Speed Up Travel Expense Approvals in 7 Easy Steps

You're sitting in the airport departure lounge trying to remember which dinner receipt was the client meeting and which was your solo meal, and you realize the hotel folio is still wadded up in your carry-on somewhere between your laptop and yesterday's newspaper. You submit your expense report anyway, hoping for the best.

Three days later, finance sends it back: missing receipts, vague descriptions, policy violations you didn't know existed. Now you're reconstructing a week-old trip from memory while your reimbursement sits in limbo.

These seven steps eliminate the documentation chaos that triggers rejections. You'll stop the three-email exchanges with finance about missing documentation, get reimbursed faster, and ensure your bookings get approved without manager follow-up.

Step 1: Photograph Every Receipt at Point of Transaction

Pull out your phone and photograph receipts immediately after every transaction, before leaving the restaurant, while standing at the hotel front desk, or immediately after any purchase. Real-time capture prevents receipts from being lost in your wallet or fading before submission.

Most modern expense platforms accept receipts forwarded via email. Forward hotel confirmations, airline tickets, and online purchase receipts to your expense system's dedicated email address immediately as you receive them.

Otto the Agent automatically captures transaction data when you book flights and hotels, delivering expense-ready receipts in importable PDF format without requiring manual entry.

Step 2: Submit Complete Expense Reports Within 24-48 Hours of Trip Completion

Submit your complete expense report within 24-48 hours of returning from your trip. Schedule 30-60 minutes immediately after returning to finalize everything, and use travel time during flights to begin categorizing expenses while they're fresh.

Block this post-trip time on your calendar before you travel. 49-55% of business travelers identify receipt attachment and data entry as major issues, so starting early prevents last-minute rushing that leads to receipt errors.

Step 3: Read Your Company Travel Policy Before Every Trip

Review your complete travel policy before booking each trip to ensure your bookings get approved without manager follow-up. Before searching for flights or arranging accommodations, know your company's spending limits, approved vendors, per diem rates by destination, class of travel restrictions, and what expenses require pre-approval.

Check specific thresholds before booking. Review per diem rates for your destination using GSA rates for CONUS travel. For 2025, the standard CONUS rate is $68 per day for meals and incidentals. Higher rates apply in specific high-cost localities. Alternatively, you can use the IRS High-Low Method, which allows $86 per day in high-cost areas or $74 per day in other CONUS locations.

Ask your manager before traveling when details aren't clear, not after you've spent the money.

Step 4: Obtain Pre-Approvals for Out-of-Policy or High-Value Expenses

Getting written pre-approval before incurring out-of-policy expenses or major trip costs (typically those over $750) eliminates the risk of personally covering rejected expenses. This critical step keeps you compliant before you spend.

Companies that require pre-approval for trips enforce policy at the time of booking rather than during expense review, preventing violations before they occur.

Include specific details in your pre-approval request: client name, meeting purpose, why the expense exceeds normal limits, and estimated total cost. For conference attendance, name the event, dates, and demonstrable business benefit. Attach pre-approval documentation to your final expense report as supporting evidence.

Step 5: Write Business Purpose Descriptions That Front-Load Critical Information

The first 30 characters of your business purpose display on reports. Finance systems truncate longer descriptions in summary views, so front-loading critical information ensures key details remain visible.

Write "Client meeting: Q4 contract review with Acme Corp" instead of "Meeting to discuss various business matters with client." Include specific attendees for business meals, client names for meetings, event names for conferences, and project identifiers.

Avoid descriptions like "Dinner," "Travel expenses," or "Meeting lunch" that lack business context. These vague entries trigger immediate scrutiny from finance teams and require follow-up questions that delay approval.

Step 6: Document Category-Specific Receipt Requirements

Different expense categories have different documentation thresholds under IRS rules. Keep receipts for all lodging regardless of amount, and for any other expense of $75 or more. Organize expenses using standard categories: transportation (airfare, car rental, taxi), lodging, meals, incidentals, and conference fees.

You must document five essential elements for every expense under IRS Accountable Plan requirements: amount, time of travel, place of travel, business purpose, and business relationship to other attendees. For meals, provide itemized restaurant receipts, list all attendees, and document the business discussion. These substantiation requirements protect both you and your employer during audits.

Step 7: Separate Business and Personal Expenses on Mixed-Purpose Trips

When trips combine business and personal activities, use the primary purpose test. If the trip's primary purpose is business, your transportation costs are 100% deductible. However, you must allocate lodging and meals by day: only nights spent on business purposes qualify for lodging, and only meals consumed on business days are eligible (subject to the 50% deductibility rule). You must exclude personal day expenses completely from your business expense reports.

Document your business activities clearly. Calendar entries for meetings, email confirmations with clients, and project deliverables tied to the trip all serve as evidence. When you're unclear about proper allocation, consult your finance team before submitting rather than making assumptions. For more on managing travel expenses, see our complete guide.

Transform Chaos Into Consistent Approvals

The fastest approvals happen when you capture receipts in real time and submit complete documentation that answers every finance question before it gets asked. That approach eliminates the back-and-forth that keeps your reimbursement in limbo for weeks.

Start with real-time receipt capture on your next trip. When you book through Otto, the expense documentation happens automatically, so you never have to photograph, forward, or manually enter anything. Try Otto to stop wasting time on manual expense documentation.