The Expense Administration screen is the control center for your community's reimbursement policies. Administrators use this module to define what data is captured, how mileage is calculated, and which attachments are mandatory for compliance.

Accessing Administration

To manage expense settings:

1. Go to the Administration module.
2. Select Modules and click Expenses.
3. You will see four primary tabs: Expense Types, Payment Types, Reimbursement Types, and Settings.

Expense Types Tab

Communities can configure specific expense types to support institutional policies. This allows for the capture of specific data and the enforcement of mandatory information for different categories of spend. For example, a "Mileage" expense type will require different information than an "Accommodation" expense type.

Forms allow Administrators to extend the standard expense capture process, by adding custom fields. This is essential for communities that need to enforce specific institutional policies or gather detailed data (like "Business Purpose" or "Grant Number") that isn't included in the default fields.

Creating and Managing Types

• Add Expense Type: Select +Add Expense Type.
• Form Association: You can link a custom Form to an expense type to capture specific metadata (e.g., "Business Purpose" or "Travel Dates").
• Account Codes: You can pre-assign an account code to a type so users don't have to enter it manually.
• Rates (Auto-Calculation): For items like mileage, click +Add Expense Type Rate.
  • Example: Name: "IRS 2024 Rate", Rate: "0.67".
  • Users will enter the distance, and the system will auto-calculate the total.

Managing Rates

• Add a New Expense Type Rate: Click +Add Expense Type Rate.
• Edit: Click the pencil icon to update a rate amount.
• Order: Use the blue arrows to move multiple rates up or down.
• Delete: Use the trashcan icon to remove obsolete rates.

• You can also watch a short video on how to create Expense Types: 

Payment Types Tab

The Payment Types tab allows Administrators to define the methods of payment used (e.g., Petty Cash, P-Card, Personal Credit Card) to ensure accurate reporting of fund sources.

Visibility and Logic

• Field Appearance: If you define multiple payment types, users will be required to select one when creating an expense line.
• Simplification: If only one (default) payment type is defined, the field will not appear to the user, simplifying the submission process.

Creating a Payment Type

To add a new payment method:

1. Select the Payment Types tab.
2. Click +Add Payment Type.
3. Name: Enter the descriptive name (e.g., "Corporate Travel Card").
4. External ID (Optional): Insert an ID that corresponds to your institution's reporting or ERP codes.
   • Note: The External ID is used for reporting purposes only.
5. Click Add. If you have more types to include, click Add More.

Editing an Existing Payment Type

There is a specific limitation to keep in mind when modifying existing types: Only the External ID field can be updated.

1. Locate the desired payment type and click Edit.
2. Update the External ID field in the pop-up box.
3. Select OK.

Note: If you need to change the Name of a payment type, you must delete the existing one and create a new one.

Deleting a Payment Type

If a payment method is no longer in use:

1. Locate the payment type you wish to remove.
2. Click Delete.

• You can also watch a short video on how to create Payment Types: 

Reimbursement Types Tab

Reimbursement Types are used to determine where and how funds are returned to a user or account. While Unimarket defaults to reimbursing the individual user, these settings allow institutions to support more complex financial workflows. Such as, routing funds to a Corporate P-Card account or a specific payroll department.

Visibility and Default Logic

Unimarket is designed to keep the user interface as simple as possible:

• Default Behavior: By default, the system assumes all reimbursements go directly to the user.
• UI Behavior: If no reimbursement types are defined (or only one exists), the Reimbursement Type field will not appear to users during the expense creation process.

• Mandatory Selection: The field only becomes visible and mandatory for users if you have configured multiple reimbursement options.

   

Administrator Best Practices

• External IDs for Integration: If you are extracting expense data via a Transaction Run to feed into an ERP like Banner or Oracle, ensure the External ID matches the expected "Payment Method" or "Bank Code" in your financial system.

• Keep it Simple: Only set up multiple reimbursement types if your policy truly requires users to choose where their funds are sent. For most communities, leaving this tab blank (defaulting to the user) results in the best user experience.

   

Creating a Reimbursement Type

To add a new reimbursement destination:

1. Select the Reimbursement Types tab.
2. Click +Add Reimbursement Type.
3. Name: Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "Personal Bank Account," "Payroll," or "Corporate Card Credit").
4. External ID (Optional): Enter a code that matches your ERP or accounting software's identifier for this reimbursement method.
   • Note: The External ID is used for reporting and integration purposes.
5. Select OK.

Editing a Reimbursement Type

To maintain data integrity, there is a specific restriction on edits: Only the External ID field can be updated once a type has been created.

1. Locate the desired type and click Edit.
2. Update the External ID in the pop-up box.
3. Select OK.

Note: If you need to change the Name of a reimbursement type, you must delete the existing entry and create a new one.

Deleting a Reimbursement Type

1. Locate the type you wish to remove.
2. Click Delete.

• You can also watch a short video on how to create Reimbursement Types: 

Settings tab

The Settings tab is where Community Administrators define the global rules and compliance requirements for the Expenses module. These settings ensure that institutional policies—such as mandatory receipting and tax handling—are enforced consistently across all users.

 

Accessing Settings Tab

1. Select the Settings tab.
2. Configuration options are organized under two headers: General and Reconciliation.

 

Administrator Best Practices

• Audit Readiness: For most institutions, enabling "Attachments Required on Expense Line" is recommended to ensure that auditors have a clear receipt for every single dollar spent.

   

General Settings

These settings control the standard behavior of expense claim submissions.

• Tax on Expenses: When enabled, users can manually enter a tax figure. Instead of being forced to select from a pre-defined tax rate list.
  • Note: Unimarket calculates tax as inclusive of the total amount entered in the line item.
• Attachments Required on Expense Claim: The system checks the entire claim. At least one attachment must be present for the claim to be submitted.
• Attachments Required on Expense Line: This is the stricter option. The system requires an attachment for every individual line item before the claim can be moved to a "Pending" or "Submitted" state.

 

Reconciliation Settings

These settings apply specifically to communities utilizing the Credit Card Reconciliation features.

• Credit Card Payment Type: Select the specific payment type (e.g., "Corporate P-Card") that should be automatically assigned to all incoming credit card transactions. Once assigned during the reconciliation upload, this payment type cannot be changed within Unimarket, ensuring that card spend is correctly categorized in financial reports. 

• Expenses OBO (On Behalf Of) users can perform reconciliation: If enabled, users with the On Behalf Of Expenses role are granted the power to view and process credit card transactions and receipts for other users. This permission is restricted to users within the OBO user's assigned Organization Unit. This is ideal for department heads or administrative assistants who manage the monthly card statements for their entire team.

   

Saving and Applying Changes

• After making adjustments to any of these toggles or dropdowns, you must click Save at the bottom of the screen.
• Changes take effect immediately for any new expense claims initiated after the save.