Expense Management Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Aggregated Data Analytics 

Combining expense data across departments to reveal spending trends and support strategic decision-making .

API (Application Programming Interface) 

Allows ExpensePoint to integrate seamlessly with ERP, HR, and accounting systems, enabling automated sync of transactions, user data and reporting.

Approval Matrix / Approval Workflow

Customizable rules defining who needs to approve expenses based on roles, amounts, or categories. 

B

Budget Control  

Mechanisms within expense management software that set and monitor spending limits per department, project, or category.  

Business Intelligence (BI) Reporting  

Visualization tools that turn raw expense data into interactive dashboards, highlighting trends and anomalies for decision-makers

Bank Feed Integration

Automatic syncing of corporate card or bank transactions into the expense system for real-time reconciliation. 

C

Corporate Card Reconciliation 

Automated matching of card transactions with receipts and expense reports to streamline month-end close. 

Compliance Audit Trail 

A digital record of all expense actions (submission, edits, approvals) for transparency and regulatory compliance. 

Cost Center 

A department or unit used for tracking and managing specific sets of expenses in accounting. 

D

Data Governance 

Policies ensuring accuracy, security and proper usage of financial and expense data across the organization. 

Delegated Approver 

A temporary approver assigned when a primary manager is unavailable, ensuring approval workflows continue without delay. 

Duplicate Detection 

Automated scanning of expense data to identify and prevent duplicate entries or reimbursements. 

E

Expense and Cost Recovery System (ECRS)

Advanced systems that automatically process client-billable expenses—saving time,  reducing billing errors and enabling detailed reporting. 

Expense Description

Required explanations for off-policy or exceptional expenses, captured directly within the expense report for audit clarity. 

Expense Fraud Detection 

AI and automation checks for anomalies (e.g., duplicate entries, exaggerated amounts), helping catch and prevent internal fraud. 

F

Financial Integration

The process of connecting expense data directly into accounting or ERP systems for seamless journal posting and audit alignment. 

Fraud Prevention Controls

Built-in checks (AI rules, spending thresholds, anomaly detection) that identify and prevent fraudulent expense claims. 

G

GL (General Ledger) Coding

Automatic assignment of general ledger accounts to expense categories, ensuring proper financial classification. 

Global Policy Management

Administration of expense rules across multiple countries, currencies and tax jurisdictions. 

H

Hybrid Workforce Expenses

Expense management tools designed for remote and in-office employees, addressing distributed spend patterns. 

Hierarchy-Based Approvals

Workflows triggered by reporting lines or organizational hierarchy for controlled expense approvals. 

I

Integration

Seamless connections between your expense management platform and systems like ERP, payroll, or accounting software, eliminating data silos and duplicate entry. 

K

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Metrics (e.g., approval time, compliance rate, reimbursement speed) used to measure efficiency and policy adherence in expense programs. 

L

Ledger Integration

Direct synchronization between expense data and your accounting ledger to eliminate manual journal entries. 

Localization

Adjusting tax rates, currency formats and compliance settings to match local or regional business requirements. 

M

Mileage Tracking

Automated recording of business mileage, using GPS or odometer data to calculate reimbursements accurately. 

Mobile Expense Capture

Automatic extraction of critical expense data (merchant, date, amount) from photos using Optical Character Recognition, cutting down manual entry and speeding up reporting. 

Mobile Receipt Capture

Allows users to snap receipt photos via mobile app using OCR to auto-populate expense forms.

N

Non-Reimbursable Expense

An expense type excluded from reimbursement, such as personal spending or non-compliant items. 

O

Out-of-Pocket Expense

Costs employees personally pay for work-related activities that will later be reimbursed by the company.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

Technology that extracts data from receipt images, converting them into structured expense records—minimizing manual data entry. 

P

Per Diem

A fixed daily allowance that covers meals and incidental travel costs, simplifying reporting for recurring business trips.

Policy Adoption Rate

Percentage of employees consistently using expense software, high rates lead to greater data visibility and ROI. 

Policy Compliance Engine

Built-in rules engine (e.g., spending limits, per diems), enforcing company expense policies automatically at submission. 

Q

Quick Expense Entry

A fast input method allowing employees to record simple expenses without completing full reports. 

R

Receipt Capture

The feature allowing users to upload or scan receipts into an expense report, ensuring proper documentation for compliance.

Reimbursement

The process of compensating employees for approved out-of-pocket expenses. Accurate tracking prevents policy breaches. 

S

Smart Audit

AI-powered review system that flags suspicious patterns (e.g., off-policy items or excessive personal spend), supplemented by human validation. 

Spend Management

Broader discipline encompassing expense processing, supplier invoices, payments and budgets into one cohesive system.

T

Travel & Expense (T&E) Management

Comprehensive coordination of travel bookings and associated expenses into one unified workflow.

U

User Role Management

System-defined permissions controlling who can view, edit or approve expenses across departments or roles. 

V

Virtual Card

Secure, single-use or batch issued virtual credit card for employee transactions—adds control and traceability. 

W

Workflow Automation

The configuration of automatic triggers and rules for routing, approving and processing expenses without manual intervention

X

XML Data Export

Standardized data format used for transferring expense data between systems like ERP or payroll. 

Y

Year-End Reconcilliation

The process of verifying all employee expenses and reimbursements before closing annual books. 

Z

Zero Touch Expense Processing

Fully automated submission, validation, and approval of expenses through AI and pre-set rules.