# Expense Claim Categories
Expense Claim Categories classify employee expense reimbursements — travel, food, fuel, and other out-of-pocket costs. Each category can link to an expense account for accounting when claims are cleared through a pay run.
Overview
Go to Payroll → Settings → Expense Claim Categories.
Categories are selected on every Expense Claim and grouped on the Expense Claim Report. The list shows name, description, and status.
Quick Start
1. Navigate
Go to Payroll → Settings → Expense Claim Categories and click New.
2. Fill the form
Enter Name and optionally Description and Expense Account.
3. Save
Click Save. The category appears on new expense claims.
Fields
| **Field** | **Description** |
|-----------|-----------------|
| Name * | Category name shown on expense claims and reports. |
| Description | Optional note. |
| Expense Account | Optional link to an expense account for ledger posting when the claim is reimbursed. |
Default Categories
Seeded on company creation:
| **ID** | **Name** | **Description** |
|--------|----------|-----------------|
| 1 | Tea & Food Expenses | Tea & Food Expenses |
| 2 | Parking Expenses | Parking Expenses |
| 3 | Fuel Expenses | — |
| 4 | Other Expense | Other Expense |
How It Works
- Expense Claim — Employees submit claims with a category, amount, and date. Status is Approved (pending reimbursement) or Closed (cleared).
- Pay Run — Approved claims in the pay period are pulled into the pay run's expense section and reimbursed when the pay run is approved.
- Reports — The Expense Claim Report totals amounts by category, split into Pending (approved, not yet reimbursed) and Cleared (closed after reimbursement).
- Employee Wise Salary — Cleared expense claim amounts in the period appear in the Expense claims(+) column.
Actions
List header: New
| **Action** | **Description** |
|------------|-----------------|
| View | Opens the category in read-only view |
| Edit | Opens the edit form |
| Delete | Removes the category when not referenced |
| Suspend / Activate | Disables or re-enables the category |
Form buttons: Save / Update, Reset, Cancel
FAQ
Is an expense account required?
No. Link one when you want claims in that category to post to a specific expense ledger on reimbursement.
Can I add categories from the expense claim screen?
Yes, if you have create access on Expense Claim Categories.
Can I suspend a category with open claims?
Yes. Suspended categories are hidden from new claims — approved open claims keep their category until paid.
Does category affect pay-run expense account posting?
When an expense account is linked, reimbursement through pay run can post to that ledger — verify with your accountant.
Are seeded categories editable?
Seeded travel, food, and fuel categories can be renamed or suspended. Deletion may be blocked when claims reference the category.
Why doesn't my new category appear on mobile claims?
Refresh the app after creating an Active category. Field Sale App loads categories from the same master.