Options for Controlling the Behavior of Expense Fields
You can control the behavior of certain fields on the Create Expense Item page. You can choose to update the following modifiable expense fields at the most granular level or at a less granular level:
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Description
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Merchant Name
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Number of Days
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Expense Location
If you want to modify expense fields on specific UI pages, you can set up the modifiable expense fields at the most granular level. The most granular setup occurs at the expense type level.
When you set up modifiable expense fields, you can specify expense field behavior for:
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All expense types associated with an expense template
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Specific expense types
Alternately, you can perform a less granular implementation of the modifiable expense fields with the setups for:
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Expense policies
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Tax fields
Note:- Expenses mobile application ignores the tax-level configuration.
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Expense fields by category
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The profile option, EXM_LINE_DESCR_REQUIRED, referred to as Description Line Required
A less granular level implementation is set up that's not dependent on a specific expense type.
Modifiable Expense Fields Displayed by Expense Category
The Description field and the Expense Location field display in all expense categories. However, the Merchant Name field and the Number of Days field only display for certain categories.
The following exception table summarizes the default visibility of the Merchant Name field and the Numbers of Days field when you initially receive the application.
Expense Category |
Default Display of Merchant Name Field |
Default Display of Number of Days Field |
---|---|---|
Accommodations |
Yes |
Yes |
Airfare |
Yes |
No |
Car Rental |
Yes |
Yes |
Entertainment |
Yes |
No |
Meals |
Yes |
No |
Mileage |
No |
No |
Miscellaneous |
Yes |
Yes |
Per Diem |
No |
No |
If you want to change the behavior of any of the modifiable fields, you can do so.
All Expense Types Associated with an Expense Template
On the Expense Fields tab of the Create Expense Report Template page, you can set a value of Null, Hidden, Optional, or Required for the modifiable expense fields.
When you create a new expense template, the default value for all of the preceding modifiable expense fields is Hidden. A Null value indicates that there's no setup and you don't intend to use the expense template to specify the behavior of the modifiable expense field.
The values you select for the modifiable expense fields at the expense template level are applicable to all expense types available in the expense template. You can set up any exceptions at the expense type level.
Specific Expense Types
On the Expense Fields tab of the Create Expense Type page, you can set a value of Use setup from expense template, Hidden, Optional, or Required for the modifiable expense fields.
The default value is Use setup from expense template. If you retain the default value for the modifiable expense fields and the expense template setup is Null for the modifiable expense fields, it means that no setup exists at the expense template level or at the expense type level.
On the Policies tab of the Create Expense Type page, you can assign an expense policy to an expense type. Different expense policies require you to enter information in different expense fields. Contradictions can arise between an expense field value for an expense policy and the expense field setup at the expense type level or at the expense template level. If a contradiction occurs, the application asks you to either change the expense field value or select a different expense policy.
Set Up Precedence of Modifiable Expense Fields
Description field
The next table explains the Description field behavior based on the setup.
Behavior Set up on | Display Behavior | ||||
Expense Type | Expense Template | Category | Policy | Tax | |
Hidden, Optional, or Required | Any | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | According to Expense Type setup |
Use setup from expense template | Hidden, Optional, or Required | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | According to Expense Template setup |
Use setup from expense template | NULL | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Optional |
Merchant field
The next table explains the Merchant field behavior based on the setup.
Behavior Set up on | Display Behavior | ||||
Expense Type | Expense Template | Category | Policy | Tax | |
Hidden, Optional, or Required | Any | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | According to Expense Type setup |
Use setup from expense template | Hidden, Optional, or Required | Any | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | According to Expense Template setup |
Use setup from expense template | NULL | Hidden, Optional, or Required | Not Applicable | Hidden | According to category setup |
Use setup from expense template | NULL | Hidden or Optional | Not Applicable | Optional, or Required | According to tax setup |
Use setup from expense template | NULL | Required | Not Applicable | Optional, or Required | Required |
Use setup from expense template | NULL | NULL | Not Applicable | Not Applicable | Optional |
Location field
Location is a required field if set as a determinant in the policy. For example, if you set location as an optional field in the Expense Type and Expense Template setup and set it as a determinant in the policy then it's a required field. However, the display behavior would vary if it's not set as a determinant in the policy. The next table explains the Location field behavior if it's not set as a determinant in the policy.
Behavior Set up on | Display Behavior | ||||
Expense Type | Expense Template | Category | Policy | Tax | |
Hidden, Optional, or Required | Hidden, Optional, Required, or NULL | Not Applicable | Location is NOT a determinant | Enabled/Disabled | According to Expense Type setup |
Use setup from expense template | Hidden, Optional, or Required | Not Applicable | Location is NOT a determinant | Enabled/Disabled | According to Expense Template setup |
Use setup from expense template | NULL | Not Applicable | Location is NOT a determinant | Enabled | Required because tax setup is enabled |
Use setup from expense template | NULL | Not Applicable | Location is NOT a determinant | Disabled | Optional because no setup is available |
Number of Days field
The Number of Days field is applicable only for these categories:
- Accommodation
- Car Rental
- Miscellaneous
Number of Days is a required field if set as a determinant in the policy. For example, if you configure Expense Type to use Expense Template setup, and set the Number of Days field as an optional field in the Expense Template setup but set as a determinant in the policy then it's a required field. However, the display behavior would vary if it's not set as a determinant in the policy. The next table explains the Number of Days field behavior if it's not set as a determinant in the policy.
Behavior Set up on | Display Behavior | ||||
Expense Type | Expense Template | Category | Policy | Tax | |
Hidden, Optional, or Required | Hidden, Optional, Required, or NULL | Not Applicable | Number of Days is NOT a determinant | Not Applicable | According to Expense Type setup |
Use setup from expense template | Hidden, Optional, or Required | Not Applicable | Number of Days is NOT a determinant | Not Applicable | According to Expense Template setup |
Use setup from expense template | NULL | Not Applicable | Number of Days is NOT a determinant | Not Applicable | Optional because no setup is available |