Help Center / Expenses Reimbursements

Submitting an Expense for Reimbursement

Submitting an expense in Light is fast and simple. Just snap a photo of your receipt, and Light's AI does the heavy lifting. Here's how.

Note: To submit expenses for reimbursement, your account must have the Reimbursement access role. If you don't see expense or reimbursement options in Light, ask your admin to assign this role to you. You'll also need a reimbursement profile with your bank details and an address on your profile before you can submit.

Step 1: Navigate to Expenses

Log into Light and click Expenses in the sidebar. You'll see all your past expenses and a button to submit a new one.

Step 2: Start a New Expense

Click the "+ New Expense" or "Submit Expense" button. Light will take you to the submission form.

Step 3: Attach Your Receipt

This is where Light's AI comes in. You can:

  • Take a photo of your receipt (phone camera works great)
  • Upload a PDF or image file from your computer
  • Paste an image from your clipboard

The better the photo, the better Light's AI can read it. Make sure the receipt is well-lit and text is readable.

Step 4: Let AI Fill in the Details

Light's AI automatically reads your receipt and fills in:

  • Merchant Name (the place you bought from)
  • Amount (total spent)
  • Date (when you made the purchase)
  • Category (one of your company's reimbursement categories)

Review what the AI filled in. If anything looks wrong, click to edit it and correct it manually.

Step 5: Add Details & Context

  1. Description: Add a note about why you bought this (e.g., "Office supplies for Q1 planning meeting")
  2. Category: If Light guessed wrong, pick the correct category from the dropdown
  3. Cost Center (if your company uses them): Assign this expense to a project or department

Step 6: Submit

Click Submit. Submitting sends all of your draft expenses together as a single expense report (reimbursement), and its status changes to "In progress" in your Expenses list.

What Happens Next

Once submitted, Light's AI reviews your expense report against your company's expense policies. If everything is compliant, it's approved automatically; if something doesn't comply with a policy, it's routed to your finance team's inbox for review. After approval, the reimbursement is scheduled for payment, and you'll get a notification when it has been paid. Check your Expenses page to track the status. Learn more in Tracking Your Reimbursement Status.

Pro Tips

  • Attach a good photo: Clear, straight-on photos help Light's AI read your receipt faster
  • Submit soon after purchase: Expenses are easier to categorize and approve while they're fresh
  • Check policies ahead of time: Review your company's policies so you know what's reimbursable (see Understanding Expense Policies)
  • Use categories wisely: The right category helps reviewers understand the expense faster

Troubleshooting

"Light can't read my receipt" Try taking another photo in better lighting, or upload a digital receipt from your email if you have one. You can also type in the details manually.

"I submitted by mistake" Once submitted, expenses are locked and can no longer be edited or deleted. Ask your finance team or admin to reset the submission, which returns the expenses to draft so you can edit and resubmit them.

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