Article
Expense statuses explained
2 min read
Last updated 2 weeks ago
Every expense moves through a status that shows where it stands in the review process, from first being entered to being approved (or cancelled).
The five expense statuses
| Status | What it means | |
|---|---|---|
| Draft | The transaction has been created, but the planned and/or actual amount hasn't been finalized yet. Draft expenses can still be edited, and are only visible to the Admin who created them. | |
| Pending | The transaction has been submitted for review and is waiting on Admin approval. | |
| Update requested | An Admin has reviewed the transaction and is asking for changes or additional documentation. The Group Admin who submitted it is notified and can resubmit once the edits are made. | |
| Approved | The transaction has been approved. | |
| Cancelled | The transaction has been cancelled. |
If your organization doesn't require approvals
Teams that don't require expense approval skip Pending, and Update requested entirely — every expense is created and can be moved to Approved status immediately.
How a transaction typically moves through these statuses
- A Group Admin creates the transaction — it starts in Draft.
- Once submitted for review, it moves to Pending.
- A reviewing Admin either:
- Approves it → Approved, or
- Requests changes → Update requested, which returns to the submitter for edits and resubmission (back to Pending).
- At any point before final approval, the transaction can be moved to Cancelled.