Manage Expense Report Types Screen Fields

On the Manage Expense Report Types screen, enter basic information about the expense report type such as code, description, general options, date validations, and user-defined values.

Header Section

Field Description
Code

Enter a 10-character, uppercase, alphanumeric expense report type code. Each code must be unique.

Description

Enter up to 30 characters for an expense report type description. Make descriptions as short as possible and properly capitalize them because they are used in drop-downs and as column headings for reports and inquiries.

Basic Information Section

Field Description
Layout Style

Use the drop-down to select the style in which the expense report will be viewed. The valid values are Category Columns, Date Columns, and Standard.

If you select Category Columns, the categories will be listed across the top of the grid and the dates will be listed down the side of the grid.

If you select Date Columns, the dates will be listed across the top of the grid and the categories will be listed down the side of the grid.

If you select Standard, the expenses will be listed by expense ID depending on when they were entered on the expense report.

Multicurrency

Select this check box to enable users to select a different currency for particular transactions. Then use the drop-down (it will appear after you select the check box) to select the currency schedule that you want used for this expense report type. See the documentation for the Manage Currency Schedules screen for more information on setting up currency schedules.

Display Expense Summary

Select this check box if you want the user to see a summary of the expense at the end of the expense report.

Display Billable/Non-Billable Amounts

Select this check box if you want to display a summary of the billable and non-billable amounts on the expense report.

Use Date Range

Select this check box if you want the user to enter starting and ending dates on the expense report.

Expense Authorization

Use the drop-down to select whether expense authorizations will be Required, Optional, or Disabled for this expense report type. If you select Required, employees MUST enter an expense authorization before entering expenses using this expense report type. If you select Optional, employees using this expense report type will be able to select an expense authorization that will default certain information. They also will have the option of manually entering all of the information. If you select Disabled, expense authorizations will not be used for this expense report type.

Note: If you select Disabled, the Expense Authorization Tasks tab will be disabled.
Require Purpose

Select this check box to require a purpose on all expense reports and expense authorizations with this expense report type.

Track Locations

Select this check box to enable the option of specifying multiple locations on a single expense authorization or expense report.

Note: This check box is automatically checked and disabled when you select the Per Diem check box.
Allow Blanket Authorizations

Select this check box to allow multiple expense reports to be attached to a single expense authorization when this report type is used.

With a blanket authorization, employees can request an expense amount for a general period time, rather than for one specific trip or single expenditure. They then submit expense reports incrementally by referencing the appropriate blanket authorization.

Each time an expense report is submitted against the authorization, all the reports linked to the authorization are first summed to ensure that the authorized limit has not yet been reached.

Once the limit is reached, the employee can close the expense authorization when submitting the final expense report.

Note: This option is unavailable if Disabled is selected in the Expense Authorization drop-down.
Allow EA Change on Existing ER

Select this option to allow employees to assign an expense authorization to an expense report they have already saved or submitted, or in cases where they selected the wrong authorization, to assign the correct one.

When this option is not selected, employees must void and re-enter the expense report to change the expense authorization.

This feature is disabled under the following conditions:

  • The expense authorization contains a cash advance
  • The expense report has been approved
  • The employee's expense class “Modify Options” does not permit the change
Note: If expense authorizations are required, selecting this option is not necessary.
Add Charges to ER When Created from EA

Select this check box to enable employees to add missing charge allocation codes to their expense reports, when those reports are created from expense authorizations.

When this feature is not enabled and a charge code is either missing or incorrect when the expense report is created, the correction can be made only by re-entering and resubmitting the expense report.

Enabling this feature streamlines the expense report entry process, because codes can be corrected or added without starting the entire process over from the beginning.

User Defined Values

Field Description
Locale

Select this check box if you want users to enter on expense reports the locations that determine the reimbursement amounts for meals and/or lodging. Then use the drop-down (it will appear after you select the check box) to select the per diem schedule that you want used for this expense report type.

See the documentation for the Per Diem Schedules screen for more information on setting up per diem schedules.

Date Validations

Field Description
Give Warning for ER Entry Over [#] Days in the Future

Enter the number of days into the future employees can date expense reports before receiving a warning.

Employees enter future dates on expense reports when they want to start tracking expenses for a future trip (such as for a conference) but do not intend to submit the report until after the trip is taken.

If the number of days into the future (the expense report creation date subtracted from the end date) exceeds the number of days you enter here (up to 365), the user is warned of the discrepancy but is allowed to continue entering the expense report using the same end date.

For example, let's say Give Warning for ER Entry Over [#] Days in the Future is set at 31 days, and an employee enters an expense report on January 1 and selects February 15 as the end date.

Since this end date is more than 31 days past the creation date, the employee is warned of the discrepancy but is allowed to continue entering the expense report, provided this number is also less than number of days entered in Give Error for ER Entry Over Days [#] in the Future.

To issue only errors and no warnings, set the Give Warning and Give Error fields to the same number of days.

Note: Expense reports with future dates cannot be submitted before that date passes.

If you enter 0, users are not allowed to enter expense reports with end dates in the future.

Give Error for ER Entry Over [#] Days in the Future

Enter the number of days into the future employees can date expense reports before receiving an error message.

Employees enter future dates on expense reports when they want to start tracking expenses for a future trip (such as for a conference) but do not intend to submit the report until after the trip is taken.

