---
title: "Enabling expense reports and defining the expense report type"
slug: "enabling-expense-reports-and-defining-the-expense-report-type"
description: "Turn expense reports on or off for your employees, edit the settings of the expense report type, and add or delete expense report types in the web portal."
updated: 2026-10-27T14:18:12Z
published: 2026-10-27T14:18:12Z
canonical: "payhawk.com/enabling-expense-reports-and-defining-the-expense-report-type"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://payhawk.com/help/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Enabling expense reports and defining the expense report type

As a Payhawk administrator, you can enable or disable expense reports for your employees and also edit the settings of the expense report type from the Payhawk Web Portal.

## Enabling expense reports

To allow your employees to submit expense reports:

1. In the [Payhawk Web Portal](https://portal.payhawk.com), open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to **Settings**, then select **Expense reports**.
2. Switch on the toggle.

![Expense reports settings with the Enable expense reports toggle switched on](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Help%20desk%20images%20moved/Enabling_expense_reports_and_defining_the_expense_report_type_20250818_manual.png)

## Editing report type settings

You can edit the report type settings in the following way:

1. Open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to **Settings**, then select **Expense reports**, and select the desired report type.
2. Under **Report fields**, you can:
  1. Add a new field:
    1. Click on **Add field**.
    2. Select a name.
    3. Configure which roles can create expense reports.
    4. Define the fields that Payhawk will use to automatically match expenses to the report.
    5. Click on **Add**.

![Add field to report panel on the Report fields tab of an expense report type](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Help%20desk%20images%20moved/Enabling_expense_reports_and_defining_the_expense_report_type_20230203_manual.jpg)
  2. Edit an existing field:
    1. Click on the **Edit** icon (pencil) of the desired field.
    2. Update the available options.
    3. Click on **Save**.

![Edit report field panel for the Period field, with the Inclusion criteria toggle](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Help%20desk%20images%20moved/Enabling_expense_reports_and_defining_the_expense_report_type_2_20230203_manual.jpg)
  3. Remove a field:
    1. Click on the **Delete** icon (trash) of the desired field.
    2. In the dialog that opens, click on **Remove** to confirm the deletion.

![Remove field dialog asking to confirm the removal of a field from the report type](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Help%20desk%20images%20moved/Enabling_expense_reports_and_defining_the_expense_report_type_3_20230203_manual.jpg)
3. Under **Settings**, you can:
  1. Update the report visibility:
    1. Under **Visibility**, select from the drop-down list the desired [roles](/help/before-after-role-selectors-and-visibility) which can create the chosen expense report type.
  2. Enable the allowed spend types:
    1. Under **Allowed spend types**, switch on the toggle buttons for the spend types that employees can add to the report.
  3. Configure the automated report submission:
    1. Under **Auto-submit**, use the toggle button to enable or disable automatic submission of expense reports and enter the number of days after the end of the reporting period when the report must be automatically submitted.
4. Click on **Save changes**.

![Settings tab of an expense report type with Visibility, Allowed spend types and Auto-submit](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261026/Enabling_expense_reports_and_defining_the_expense_report_type_settings_20261026_ai.png)

## Adding expense report types

As a Payhawk Administrator, you can add expense report types in the following way:

1. Open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to **Settings**, then select **Expense reports**.
2. Click on **+** **Add type**.
3. In the dialog that opens, define the following report settings:
  - **Name**
  - **Description**
  - **Visibility**
  - **Allowed spend types**
4. Click on **Save** to add.

![Add report type panel with Name, Description, Visibility and Allowed spend types](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261026/Enabling_expense_reports_and_defining_the_expense_report_type_add_type_20261026_ai.png)

## Deleting expense report types

> [!WARNING]
> An expense report type can only be deleted if no expense reports have been created for that type.

As a Payhawk Administrator, you can remove an expense report type:

1. Open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to **Settings**, then select **Expense reports**.
2. Select the report.
3. Click on its three-dot menu and select **Delete**.
4. In the dialog that opens, click on **Remove** to confirm the deletion.

![Delete report type dialog opened from the three-dot menu of an expense report type](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Help%20desk%20images%20moved/Enabling_expense_reports_and_defining_the_expense_report_type_2_20230222_manual.jpg)

## Useful resources

- [Creating and submitting expense reports in the portal](/help/creating-and-submitting-expense-reports-in-the-portal)
- [Before & after: Role selectors and visibility](/help/before-after-role-selectors-and-visibility)