid-market rate at the time the receipt is saved. If you want to use a different rate (e.g. the rate on your bank statement), open the receipt and override the exchange rate manually. Always use the rate you actually paid at — the mid-market rate is a default, not a requirement.
My manager is not receiving the approval notification
My manager is not receiving the approval notification
Check that the correct reporting manager is set on your employee record in HR. The approval notification goes to that person specifically. If the manager has changed, update the HR record first, then resubmit the report.
An expense was rejected but I believe it should be approved
An expense was rejected but I believe it should be approved
Open the rejection notification to see the reason. If you disagree, speak with your manager directly. If the expense was policy-compliant, your manager can approve it on review. Expense decisions are not overridable by employees — the approval chain is manager → Admin if escalation is needed.
FAQ
Can I submit expenses without linking them to a trip?
Can I submit expenses without linking them to a trip?
Yes. Expense reports do not require a trip. You can create a report and add receipts directly without a trip record. Trips are optional and are most useful for multi-day travel where you want to group all costs in one place.
Are there limits on how much I can claim?
Are there limits on how much I can claim?
Yes, if your HR Admin has configured travel policies. Policy limits (e.g. maximum hotel cost per night, meal allowance per day) are set in Settings → HR → Travel Policies. Receipts that exceed the limit are flagged automatically during submission — your manager is alerted at approval.
Can I claim expenses in foreign currencies?
Can I claim expenses in foreign currencies?
Yes. Enter the original amount in the foreign currency on the receipt. The system converts it to your home currency for the expense report total. The original currency amount and the converted amount are both shown.
How long does reimbursement take after approval?
How long does reimbursement take after approval?
Reimbursement timing depends on your Finance team’s payment run schedule. Once an expense report is approved, it appears in Finance → Payments. Your Finance team processes it in the next payment run. The timing is not controlled by the Travel module.
Can I use the mobile app to capture receipts while travelling?
Can I use the mobile app to capture receipts while travelling?
Yes. The Softbooq mobile-responsive interface lets you open a trip, photograph a receipt, and save it from your phone in under 30 seconds. Keeping up with receipts in real time is far easier than catching up after returning — you are less likely to lose receipts or forget the context.
See also
Finance
Approved expense reports post reimbursements directly to the Finance ledger.
HR
Travel policies and per diem rates are configured per employee grade in HR.
Reports
Analyse travel spend by department, employee, and trip type.