Add, track, and manage all types of expenses in Expensify—from SmartScanned receipts to mileage, per diems, and group costs. This guide walks through all your options.

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Add an Expense with SmartScan

💡 Things to know when SmartScanning expenses: 💡

• You can edit any scanned receipt by tapping Fill out details myself to update the merchant, date, total, currency, category, description, attendees, report, or reimbursement settings.
• On iPhone, hard-press the Expensify app icon to open the camera shortcut.
• You can also email receipts to receipts@expensify.com from any email associated with your account. SmartScan will auto-fill the details and upload the receipt to your Expenses tab.
• Note for copilots: To send a receipt to the account you’re copiloting, email receipts@expensify.com with the copilot’s email as the subject line.

On Desktop:

1. Go to the Expenses tab.
2. Click the + icon and select Scan receipt.
3. Upload a saved image of the receipt.

On Mobile:

1. Open the mobile app and tap the camera icon.
2. Choose how to upload:
   • Upload photo: Tap the photo icon (bottom left).
   • Take photo: Tap the camera icon (bottom right). Choose:
     • Normal mode – scan one receipt.
     • Rapid Fire mode – scan multiple receipts in a row.

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Add a Per Diem Expense

To add a per diem expense:

1. Go to the Expenses tab.
2. Click New Expense > Per Diem.
3. Choose your travel destination.
   • For multi-stop trips, create a separate expense per destination.
4. Enter the trip start/end dates and times.
5. Select a sub-rate (options vary based on trip duration).
6. Fill in other details (category, report, description) and click Save.

A per diem is a fixed daily allowance for business travel expenses like meals and lodging.

Note: Per diem must be enabled by a Workspace Admin. If this option is unavailable, contact your Workspace Admin to update the per diem settings.

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Add a Mileage (Distance) Expense

Track business travel with distance-based expenses using one of these methods. Mileage rates are set in your workspace distance settings. Only a Workspace Admin can update them.

On Desktop:

1. Go to the Expenses tab.
2. Click New Expense.
3. Choose:
   • Manually create
     • Enter miles, select rate, optional category/description/report.
     • Click Save.
   • Create from map
     • Add locations (Point A → Point B).
     • Optional: Add extra destinations.
     • Leave Create Receipt checked to include a map.
     • Select your rate, category, description, and report.
     • Click Save.

On Mobile:

1. Tap the + icon.
2. Under Distance, select:
   • Manually create – enter miles and rate. Tap More options for category, description, report.
   • Odometer – enter pre/post trip readings and rate. Tap More options to complete.
3. Tap Save.

Available options for tracking distance

• Web app
  • Manually create – enter trip miles and rate.
  • Create from map – auto-calculate distance using start/endpoints.
• Mobile app
  • Manually create – enter miles and rate.
  • Odometer – log before/after readings.
  • Start GPS – currently unavailable.

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Add a Group Expense

Use Attendee Tracking to note who participated in a group event. The cost is split evenly. Split the expense first to assign different amounts.

On Desktop:

1. Go to the Expenses tab.
2. Open an expense and click the Attendees field.
3. Type a name or email:
   • Select from the list if they’re in your workspace.
   • Or, press Enter to add a new name/email.
4. Click Save.

On Mobile:

1. Tap the Expenses tab.
2. Open an expense and scroll to More Options.
3. Tap the Attendees field and add names/emails.
4. Tap Save.

Hover over the receipt total to see the cost per person. Attendee info also appears in reports.

Note: Attendees won’t be notified or asked to share the expense.

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Add Multiple Expenses at Once

SmartScan Multiple Receipt Images

On Desktop:

1. Go to the Expenses tab.
2. Drag and drop up to 10 receipts or PDFs anywhere with a green plus icon.

On Mobile:

1. Open the app and tap the camera icon.
2. Select Rapid Fire mode.
3. Take clear photos of each receipt.
4. Tap the X to exit once done.

Manually Create Multiple Expenses (desktop only)

1. Go to the Expenses tab.
2. Click New Expense > Create Multiple.
3. Enter up to 10 expense lines and click Save.

Upload Personal Card Expenses via file (desktop only)

1. Go to Settings > Account > Wallet.
2. Under Personal Cards, click Import Transactions from File.
3. Upload a file in .csv, .xls, .ofx, or .qfx format.

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Add Expenses to a Report

Add your expenses to a report to submit them for approval and reimbursement.

To include expenses on a report:

1. Go to the Expenses tab.
2. Use filters or search to find the expenses you want to add.
3. Check the box next to each expense to select them.
4. Click Add to Report in the upper-right corner.
5. Choose one of the following options:
   • Auto-Report – Adds expenses to an open report or creates a new one if none exist.
   • New Report – Creates a brand-new report with the selected expenses.
   • Existing Report – Adds expenses to a report you choose.
   • None – Removes selected expenses from any report, as long as the report hasn’t been submitted.

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FAQ

What’s the difference between reimbursable, non-reimbursable, and billable expenses?

• Reimbursable: Paid by an employee and reimbursed by the company.
  • Cash or personal card purchases
  • Per diem (daily allowance)
  • Time (hourly billing)
  • Distance (mileage)
• Non-reimbursable: Paid with company funds (e.g., company card).
• Billable: Expenses billed to a client or customer. Can be reimbursable or not.

Note: Employees under a workspace may have expenses auto-labeled. Ask a Workspace Admin if anything looks incorrect.

Why don’t I see a certain expense type?

Your company’s workspace settings may limit what expense types are visible to you.

Can I edit a per diem expense?

No. Per diem expenses can’t be changed once created. You’ll need to delete and recreate the expense.