Overview
Custom cost centers give teams full flexibility when allocating expenses. Instead of relying only on the employee’s default cost center, you can now assign an expense to one or several cost centers and define a precise percentage split for each. This ensures that Finance receives accurate and validated data from the start.
When and why it should be used
Use custom cost centers whenever an expense does not fully belong to the employee’s default department or project. This is especially helpful for:
- Cross-department initiatives
- Project-based work
- Client or event-related expenses
- Allocations that need to be split across several cost centers
This feature ensures that expense data aligns with real financial activity, reducing manual corrections and increasing confidence in reporting.
How to use
- In your Sidebar, open My spending → Expenses
- Create a new expense or open an existing one
- Open Expense details and scroll down to the Cost Center field.
- By default, the employee’s assigned cost center will appear
- Open the dropdown to select a different cost center if needed
- To add more than one cost center, click Add cost center
- Enter the percentage allocation for each cost center. The total must equal 100%
- Submitters and approvers can review and adjust these allocations before approving the expense
- Once approved, the expense is recorded with the final cost center distribution, ensuring Finance receives clean and accurate data
If percentages do not sum to 100%, adjust the distribution until the total equals 100%. The form will not allow submission otherwise.
If you are unable to edit the cost center, check whether the expense has already moved to a non-editable state (for example, after final approval). If not, ensure you have the necessary permissions. If the issue persists, contact Support.
Tips and Best Practices
- Use descriptive cost center names to help submitters choose the correct option quickly.
- If your teams work on rotating projects, share internal guidelines on which cost centers should be used for each scenario.
- Always double-check percentages before submitting or approving—entries must add up to 100%.
- Encourage managers to review cost centers during approvals to catch misalignments early.
FAQ
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Can approvers modify the cost center allocation
Yes. Approvers can adjust cost centers and percentages before final approval.
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Does the employee’s default cost center still apply?
Yes, it is pre-filled automatically, but can be changed or expanded with multiple cost centers
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Are multi cost center splits mandatory?
No. You can use a single cost center, but splits are available when needed.
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