This article is for: employees, approvers, admins and finance teams.
An expense sent back to you (Changes requested) is fixed and sent again as it is. A Rejected expense is created again, or reopened by an admin if the rejection was a mistake. An admin can also reopen an Approved expense that shouldn't have been approved.
Fix an expense sent back to you
How to use
- Open the expense from the notification, or from My spending > My expenses.
- Read your approver's reason at the top of the expense.
- Click Edit, change what they asked for, and click Save. If your company uses Expense checks, they run again straight away.
- Click Send for approval. The expense is Pending again and goes back into the approval flow.
On the mobile app, open the expense from Expenses, edit it and tap Send for approval. More on editing: How do I edit or take back an expense?.
Fix a rejected expense
Overview
A rejected expense can't be edited or sent again: create it again. If the rejection was a mistake, ask your admin or finance team to reset its approval flow.
How to use
- Open the rejected expense and read the reason.
- Create a new expense with the corrected details and the receipt. See How do I create an expense?.
- In the description, say that it replaces the rejected one.
- Click Send for approval.
Reset the approval flow of a rejected or approved expense (admins and finance)
Overview
For a rejection made by mistake, or an approval that shouldn't have happened. The same expense goes back to Pending at the first step of the approval flow, with its receipt, details and history kept. It works on Pending, Approved and Rejected expenses, not once they are In payroll, Sent to pay or Paid. You need the permission Reset the expense approval flow; approvers usually don't have it.
How to use
- Go to Spending > Employee expenses and filter by Status > Rejected (or Approved).
- Select the expense and click Reset approval flow in the bar at the bottom, then confirm with Reset ("Are you sure you want to reset the approval flow?"). In a row's actions menu it applies straight away, with no confirmation. Either way the status changes to Pending (the expense leaves the Rejected list) and the approval history shows a new request time.
Tips and Best Practices
- Check the policy result before you send. If your company uses Expense checks, the expense tells you if something is likely to come back to you, so you can fix it first.
- Answer exactly what was asked, so the expense isn't sent back twice.
- Keep your IBAN up to date in your profile, under Bank information, if your company pays expenses by bank transfer.
- Approvers: use "Request changes" when the employee can fix the problem. Keep Reject for expenses the company should never pay, like personal or duplicate expenses.
- Approvers: always add a reason when you reject. The employee sees it and knows what to do next.
- Admins: add a comment when you reset a rejection, so the history shows why it was reopened.
Related articles: How do I create an expense? · How do I approve, reject or send back an expense? · Why is an expense stuck in Pending or with the wrong approver? · Expense statuses and alerts
Troubleshooting and FAQ
Troubleshooting
-
I can't edit my expense.
You can edit expenses that are Draft or Changes requested. If it's Pending, click Reset to draft first. Approved, Rejected and Paid expenses can't be edited: for a rejected one, create a new expense or ask for its approval flow to be reset. -
I don't see "Reset to draft".
The expense isn't Pending anymore (for example it was approved, rejected or sent back), or it isn't yours or one you created. -
"Reimbursable amount can't exceed the receipt amount."
The amount you're asking back is higher than allowed: the receipt amount, or up to 5% above its converted amount if the currencies differ. Lower the Reimbursable amount. You can save the expense as a draft in the meantime, but you can't send it. -
I paid in another currency and my bank charged me more than the converted amount.
You can ask back up to 5% more than the converted amount to cover small differences, but not more. Contact your finance team. See How do I get the amounts right on an expense?. -
I sent the corrected expense, but my approver hasn't seen it.
It's waiting in their Inbox. If it's urgent, let them know you've sent it. -
I don't see "Reset approval flow".
You don't have the permission Reset the expense approval flow, or the expense is already in payroll, sent to pay, or paid. Ask your Expenses admin. -
I clicked Reset approval flow in a row's actions menu and nothing seemed to happen.
In a row's actions menu, Reset approval flow applies straight away with no confirmation window and no message. Check the expense's status (Pending) and its approval history, which shows a new request time. -
After the reset, the expense went to the same approver who rejected it.
That's expected: the reset starts the approval flow again from the first step. Let the approver know the rejection was a mistake.
FAQ
1. How do I resubmit a rejected expense?
You can't send the same expense again yourself. Create a new expense with the corrections or, if the rejection was a mistake, ask your admin or finance team to reset its approval flow.
2. Where do I see why my expense was sent back or rejected?
At the top of the expense, in My spending > My expenses.
3. Will my approver know I fixed the expense?
Yes: when you click Send for approval, it goes back to them as a pending request.
4. Does resetting the approval flow send the expense back to draft?
No. It goes back to Pending, at the first step, with the same details. It doesn't go back to the employee.
5. Can the approver who rejected the expense undo it?
Only if they also have the permission Reset the expense approval flow.
6. Can I delete a rejected expense?
Only people with the Can delete rejected manual expenses permission can, and only for manual expenses, not card expenses.
7. When will I get my money?
It depends on how your company pays expenses back: with your salary (In payroll) or by bank transfer (Sent to pay, then Paid). Once it's Paid, it can take a while to reach your account. Ask your finance team about their payment dates.
8. I spotted a mistake before my approver asked. What do I do?
While the expense is still Pending, click Reset to draft to take it back, fix it and send it again. See How do I edit or take back an expense?.
9. Will a rejected expense be paid back?
No. A Rejected expense won't be paid back. Read the reason on the expense, then create a new one or ask for its approval flow to be reset.
10. How do I follow my expense until I'm paid?
Open My spending > My expenses and check its status: Pending (waiting for your approver), Changes requested (fix something), Approved (waiting to be paid), In payroll (paid with your salary), Sent to pay (bank transfer on its way) or Paid. See Expense statuses and alerts.
11. Do I need to do anything when an admin resets my rejected expense?
No. The same expense goes back to Pending with its receipt and details, and your approver reviews it again.
12. What happens after an admin resets the approval flow of a rejected expense?
The expense is Pending again and the first approver gets the request. If something on the expense needs fixing, the approver can now use Request changes so the employee can edit it.
13. What does Changes requested mean?
Your approver clicked Request changes: the expense comes back to you with their reason at the top. You fix the same expense and send it again, with no need to create a new one.
14. Can an approved expense be undone?
Not by the employee or the approver. Someone with the permission Reset the expense approval flow can reset it: it goes back to Pending at the first step, and the approvers decide again. This doesn't work once it's In payroll, Sent to pay or Paid: undo those first (see How do I pay back expenses through payroll? and How do I mark an expense as paid, or undo it?).