Expense Management
Expense management is the process of recording, reviewing, approving and reimbursing the business expenses that employees incur.
Expense management covers the full cycle of employee-incurred costs — from capturing receipts and submitting claims to policy checks, approval and reimbursement. It typically deals with travel, meals, mileage and small ad-hoc purchases, and it relies on clear policy, spending limits and evidence such as receipts to keep claims legitimate and auditable.
Digitising expense management with capture apps and automated policy rules cuts manual effort, speeds reimbursement and improves visibility of this often-scattered spend. Because employee expenses overlap with tail spend, tightening the process — and steering purchases into controlled buying channels or procurement cards where possible — reduces leakage and improves reporting accuracy.
Frequently asked questions
- What is expense management?
- Expense management is the process of recording, reviewing, approving and reimbursing business expenses that employees incur, such as travel, meals and small ad-hoc purchases.
- How is expense management different from procurement?
- Procurement handles planned purchasing of goods and services through requisitions and orders, while expense management handles employee-incurred costs claimed and reimbursed after the fact.
Related terms
Procurement Card (P-card)
A procurement card (P-card) is a company payment card issued to employees for making low-value business purchases directly, within set limits.
Read definitionTail Spend
Tail spend is the large number of small, low-value purchases that together make up a modest share of total spend but a big share of transactions and suppliers.
Read definitionBuying Channel
A buying channel is a defined route through which employees make purchases, such as a catalogue, punchout, marketplace or free-text requisition.
Read definitionSpend Visibility
Spend visibility is the ability to see clearly and in detail what an organisation is buying, from whom, at what price and by which department.
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