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

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. Create a new expense report
3. Snap photos of receipts with your camera
4. Submit for review

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

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 check
• Email: For status notifications
• Phone: In case of questions
• Address: Where to mail the check (if applicable)
• Description: What were the expenses for? Describe the event, activity, or purchase.

Step 3: 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: 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](chart-of-accounts)).

Step 4: 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.

For Reviewers (Treasurers)

Viewing Pending Reports

1. Go to Expense Reports to see all submitted reports
2. Click the Status column header to sort, grouping In Review reports together
3. Review reports awaiting action

Reviewing a Report

For each report, verify:

• [ ] Reporter information is complete
• [ ] Each expense has a receipt
• [ ] Receipts are readable and match amounts
• [ ] Expenses are appropriate for the organization
• [ ] Total is within budget/policy limits

Approving a Report

If everything looks good:

1. Open the report
2. Click Approve
3. Choose how to handle payment:
   • Approve only: Marks the report approved without creating a check or journal entry; you’ll record payment separately
   • Write a check: BeeKeeper creates a journal entry recording the payment from a selected account, and you can enter your own check number
   • Print a check: BeeKeeper creates the journal entry and queues a check for printing from the selected account - the check number is assigned automatically when you print it (only available for accounts with check printing enabled)
   • Pay with Zelle: BeeKeeper creates the same balanced journal entry as writing a check, and records the Zelle confirmation number you enter as the entry’s reference (shown as “Zelle 123456” in your register, so it’s never confused with a check number). This option only appears once an admin has turned on Enable Zelle for Expense Reports under Settings > Update Settings > Advanced Options - it’s off by default for every organization.
4. The submitter is notified via email

Rejecting a Report

If there are issues:

1. Open the report
2. Click Reject
3. Provide clear explanation:
   • What’s missing?
   • What needs correction?
   • Can they resubmit?
4. The submitter is notified

Processing Payment

After approval:

1. If you used the write-check, print-check, or Zelle option during approval, the journal entry is already created - and, for a printed check, it’s waiting in the account’s check print queue
2. Otherwise, write a check or initiate payment manually
3. Record the journal entry in BeeKeeper if not auto-created

Internal Notes

Need to leave a note for your board, or flag something about a submission without emailing the person who submitted it? Every expense report has a notes section just for your team:

1. Open the expense report
2. Scroll to Notes and type your note
3. Click Add Note

Internal notes:

• Are never emailed or shown to the submitter - they’re for your team’s eyes only
• Show who wrote each note and when
• Can be deleted by the person who wrote them (look for the delete option on your own notes)
• Update instantly for anyone else viewing the report at the same time

Use them to record things like “Called the vendor to confirm this receipt” or “Board approved this at the March meeting” without cluttering the submitter-facing status and emails.

Email Notifications

BeeKeeper sends automatic email notifications:

• On submission: Confirmation to the submitter with report details
• On approval: Notification to the submitter that their report was approved
• On rejection: Notification with the reason for rejection

Internal notes are never included in these emails.

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

Expense Report Best Practices

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

For Reviewers

• Process timely: Volunteers shouldn’t wait weeks for reimbursement
• Be consistent: Apply the same standards to everyone
• Communicate: If rejecting, explain clearly how to fix
• Track patterns: Notice if certain areas overspend budget
• Use internal notes: Keep a running record of anything worth remembering about a report, without emailing the submitter

Exporting Expense Reports

Export individual expense reports as PDF:

1. Open the expense report
2. Click Download PDF
3. A formatted PDF downloads with all expense items, receipts, and approval status

PDFs are ideal for board packets, audit documentation, and reimbursement records.

Sharing Expense Submission Link

Each organization gets a unique URL for public submissions. The easiest way to get it is to go to Expense Reports > Share > Link tab and copy the link. It follows this pattern:

https://beekeeper.futurefund.com/org/<your-expense-id>/expenses

QR Code Sharing

BeeKeeper generates a QR code for your expense submission URL:

1. Go to Expense Reports
2. Click Share
3. Display or download the QR code

Print QR codes on:

• Event flyers and signage
• Volunteer packets
• Meeting handouts

You can also share the URL directly:

• In newsletters
• On your organization’s website
• Via email or messaging

Tips for Organizations

Set Clear Policies

Document and share:

• What expenses are reimbursable
• Maximum amounts or limits
• Required documentation
• Submission deadlines
• Approval process

Train Volunteers

At the start of the year:

• Show how to submit reports
• Explain receipt requirements
• Share the submission URL
• Designate who to contact with questions

Budget for Accuracy

When creating budgets:

• Anticipate reimbursable expenses
• Don’t assume volunteers will donate costs
• Include realistic estimates

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

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? BeeKeeper doesn’t process payments directly outside of Zelle. If your organization has turned on Pay with Zelle (Settings > Advanced Options), your treasurer can record a Zelle payment when approving your report. Otherwise, your treasurer handles the payment method (check, Venmo, etc.) outside BeeKeeper.

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.

Can I delete someone else’s internal note? No, only the person who wrote a note can delete it.

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](chart-of-accounts) for details.