Create a Company Workspace

A workspace is the set of rules, settings, and spending limits for expense reports in your organization. This includes the unique expense categories and tags, budgets, currency and tax settings, etc. that all workspace members will use. A workspace also defines the approval workflow for your employees and the accounting connection if using an accounting software integration.

Here are a couple of examples of when you’d want to create different workspaces:

  • You have employees with expense reports in different currencies. For example, you may have a workspace for employees who live in the US and submit their reports in USD and a workspace for employees who live in Canada and submit in CAD.
  • You want to limit specific groups of people to their own set of expense coding options (categories/tags) then they can separate their employees by Sales, Marketing, Support, etc.

To create a group workspace:

  1. Hover over Settings, then click Workspaces.
  2. Click the Group tab on the left.
  3. Click New Workspace.
  4. Enter the workspace name and select a workspace type.
    • Collect: Ideal for small groups who only need basic features like expense approvals, reimbursement, corporate card management, and integration options.
    • Control: This is the most popular option for groups that need a deeper level of control and configurations, such as multi-stage approval workflows, corporate card management, integrations, and more.
  5. Set up your workspace details including the workspace name, expense rules, categories, and more.

Setting up a company workspace in Expensify helps streamline expense management, reimbursements, and accounting integrations. Follow this step-by-step guide to create a workspace and configure essential settings for your business.

Need help? Schedule a free onboarding session with a Setup Specialist! Check your email and Expensify notifications for your unique signup link.

1. Meet Concierge

Concierge is your personal assistant on the Expensify Home page (desktop and mobile). Concierge helps you:

  • Set up your account
  • Remind you to submit expenses
  • Alert you when more information is needed
  • Notify you about new features

For support, click the green chat bubble in the right corner to chat with Concierge.

2. Create a Workspace

  1. Hover over Settings, then click Workspaces.
  2. Click the Group tab on the left.
  3. Enter a name for the workspace (e.g., business or department name).
  4. Click Select next to the workspace type that fits your needs.

3. Add a Business Bank Account

Adding a business bank account allows you to:

  • Reimburse expenses via direct transfer
  • Pay bills
  • Collect invoice payments
  • Issue Expensify Cards

Note: The person adding the bank account does not need to be a signer but must enter their personal information. If another person’s details are used, the process may be delayed.

Steps to Add a Bank Account

  1. Go to Settings > Workspaces.
  2. Click the Group tab.
  3. Select the workspace.
  4. Click the Reimbursement tab.
  5. Click Direct, then Add Business Bank Account.
  6. Click Connect to your bank and proceed via Plaid.
    • If your bank is not listed, close Plaid and click Connect Manually to enter account details.
  7. Select the correct bank account if multiple options appear.
  8. Provide business details:
    • Legal business name
    • Physical company address (No P.O. Boxes/UPS addresses)
    • Tax Identification Number (TIN)
    • Company website (formatted as https://www.expensify.com)
    • Industry Classification Code (Find yours here)
  9. Enter your personal information (U.S. address and SSN required).
  10. Upload a valid U.S. ID and take a short verification video.
  11. Accept the agreement terms.
  12. Identify any Beneficial Owners (owning 25%+ of the company). If applicable, their information must be provided.
  13. Within 1-2 business days, Expensify will send three test transactions to verify your account. Enter these by clicking Validate Task from Concierge or going to Settings > Account > Payments > Enter Test Transactions.

Note: If you don’t see test transactions after two business days, contact Concierge via the green chat bubble.

4. Connect an Accounting System

Expensify integrates with systems like QuickBooks to import accounting data and code expenses.

  1. Go to Settings > Workspaces.
  2. Click the Group tab.
  3. Select the workspace.
  4. Click the Connections tab.
  5. Under Accounting Integrations, choose your accounting system and click Connect.
  6. Follow the prompts to complete the integration.

For setup guides on specific accounting systems, review our Connections articles.

5. Set Approval Rules

Define expense rules to flag violations. You can set rules for:

  • Expenses
  • Travel
  • Reports
  • Per Diem

Steps to Set Approval Rules

  1. Go to Settings > Workspaces.
  2. Click the Group tab.
  3. Select the workspace.
  4. Click the Expenses tab and adjust settings:
    • Expense Violations: Flag expenses exceeding set limits.
    • Cash Expenses: Define handling policies.
    • Re-billing: Allow or prevent re-billing expenses.
    • eReceipts: Enable for automatic tracking of credit card expenses under $75 USD.
    • Receipt Visibility: Control access to receipts.
    • Mileage Rates: Set reimbursement rates for distance expenses.
    • Time Expenses: Enable time tracking if needed.

Note: eReceipts are IRS-compliant except for lodging expenses, which require a paper receipt.

  1. Click the Reports tab to set:
    • Currency
    • Schedule Submit: Auto-submit expenses for approval based on a set frequency.
    • Default Report Title: Format all reports consistently.
    • Additional Fields: Customize reports or invoices.
  2. Click the Travel tab to set:
    • Preferred flight class and hotel ratings for Concierge travel bookings.
  3. Click the Per Diem tab to import location-based per diem expense rules.

6. Secure Your Account

Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) to protect your account.

  1. Go to Settings > Account.
  2. Under Account Details, enable Two-Factor Authentication.
  3. Save your backup codes:
    • Click Download to save them to your computer.
    • Click Copy to store them securely.
  4. Click Continue.
  5. Open your authenticator app and either:
    • Scan the QR code.
    • Enter the 6-digit code into Expensify and click Verify.

At future logins, Expensify will send a magic code to your email. You must also enter a new 6-digit code from your authenticator app.

Navigating Multiple Workspaces

If you have multiple workspaces (whether an individual workspace and a group workspace or multiple group workspaces), you’ll want to ensure employees set a default workspace before creating an expense report to ensure it’s posted to the correct workspace.

To Set Default Workspace:

  1. Hover over Settings, then click Workspaces.
  2. Click the Group tab on the left.
  3. To the right of the desired workspace, click Make Default.

Ensure Employees Select the Correct Workspace

As an admin, it’s important to ensure employees are submitting expenses and reports to the correct workspace. Instruct your team to check their selected workspace before adding expenses or creating reports.

  • Employees should click their profile image.
  • From the dropdown menu, they must select the correct workspace from the list at the bottom.
  • If an employee frequently switches between workspaces, remind them to always verify the workspace selection before submitting an expense or report.

By reinforcing this process, you help prevent expense reports from being miscategorized and ensure accurate financial tracking.

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