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How to Fix an Expense That Won't Submit

  • Updated

If an expense won't submit, a validation rule is usually blocking it. This guide shows you where to check, alongside completing an expense report.

Steps

  1. Check where the app is flagging the block.
    • On the Weel mobile app, look for the "[N] items missing" tag near the top of the expense screen. It counts down as you fill things in, and the button becomes Submit once it reaches zero.
    • On the Weel web app, open the transaction from the Transactions page. Missing fields are flagged inline, and for split line items, a "Missing items on rows [X, Y, Z]" message shows which rows still need attention.
    • If you don't see either of these, the expense may already be complete but stuck for another reason. Skip to step 7.
  2. Fill in the required fields.
    • Category is always required, on every line item.
    • Description is required only if your business has turned it on for that payment type (Settings > Expense fields > Descriptions). Budget cards, subscription cards, and in-store purchases can each be set differently. See how to add the description field.
    • Custom fields (a Premium+ feature) are required only where your business has set them up, and can apply at the whole-transaction level or per line item. Some are manager-only and won't show for you at all.
    • Tax Invoice (what the app calls a receipt) and Attendees each have their own rules below.
    • Tax rate is required only if your business is on Weel's newer tax rate model. See step 6.
  3. Fix a Tax Invoice block.
    • Nothing attached yet? Tap the + under Attach Tax Invoice on mobile, or drag a file in on web, or choose No Tax Invoice if none applies.
    • Weel accepts JPEG, PNG, PDF, GIF, and TIFF on both apps, plus EML on web and HEIC on mobile. The size limit is 10MB on both. Mobile shows a "10MB limit exceeded" error if you go over.
    • If your business has set a dollar threshold for Tax Invoices (Premium and Enterprise only), expenses under that amount don't need one. If a small expense is still asking for one, check the threshold is set the way you expect. Accounts Payable bills don't use a threshold at all.
    • If AI Receipt Validation has flagged your Tax Invoice, that's only a warning. It never blocks submission, approval, or export. To find every transaction with a flagged receipt at once, filter the transaction table by invalid receipts.
  4. Fix a category or custom field block.
    • If a category or custom field option you expect isn't listed, your business has likely restricted it for that specific budget rather than removed it. Check with whoever manages the budget.
    • A required custom field that's greyed out or missing may be restricted to a different budget, or visible only to managers and approvers.
    • To find every transaction missing a category or custom field at once, see How to Find Transactions Missing a Category or Custom Field.
  5. Add attendees if the app is asking for them.
    • This only applies to in-store card purchases, and only for the categories your business has chosen (Settings > Expense fields > Attendees). It's never required for online purchases, bill payments, or payouts.
    • If your business has turned Attendees on but hasn't chosen any categories, the field won't appear for anyone. That's a setup gap on your business's side, not something you can fix from the expense itself.
  6. Set a tax rate if your business uses the beta tax rate model.
    • Most Weel businesses still use the older automatic GST extraction model, with no field to fill in. If that's you, this doesn't apply.
    • If your business is on the newer tax rate model, every line item needs a rate selected before the expense can export to your accounting software and be treated as complete. If a rate looks wrong, check your accounting software first (Xero, QuickBooks, MYOB, NetSuite, or Business Central), since that's usually where it comes from.
  7. Check for a status block.
    • If the expense is already submitted and waiting on an approver, there's no Submit button anymore. It reads Update.
    • If an approver declined it and requested changes, review their comment and resubmit. On Premium and Enterprise businesses with "Decline comments and resubmission" turned on (Settings > AI and automations), you'll see their comment and a Resubmit button. Without it, a declined item may work differently.
    • Resubmitting can re-trigger Card Blocking if your business has it enabled, even if you submitted on time originally.
  8. Try the basics if nothing above applies.
    • Refresh or restart the app, and clear your browser cache on web.
    • Try the other Weel app. Sometimes one app is out of date or has a stuck local state.
    • Still stuck? Contact us through in-app messaging or help@letsweel.com with the transaction ID or a screenshot.

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