Managing Reimbursement Categories
Create and manage categories for organizing reimbursement claims.
Reimbursement categories help you organize claims by type, making it easier to track spending patterns, generate reports, and set budgets. Every reimbursement claim must be assigned to a category when it is created.
Navigation: Finance > Reimbursement > Categories
Purpose
Without categories, all reimbursement claims would appear as a flat, undifferentiated list. Categories allow you to:
- Group similar expenses together (e.g., all medical claims, all travel claims)
- Filter and search claims by type
- Generate reports broken down by expense category
- Identify which types of expenses are most common
- Set policies or limits per category
What You Will See
The Categories page displays a table listing all reimbursement categories.
Table Columns
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The category name (e.g., Medical, Travel) |
| Description | An optional description of what the category covers |
| Status | Whether the category is Active or Inactive |
Creating a New Category
- Go to Finance > Reimbursement > Categories
- Click the "Add Category" button
- Fill in the following fields:
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes | A clear, descriptive name for the category |
| Description | No | Additional details about what types of expenses belong in this category |
- Click "Save" to create the category
The new category will immediately be available for selection when creating reimbursement claims.
Choose category names that are clear and specific. A name like "Medical / Health" is more useful than a generic name like "Miscellaneous" because it helps approvers quickly understand the nature of the expense.
Editing a Category
- Go to Finance > Reimbursement > Categories
- Click on the category row you want to edit
- Modify the name or description as needed
- Click "Save" to apply the changes
Editing a category name or description does not affect existing claims that are already assigned to that category.
Deactivating a Category
Categories that are no longer needed can be deactivated rather than deleted. This is because categories with existing claims linked to them cannot be removed -- deactivating them prevents new claims from using the category while preserving historical data.
To deactivate a category:
- Go to Finance > Reimbursement > Categories
- Click on the category you want to deactivate
- Change the status to Inactive
- Click "Save"
Deactivated categories will no longer appear in the category dropdown when creating new claims. However, existing claims assigned to that category will retain their category assignment and remain fully visible in reports.
Common Reimbursement Categories
Here are commonly used categories to help you get started:
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Medical / Health | Doctor visits, prescriptions, health checkups, and medical supplies |
| Travel Expenses | Transportation costs for business travel -- taxis, flights, fuel, parking |
| Meals & Entertainment | Business meals, client entertainment, team lunches |
| Office Equipment | Office supplies, printer cartridges, keyboards, monitors |
| Training & Development | Courses, certifications, conference fees, training materials |
| Communication | Mobile phone bills, internet charges, SIM cards for work use |
| Accommodation | Hotel stays and lodging for business trips |
| Uniforms & Work Gear | Work clothing, safety equipment, uniforms |
You do not need to create all of these -- choose the categories that are relevant to your company's reimbursement policies.
Best Practices
- Keep categories focused -- Each category should represent a distinct type of expense. Avoid overly broad categories like "Other" or "General."
- Use consistent naming -- Establish a naming convention and stick with it. For example, always use "Medical / Health" rather than sometimes using "Health" and sometimes "Medical."
- Review periodically -- As your company's needs change, review your category list. Deactivate categories that are no longer relevant and create new ones as needed.
- Limit the number of categories -- Too many categories can be confusing. Aim for 6 to 10 categories that cover your most common expense types.