---
title: "Managing expenses in the Web Portal"
slug: "managing-expenses-in-the-portal"
description: "Edit or delete unsubmitted expenses in the Payhawk web portal, change submitted or approved expenses, and update or delete expenses an approver returned to you."
updated: 2026-10-27T16:02:07Z
published: 2026-10-27T16:02:07Z
canonical: "payhawk.com/managing-expenses-in-the-portal"
---

> ## 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.

# Managing expenses in the Web Portal

In the Payhawk Web Portal, you can edit or altogether delete your existing expenses before your expense requests have been approved.

## Specifics

- Paid and reviewed expenses cannot be deleted either by employees or by Payhawk Accountants or Payhawk Administrators.
- Pending approval, approved, and rejected expenses can be edited or deleted only by Payhawk Administrators.

## Editing and deleting unsubmitted expenses

To edit an expense in the Payhawk Web Portal that has not yet been submitted:

1. In the [Payhawk Web Portal](https://portal.payhawk.com), go to **Spend** and select the expense you want to edit by clicking on it.
2. On the screen that opens, update any of the desired expense details.

To delete your expense, click on the three-dot menu and select the **Delete** option. On the next screen, check the confirmation checkbox and click on **Delete**.

![Unsubmitted bill record with editable details, next to its three-dot menu with the Delete option highlighted.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Emp%3AExpenses/delete_unsubmitted_expense_menu_20261002_manual.png)

## Editing and deleting submitted or approved expenses

When you submit an expense for approval, review and payment, you might enter the wrong details or forget an optional one.

You can edit an expense after you submit it, or even after it's approved, so you don't have to wait for the approver to return it to you. Once you edit a submitted expense, it comes back to you and you need to submit it again.

> [!TIP]
> The return for editing is recorded in the expense's audit log, so you can see it in the expense's [**Activity** section](/help/viewing-expense-activity).

To update your submitted or approved expense:

1. In the [Payhawk Web Portal](https://portal.payhawk.com), go to **Spend**.
2. Select the desired expense by clicking on it.
3. Click on its three-dot menu and select the **Edit** option. As a result, the expense moves back to the **Submit** tab.

To delete the expense at this stage, select the **Delete** option. In the confirmation dialog, mark the checkbox to confirm your choice and click on **Delete**.
4. If the expense has been approved:
  1. On the next screen, confirm that you want to edit the expense and click on **Edit**.
  2. Update the necessary details.
  3. Click on **Submit**.

![Expense with the three-dot menu open and Edit highlighted, the returned expense with the Submit button, and its activity log showing Returned for editing and Submitted.](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Emp%3AExpenses/edit_submitted_expense_returned_20261005_manual.png)

## Editing and re-submitting, or deleting returned expenses

Your approver may have returned an expense request for you to update. Once the expense is returned:

- Payhawk will [notify you in the Payhawk Mobile App and by email](/help/submission-and-approval-notifications).
- You can view the reason for returning the request in the **Activity** section of the expense.

To edit and submit your returned expenses, or altogether delete them, follow the same steps described in the current article.

## Useful resources

- [Overview of company expenses for employees](/help/overview-of-company-expenses-for-employees)
- [Uploading expense documents and using the camera](/help/managing-receipts-and-invoices-in-the-app)
- [Creating and submitting expenses with Payhawk on the web](/help/creating-and-submitting-card-expenses)
- [Creating and submitting expenses on mobile](/help/submitting-expenses-in-bulk)
- [Submitting invoices for expenses through the Mailbox](/help/overview-of-the-mailbox)