Expense Reports

Why Expense Reports?

Volunteers often pay out-of-pocket for organization expenses. Expense reports:

• Streamline Reimbursements: Structured process for requesting repayment
• Document Spending: Receipts attached for accountability
• Enable Oversight: Treasurers review before payment
• Create Audit Trail: Complete record of who spent what and why

Three Ways to Submit

1. Public Submission Form

Anyone can submit an expense report without logging in:

1. Visit your organization’s expense submission URL
2. Complete the multi-step form
3. Submit for review

This is ideal for:

• Volunteers without BeeKeeper accounts
• One-time submissions
• Parent volunteers at events

See Sharing & Exporting Expense Reports for how to find and share your organization’s submission link.

2. Logged-In Submission

Logged-in team members and treasurers can also create a report directly inside BeeKeeper, without using the public link:

1. Go to Expense Reports
2. Click Create Report
3. Enter the reporter’s contact details, describe the expense, and add expense items right on the form
4. Save to submit it for review

This is handy when a treasurer is entering a report on someone else’s behalf, or when a team member with a BeeKeeper account would rather skip the public link. If you prefer the guided, multi-step experience instead, you can still use the public submission link - go to Expense Reports, click Share, and copy the URL from the Link tab.

3. Mobile App Submission

Submit expense reports directly from ReimburseBee, BeeKeeper’s free mobile app for iOS and Android:

1. Open the ReimburseBee app
2. Find your organization by scanning its QR code, following its link, or typing the short organization code your treasurer gives you
3. Create a new expense report
4. Snap photos of receipts with your camera
5. Submit for review

You can find download links, the QR code, and the organization code under Expense Reports > Share > Mobile tab. Mobile submissions are tracked with their source (iOS or Android) for reporting purposes.

Note: The payment method step covered below is coming soon to the ReimburseBee app in an upcoming release; it’s available on the website today.

Submitting an Expense Report

Step 1: Overview

Read the introduction to the submission process. Many organizations customize this page with their own instructions - covering things like reimbursement policy, required documentation, or who to contact with questions. Treasurers can write this custom guidance under Organization Settings > Expense Report Instructions (BeeKeeper starts you off with editable starter text you can adjust to fit your organization). If an organization hasn’t customized it, the Overview page shows default guidance explaining that:

• You’ll enter your contact details so reviewers can reach you with questions
• You’ll describe the event, activity, or purchase tied to the expense
• Receipts and supporting documents can be uploaded during submission

Deadlines, spending limits, and other requirements are set by each organization’s own policy, not enforced by BeeKeeper.

Step 2: Personal Information

Provide your contact details and describe the expenses:

• Full Name: As it should appear on the reimbursement
• Email: For status notifications
• Phone: In case of questions
• Description: What were the expenses for? Describe the event, activity, or purchase.

Step 3: Payment Method

Tell your treasurer how you’d like to be paid:

• Check (Pick up): You’ll pick up a check in person - no address needed
• Check (Mailed): BeeKeeper asks for your mailing address right here, since it’s only needed for this option
• Zelle: Enter the email or phone number tied to your bank’s Zelle account. BeeKeeper remembers it for next time you submit, though you can always change it.
• Direct Payment to Vendor: Ask your organization to pay the store or vendor directly instead of reimbursing you - handy when you’re placing an order on the organization’s behalf rather than paying out of pocket. Only available if your treasurer has turned it on, and limited to a single receipt per report.

This tells your treasurer what you’re requesting - they’ll see it pre-filled when they review your report, but they make the final call on how the money actually goes out, so it’s fine if the details change between now and when you’re paid.

Step 4: Expense Items

Add each expense:

1. Click Add Item
2. Enter details:
   • Merchant: Where you made the purchase
   • Amount: How much you spent
   • Date: When you made the purchase
   • Budget Category: Optionally choose which budget account this expense applies to
   • Receipt: Upload photo or PDF
3. Repeat for additional expenses

You can include multiple expenses on one report.

