Connect TriNet to Expensify

Expensify’s TriNet integration automates employee management by syncing employee data and approval workflows from TriNet into your Expensify workspace.

Once connected, the integration can:

Create Expensify accounts for full-time, active employees when they’re hired in TriNet.
Update approval workflows based on manager relationships in TriNet.
Remove employees from the workspace when they are terminated in TriNet.
Auto-sync daily to keep your workspace members in sync with TriNet.

Who can connect TriNet to Expensify

To connect TriNet, you must be a Workspace Admin on a workspace with the Control plan in Expensify and:

Be an admin in TriNet.
Ensure every employee record in TriNet includes their work email address.
Have HR integrations enabled on your workspace. Enable HR under More features in the Integrate section.

TriNet syncs all employees to one Expensify workspace. If your company uses multiple workspaces, choose which one to connect during setup.

How to connect TriNet to Expensify

In the navigation tabs (on the left on web, on the bottom on mobile), select Workspaces.
Click the name of the workspace you want to connect to TriNet.
In the left menu, select HR.
Next to TriNet, click Connect.
When prompted, enter your TriNet admin credentials and authorize Expensify to access your TriNet account.
Wait for the sync to complete and for the message Successfully synced your TriNet connection to appear.

What happens after you connect TriNet to Expensify

After the initial sync completes:

A sync results panel displays employees added, removed, and skipped.
If you leave the HR or Members tab before the sync finishes, the sync results are emailed to the workspace’s technical contact instead of displaying in the app.
The Members tab displays employees synced from TriNet.
Full-time active employees in TriNet are added to the Expensify workspace automatically.
Employees receive a welcome email with instructions to finish setting up their Expensify account.
Approval workflows can be managed using Approval mode and Final approver settings on the TriNet integration.

Expensify also runs a daily auto-sync to keep employee data up to date:

Employee and manager data is updated to match TriNet.
Terminated employees in TriNet are removed from the workspace automatically.

How to configure the approval mode for TriNet

After connecting TriNet, choose an approval mode that determines how expense reports are routed for approval:

Basic Approval — All employees submit reports to a single final approver.
Manager Approval — Reports first go to the employee’s direct manager (synced from TriNet), then to a final approver.
Custom Approval — Employees are synced from TriNet, but approval workflows are managed manually in Expensify.

To change the approval mode or final approver on your workspace:

In the navigation tabs (on the left on web, on the bottom on mobile), select Workspaces.
Click the name of the workspace connected to TriNet.
In the left menu, click HR.
Click TriNet.
Click Approval mode or Final approver to update the settings.
Click Save.

When Manager Approval is selected, approval workflows are automatically built from the manager relationships in TriNet. These approval workflows appear on the Workflows tab with a TriNet indicator. The Approvals toggle on the Workflows tab is locked on and cannot be turned off while TriNet is connected.

When Custom Approval is selected, the Workflows tab remains fully editable. Workspace members are synced from TriNet, but approval workflows are configured manually by a Workspace Admin.

To change approval settings, use the HR tab rather than the Workflows tab.

How to manually refresh the TriNet sync

After connecting TriNet, a daily auto-sync runs to keep your workspace members up to date with TriNet. You can also refresh the sync manually at any time.

To refresh the sync manually:

In the navigation tabs (on the left on web, on the bottom on mobile), select Workspaces.
Click the name of the workspace connected to TriNet.
In the left menu, click HR.
Next to TriNet, click the more options icon (three dots).
Click Sync now.
Wait for the sync to complete. The sync results will display a summary of any changes.

How to disconnect TriNet from Expensify

In the navigation tabs (on the left on web, on the bottom on mobile), select Workspaces.
Click the name of the workspace connected to TriNet.
In the left menu, click HR.
Click TriNet.
Click Disconnect.
Confirm by clicking Disconnect again.

Disconnecting TriNet unlocks the Approvals toggle on the Workflows tab, allowing you to manage approval workflows manually again. Disconnecting TriNet also stops future employee syncs and automatic removals. Existing workspace members are not removed.

FAQ

Can I sync employees to different Expensify workspaces?

No. TriNet syncs all employees to a single Expensify workspace. You must choose one workspace when connecting.

Why were some employees skipped during sync?

Employees may be skipped if they do not have a work email address in TriNet, or if they are not classified as full-time active employees. The sync results panel will provide specific reasons for each skipped employee.

Will my employees receive a notification when synced?

Yes. Each synced employee that is newly invited to a workspace receives a welcome email at their work email address with account setup instructions.

Can I connect multiple HR platforms at the same time?

No. Expensify supports one HR platform connection per workspace at a time. If you already have an HR platform connected (for example, Gusto) and try to connect TriNet, you will be prompted to disconnect the existing platform first.

Can I change the approval mode after connecting?

Yes. Go to the HR tab, click TriNet, and update the approval mode or final approver at any time.

Why can’t I turn off Approvals on the Workflows tab?

When TriNet is connected, the Approvals toggle is locked on because approval workflows are managed by the TriNet integration. To change approval settings, go to the HR tab. To unlock the toggle, disconnect TriNet.

TriNet