If the number of days (the expense report creation date subtracted from the end date) exceeds the number of days you enter here, an error message displays and the user is not allowed to continue entering the expense report using that end date.

For example, let's say that Give Error for ER Entry Over Days [#] in the Future is set at 31 days, and an employee enters an expense report on January 1 and selects February 15 as the end date.

Since this end date is more than 31 days past the creation date, the employee receives an error and is not allowed to continue with that end date.

To issue only errors and no warnings, set the Give Warning and Give Error fields to the same number of days.

Note: Expense reports with future dates cannot be submitted before that date passes.

If you enter 0, users will not be able to enter expense reports with future end dates.

Give Warning for EA Entry Over [#] Days in the Past

Enter the number of days in the past employees can date expense authorizations before a warning message displays.

An employee will occasionally take a business trip without having first submitted an expense authorization and must then enter a past date for the authorization.

If the number of days (the expense authorization start date subtracted from its creation date) is greater than the number you enter here, the user receives a warning message but is allowed to continue entering the expense authorization.

For example, let's say that Give Warning for EA Entry Over [#] Days in the Future is set at 3 days and an employee enters an expense authorization on January 10 and selects January 6 as the start date.

The expense authorization start date is therefore 4 days prior to the creation date (January 10 - January 6 = 4 days). Since this number is greater than the Give Warning number of 3 days, the employee receives a warning but is allowed to continue entering the expense authorization.

To issue only errors and no warnings, set the Give Warning and Give Error fields to the same number of days.

Note: If you enter 0, users are not be allowed to enter expense authorizations with start dates in the past.

These fields are disabled if you are not licensed for Expense Authorizations.

Give Error for EA Entry Over [#] Days in the Past

Enter the number of days in the past employees can date expense authorizations before they receive an error message.

Employees occasionally take a business trip without having first submitted an expense authorization. Once having completed the trip, they must use a past date for the authorization.

If the number of days (the expense authorization's start date subtracted from its creation date) is greater than the number you enter here, the user receives an error message and is not allowed to continue entering the expense authorization using that start date.

For example, let's say that Give Warning for EA Entry Over [#] Days in the Past is set at 6 days and an employee enters an expense authorization on January 10 and selects January 2 as the start date.

The expense authorization start date is therefore 8 days prior to the creation date (January 10 - January 2 = 8 days). Since this number is greater than the Give Error number of 6 days, the employee receives an error message and is not allowed to continue entering the expense authorization using that start date.

To issue only errors and no warnings, set the Give Warning and Give Error fields to the same number of days.

Note: If you enter 0, users will not be able to enter expense authorizations with past start dates.

These fields are disabled if you are not licensed for expense authorizations.

Per Diem Options

Field Description
Per Diem

Select this check box if you want users to enter on expense reports the locations that determine the reimbursement amounts for meals and/or lodging. Then use the drop-down to select the per diem schedule that you want used for this expense report type. See the documentation for the Manage Per Diem Schedules screen for more information on setting up per diem schedules.

First Day Meal %

Enter the percentage that should make up the first day's meal. The system will multiply the first day's per diem amount for meals by this percentage if the user enters a meal expense that includes the first date of the expense report.

This field will enable only if the Per Diem check box is selected.

Last Day Meal %

Enter the percentage that should make up the last day's meal. The system will multiply the last day's per diem amount for meals by this percentage if the user enters a meal expense that includes the last date of the expense report.

This field will enable only if the Per Diem check box is selected.

Defaults

Field Description
Country

Select the country that should display as the default option on the Locations tab of the Expense Report for per diem expenses.

If your company has a single Expense Report Type for both domestic and international travel, selecting a default county can reduce the potential for data entry errors when users complete expense reports.

The Country field is only available under the following conditions:

  • Per Diem is selected in Manage Expense Report Types.
  • The Per Diem Schedule in Expense > Expense Controls > Manage Per Diem Schedules requires a country.
State/Province

Select the state or province that should display as the default option on the Locations tab of the Expense Report for per diem expenses.

Selecting a default state or province can reduce the potential for data entry errors when users complete expense reports.

The State/Province field is enabled on the Manage Expense Report Types screen under the following conditions:

  • Per Diem is selected in Expense > Expense Controls > Manage Expense Report Types.
  • The Per Diem Schedule in Settings > Manage Per Diem Schedules requires the following:
    • A country (and a default country has also been selected)
    • A state or province
City

Select the city that should display as the default option on the Locations tab of the Expense Report for per diem expenses Manage Expense Report Types.

Selecting a default city can reduce the potential for data entry errors when users complete expense reports.

The City field is enabled on the Manage Expense Report Types screen under the following conditions:

  • Per Diem is selected in Manage Expense Report Types.
  • The Per Diem Schedule in Expense > Expense Controls > Manage Per Diem Schedules requires a city.
County

Select the county that should display as the default option on the Locations tab of the Expense Report for per diem expenses.

Selecting a default county can reduce the potential for data entry errors when users complete expense reports.

The County field is enabled on the Manage Expense Report Types screen under the following conditions:

  • Per Diem is selected in Manage Expense Report Types.
  • The Per Diem Schedule in Expense > Expense Controls > Manage Per Diem Schedules requires the following:
    • A county
    • A city (and a default city has also been selected)
    • A state/province (and a default state/province has also been selected)
    • A country (and a default country has also selected)