How expenses work
Every expense report starts with individual expense items. A worker logs each expense separately—describing what was purchased, attaching a receipt, and selecting a category. Once they have one or more expenses ready, they bundle them into a report and submit it for review.Creating expenses
Workers add expenses from the Expenses section of their dashboard. Each expense requires:- Description—what the expense was for
- Date—when the expense occurred (must be in the past)
- Amount and currency—the amount paid, in the currency it was paid in
- Category—a label like travel, meals, software, or office supplies
- Receipt—an attached file (PNG, JPG, GIF, or PDF)
Submitting an expense report
Once a worker has one or more unreported expenses, they select the expenses to include and create an expense report. The report needs a name and description to give reviewers context on what the expenses cover. When saved, the report is submitted and moves to pending status for review.Log individual expenses
Navigate to Expenses and click New expense. Fill in the description, date, amount, currency, and category. Attach a receipt. Repeat for each expense you need to report.
Select expenses for the report
From the expenses list, select the unreported expenses you want to include in this submission.
Expense categories
Each expense is tagged with a category that describes the type of spending. Categories are free-form text labels—common examples include travel, meals, software, office supplies, and equipment. Categories help admins filter and analyze spending patterns in the expenses report.Approval flow
Expense reports follow a structured lifecycle from submission through payment.Report statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pending | Submitted and waiting for review |
| Accepted | Approved by a manager or admin |
| Rejected | Declined, with a reason provided |
| Revision | Sent back to the worker for changes |
| Withdrawn | Pulled back by the worker before a decision |
| Paid | Reimbursement has been processed |
Reviewing and approving
Admins and managers see pending expense reports in the Expense reports section. From there, you can view the full report with all line items and receipts, then approve or reject.- Approve—moves the report to accepted status and queues it for reimbursement
- Reject—requires a reason so the worker understands what needs to change
Your workspace can require multiple approvals before an expense report is accepted. This is configured at the organization level.
Requesting revisions
If an expense report is mostly correct but needs minor changes, you can reject it and the worker can revise. When a report is in revision status, the worker can edit existing expenses, add new ones, or remove items. Once the changes are made, the worker resubmits the report and it returns to pending status for another review. Workers can also withdraw a pending report if they realize they need to make changes before a decision is made.Multi-currency expenses
Your team members may incur expenses in different currencies. Plane handles this automatically. When a worker logs an expense, they enter the amount in the currency they actually paid. Plane then calculates two converted amounts:- Reimbursement amount—converted to the worker’s compensation currency (or their country’s default currency) so they are reimbursed in a currency that makes sense for them
- Client amount—converted to USD for your records and reporting
Payroll and payment integration
Once an expense report is approved, Plane automatically routes the reimbursement based on the worker type:- Employees—approved expenses are included in the next payroll run as a reimbursement line item. The amount appears on their payroll alongside earnings, deductions, and taxes.
- Contractors and vendors—approved expenses generate a direct payment through Plane’s payments system. You can also mark an expense report as manually paid if you handle the reimbursement outside of Plane.
Permissions
Who can do what with expense reports depends on their role:- Workers can create, edit, and submit their own expense reports
- Managers can view and approve or reject reports from their direct reports
- Admins can view and manage all expense reports across the organization
Can a worker edit an expense report after submitting it?
Can a worker edit an expense report after submitting it?
Not directly. A worker can withdraw a pending report to pull it back, make changes, and resubmit. If the report was rejected, the worker can request a revision, make edits, and resubmit.
What file types are accepted for receipts?
What file types are accepted for receipts?
Plane accepts PNG, JPG, GIF, and PDF files as receipt attachments.
How are exchange rates determined for multi-currency expenses?
How are exchange rates determined for multi-currency expenses?
Exchange rates are based on the date the expense was incurred. If the expense date is today or in the future, Plane uses the previous day’s rate.
Can I require multiple approvals for expense reports?
Can I require multiple approvals for expense reports?
Yes. Your workspace can be configured to require a specific number of approvals before an expense report is accepted. Contact your admin to adjust this setting.