Approval workflows can become complex. Let’s examine the lifecycle of an expense report from submission to final approval.

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Submission

The approval workflow begins when a report is submitted. Reports can be submitted manually or set to submit automatically by Concierge.

⚠️ Important: If you change part of your workflow after a report has been submitted, the workflow for that report will not update unless it is retracted and resubmitted.

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Category & Tag Approvers

A report containing expenses with category or tag-specific approvers will first go to those approvers. These individuals will receive notifications via email or in-app alerts.

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Approval Modes

The report follows the approval workflow that’s been configured on the workspace:

• Submit & Close: Reports are submitted and immediately closed, notifying the designated recipient. Learn more.
• Submit & Approve: Reports are submitted and require approval from the designated approver before final processing. More details here.
• Advanced Approval: The report is sent to the approver listed in the submitter’s “Submits to” column in the Workspace Members table. If applicable:
  • The report moves up the approval chain based on the Approves To column.
  • If an approver has an approval limit, the report escalates accordingly.
  • The process continues until it reaches the final approver (the person with no one listed in their Approves To column).

Once the report reaches final approval, it can be exported to a connected accounting software or reimbursed.

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Concierge Approval

If you require manual approval for expenses exceeding a set limit, Concierge will auto-approve any report below this threshold. Expenses exceeding the threshold will require manual review and will not be auto-approved by Concierge.

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Advanced Approval Workflow Examples

Here are scenarios demonstrating different approval workflows.

Submit & Close

Terry and Dana, business partners, don’t need approval for their expenses. They set Terry as the recipient, and reports are automatically closed after submission.

Outcome: Reports are submitted and closed with no approval required.

Submit & Approve with Category Approvers

Pat, an accountant, approves all reports. However, Dale must review equipment purchases. Dale is assigned a “3005 Plant and Equipment” category. When a report includes this category, it first goes to Dale before reaching Pat for final approval and export.

Outcome: Reports follow category-based approvals before final processing.

Submit & Approve with Scheduled Submit & Concierge Approval

Sandra’s company sets a manual approval threshold of $100 and enables weekly Scheduled Submit. David, a sales rep, accumulates small expenses (e.g., coffee, parking). Since no individual expense exceeds $100, his report is submitted automatically on Sunday and is instantly approved by Concierge.

Outcome: Reports are automatically submitted and approved unless they contain large expenses.

Advanced Approval - Example 1

Amal, a photojournalist, submits a report containing meals, accommodations, and camera equipment.

1. Tony (category approver) reviews expenses coded under “6050 Cameras and AV.”
2. Jamie (Amal’s manager, listed in “Submits to”) approves and forwards.
3. Ali (Jamie’s manager, listed in “Approves To”) approves and forwards.
4. The finance team, the final approvers, review, approve, export, and reimburse Amal.

Outcome: Reports flow through category-based and hierarchical approvals.

Advanced Approval - Example 2

Amal is on another trip and incurs a $1,200 flight and $950 in accommodations. Jamie, Amal’s manager, has a rule: If Report Total is Over $2,000, then Approves To: Lee.

• Jamie approves, but since the total exceeds $2,000, Lee must also approve.
• After Lee’s approval, the report goes to the finance team for final approval.

Outcome: Large expenses escalate until the report reaches an approver with the required approval limit.