Workspace Rules let Admins enforce expense policies by setting custom requirements for receipts, spending limits, category behavior, auto-approvals, and more. These rules help ensure compliance and streamline the approval process.

Note: Rules are only available on the Control plan. You must be a Workspace Admin to enable or manage them.

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Enable Workspace Rules

To activate Rules for your workspace:

1. In the left-hand navigation bar (LHB), click Workspaces.
2. Click your workspace name.
3. Click More Features.
4. Under the Manage section, toggle on Rules.

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Configure Expense Rules

Once enabled, go to the Rules tab in the left menu to manage expense-level settings.

Expense Rule Options

• Receipt Required Amount – Set the minimum amount that requires a receipt (supports decimals).
• Max Expense Amount – Set a per-expense spending cap (supports decimals).
• Max Expense Age (Days) – Define how old an expense can be (whole numbers only).
• Billable Default – Choose whether expenses are billable by default.
• eReceipts – Enable automatic receipt generation for most USD card transactions (requires USD as default currency).

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Configure the Prohibited Expenses Rule

Use this AI-powered rule to flag receipts with restricted purchases.

To enable it:

1. Go to Workspaces > [Workspace Name] > Rules > Expenses.
2. Scroll to the Prohibited Expenses section.
3. Toggle it on and select any categories to monitor:
   • Alcohol
   • Gambling
   • Tobacco
   • Hotel Incidentals
   • Adult Entertainment

If SmartScan detects one of these items on a receipt:

• The expense is flagged with a violation.
• The approver is prompted to manually review it.

Note: Violations appear in both New Expensify and Expensify Classic, but the rule must be enabled in New Expensify.

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Configure Expense Report Rules

Use these settings to control how entire reports are named, routed, and approved.

Available options:

• Custom Report Names – Define naming templates for new reports.
• Prevent Self-Approvals – Block users from approving their own reports.
• Auto-Approve Compliant Reports – Automatically approve reports under a set amount and randomly audit others.
• Auto-Pay Approved Reports – Automatically reimburse reports under a threshold when they’re approved.

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Configure Category Rules

Category Rules let you fine-tune how individual categories behave.

To manage them:

1. Go to Workspaces > [Workspace Name] > Categories.
2. Click on a category to open its settings.

Available options:

• Enable Category – Make it visible to members.
• Require Description – Force members to enter a reason when using the category.
• Approver – Assign a specific approver for expenses in this category.
• Default Tax Rate – Set a default tax percentage.
• Max Amount – Set a spending cap for this category.
• Require Receipts Over – Set a threshold for when receipts are required.

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Configure Tag Rules

Tag Rules allow tagging-based workflows and approvals.

To manage them:

1. Go to Workspaces > [Workspace Name] > Tags.
2. Click a tag to open its settings.

Available option:

• Tag Approver – Assign a reviewer for expenses with this tag.

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Manage Default Categories and Billable Behavior

You can set workspace-wide defaults to automate categorization and tagging.

• Default Categories – Auto-assign a category based on the merchant’s MCC. Set this under Categories > Settings.
• Billable Expenses – Decide when tagging is required based on whether an expense is marked billable. Set this under Tags > Settings.

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FAQ

Who can update a workspace’s rules?

Only Workspace Admins on the Control plan can enable and configure workspace rules.

What happens if I turn the rules off?

Turning off workspace rules removes any active warnings or violations from draft or outstanding expenses that relied on those rules.