Note: If you chose Direct Payment to Vendor in the previous step, you can only add one expense item - it’s meant for a single purchase paid straight to the vendor, not a batch of reimbursements.

Note: The Budget Category list only shows expense accounts your treasurer has made available for expense reports. If an account you’re looking for isn’t there, ask your treasurer - it may be intentionally hidden from this picker (see Chart of Accounts).

Step 5: Review and Submit

1. Review all information
2. Verify receipts are attached and readable
3. Click Finalize and Submit

You’ll receive a confirmation with your report number.

Expense Report Status

Track your report through these stages:

When a check is written or queued for printing during approval, the report links to the journal entry that records the payment.

Once your report is submitted, a treasurer reviews and approves or rejects it — see Reviewing & Approving Expense Reports for that side of the process.

AI Receipt Verification

BeeKeeper includes AI-powered receipt scanning and verification:

How It Works

1. Upload a receipt image (photo or PDF)
2. BeeKeeper scans the receipt with AI (Anthropic Claude)
3. Extracted data is compared against your expense entry:
   • Merchant name
   • Date
   • Total amount

Verification Badges

Each receipt shows a verification status:

Items without a receipt show no badge. Verification results update in real-time as receipts are processed.

Tips for Good Scans

• Use good lighting
• Capture the entire receipt
• Avoid wrinkles and folds
• Ensure text is readable
• Receipts open in a modal viewer for easy review

Tips for Submitters

• Submit promptly: Don’t wait until year-end
• Get receipts: Request receipts for everything, even small purchases
• Be specific: Describe what was purchased and why
• Keep copies: Retain originals until reimbursed

Limitations

• Receipt files up to 10MB each
• Submitters cannot edit a report after submitting it, but treasurers can edit reports that are still In Review (or reject so the volunteer resubmits)
• No batch approval (each report reviewed individually)
• Internal notes can only be deleted by the person who wrote them
• Direct Payment to Vendor reports are limited to one receipt

Common Questions

Can I submit without receipts? Receipts are strongly encouraged. Some organizations allow exceptions for small amounts. Check your organization’s policy.

What if my receipt faded? Try scanning anyway. If unreadable, provide bank/credit card statement showing the charge.

How long until I’m reimbursed? Depends on your organization’s process. Typically 1-2 weeks after approval.

Can I submit for someone else? Yes, but enter their name and contact information as the person to be reimbursed.

What if I submitted the wrong amount? Contact your treasurer. They can reject the report so you can resubmit with corrections.

Are there spending limits? Set by your organization’s policies, not BeeKeeper. Check with your treasurer.

Can I get reimbursed electronically? Yes. At the Payment Method step, choose Zelle and enter the email or phone number tied to your bank’s Zelle account — BeeKeeper remembers it for your next submission. Zelle only appears as an option if your treasurer has turned it on for your organization; if you don’t see it, ask them to enable it in Settings. Some organizations also offer Direct Payment to Vendor, which pays the store or vendor directly rather than reimbursing you.

What’s Direct Payment to Vendor, and why can I only add one item? It’s for expenses where the organization should pay the merchant directly instead of reimbursing you - for example, an order you placed on the organization’s behalf. Because it isn’t a personal reimbursement, the payment and any check go out in the vendor’s name, and it’s limited to a single receipt per report to keep the request simple. Ask your treasurer if you’re not sure whether to use it.

I submitted my report before this option existed - what payment method does it show? Older reports simply show no payment method requested. Nothing about the report was lost, and your treasurer can still review, approve, and pay it the same as always.

Will the submitter see the internal notes on their report? No. Internal notes are only visible to your team inside BeeKeeper - they’re never emailed and never shown on the submitter-facing status page. See Reviewing & Approving Expense Reports for how treasurers use internal notes.

Why can’t I see a certain account in the Budget Category list? Your treasurer may have hidden that account from expense reports (it’s still used elsewhere in BeeKeeper). See Chart of Accounts for details.