How to enforce receipt compliance
A strong process for receipt collection is essential for keeping books accurate and audits straightforward. Without one, finance teams waste hours chasing employees, and month-end close gets delayed. With the right process in place, companies can:
- Ensure expenses are supported by valid documentation.
- Reduce time spent chasing employees at month-end.
- Maintain clean records for audits and tax filings.
- Automate enforcement so finance teams can focus on analysis instead of reminders.
Below are answers to the most common questions finance teams face around receipt compliance.
How to handle lost or unreadable receipts in compliance reporting?
If a receipt is lost or unreadable, employees can provide transaction details (vendor, date, amount, purpose), which managers then review. For higher-value expenses, vendor reissues are required. Ramp flags these cases automatically, preserves the exception record, and maintains full audit visibility.
How do missing receipt affidavits work?
A missing receipt affidavit is a structured statement employees submit when a receipt cannot be provided. On Ramp, affidavits replace free-form notes, require approval, sync into your ERP, and are stored as part of the permanent record.
What happens if an employee uploads the wrong receipt?
Receipts marked as incorrect trigger a notification for employees to re-upload the correct file. Ramp stores both versions with timestamps for audit purposes, while only the corrected receipt is synced to the ERP.
How to send automated reminders when receipts are overdue?
Ramp automatically sends reminders by email, in-app, or Slack, and provides employees with a direct link to upload. If still unresolved, the task escalates to managers for follow-up.
How are receipts handled when a charge is refunded?
Receipts always remain tied to the original charge, even when partial or full refunds occur. Ramp links refunds back to the charge automatically and keeps both visible in dashboards and synced ERPs.
What are the receipt requirements for recurring subscriptions and one-time charges?
For subscriptions, the initial contract or invoice often serves as the primary document, while one-time charges require individual receipts. Ramp supports both approaches with flexible receipt policies.
Can admins bulk-reassign missing receipt tasks to managers?
Yes. Admins can bulk-reassign receipt tasks so that managers, not finance teams, are responsible for follow-up. Managers see overdue items grouped by employee in Ramp, making resolution faster.
What happens to expense reports if receipts are missing at month-end?
Transactions without receipts remain flagged and incomplete. Ramp continues to send reminders, escalates to managers, and preserves a full audit history, even if receipts are uploaded later.
“Ramp is the only vendor that can service all of our employees across the globe in one unified system. They handle multiple currencies seamlessly, integrate with all of our accounting systems, and thanks to their customizable card and policy controls, we're compliant worldwide.” ”
Brandon Zell
Chief Accounting Officer, Notion
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Sarah Harris
Secretary, The University of Tennessee Athletics Foundation, Inc.
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Director of Finance, City of Mount Vernon
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Lily Liu
CEO, Piñata
“With Ramp, everything lives in one place. You can click into a vendor and see every transaction, invoice, and contract. That didn’t exist in Zip. It’s made approvals much faster because decision-makers aren’t chasing down information—they have it all at their fingertips.”
Ryan Williams
Manager, Contract and Vendor Management, Advisor360°
“The ability to create flexible parameters, such as allowing bookings up to 25% above market rate, has been really good for us. Plus, having all the information within the same platform is really valuable.”
Caroline Hill
Assistant Controller, Sana Benefits
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James Hardy
CFO, SAM Construction Group
“We’ve simplified our workflows while improving accuracy, and we are faster in closing with the help of automation. We could not have achieved this without the solutions Ramp brought to the table.”
Kaustubh Khandelwal
VP of Finance, Poshmark
