Expense reimbursement process flowchart

Expense reimbursement process flowchart

A worked example to adapt. Rename steps, add branches and owners to match how your team actually works.

flowchart TD
  s(["Employee incurs business expense"])
  sub[/"Submit report with receipts"/]
  d1{"Receipts and policy OK?"}
  back["Return to employee to fix"]
  mgr["Manager approves"]
  d2{"Approved?"}
  den(["Deny with reason"])
  fin["Finance audits and codes"]
  pay["Reimburse in next pay run"]
  e(["Report closed"])
  s --> sub
  sub --> d1
  d1 -->|No| back
  back --> sub
  d1 -->|Yes| mgr
  mgr --> d2
  d2 -->|No| den
  d2 -->|Yes| fin
  fin --> pay
  pay --> e

About this expense reimbursement process flowchart

Expense reimbursement frustrates everyone when the rules are unclear. A flowchart shows employees what a complete report needs and shows approvers what they are responsible for checking.

Set your own receipt thresholds, per-diem rules and payment timing.

Step by step

1. Submit. Employees submit a report with receipts and business purpose.
2. Policy check. Incomplete reports go back to the employee before anyone approves.
3. Approve. The manager confirms the expense was for business.
4. Audit. Finance checks and codes the expense to the right account.
5. Reimburse. Approved reports are paid in the next reimbursement run.

How to make it in flow-chart.io

1. Start from the example. Edit the text in the generator box above so it names your own expense policy and approvers, then press Generate. The free preview needs no sign-up.
2. Add the branches. Add the decision points that matter for you, for example over a spending limit? or missing receipt affidavit. Each decision becomes a diamond with labeled outcomes.
3. Assign owners. Save the diagram to the editor (free account) and rename steps to show who does what: employee, manager and finance.
4. Share or export. Share a read-only view link: people with the link can view the diagram but not edit it. Downloads as PNG, SVG or PDF are part of Flow Pro (see pricing).

Tips

• Show the receipt threshold on the policy check.
• Publish the payment schedule so employees know when to expect money.
• Route over-limit expenses to a second approver.

Frequently asked questions

What does an expense approval workflow include?

Submission with receipts, a policy check, manager approval, finance review and payment.

How is this different from invoice approval?

Invoices come from vendors; expense reports come from employees who paid personally.

Can I generate my own version?

Yes. Edit the steps in the generator box and press Generate.

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