How to handle lost or unreadable receipts in compliance reporting?

If a receipt is lost or unreadable, the employee should provide details of the transaction (vendor, date, amount, and business purpose) in place of the document, and a manager or administrator should review and approve the exception.

For higher-value expenses, the employee should request a duplicate invoice directly from the vendor.

On Ramp, missing or invalid receipts are automatically flagged, employees can add notes, managers can approve or reject them, and the full record is preserved for audit purposes.

Proactive steps to reduce lost or unreadable receipts

Most lost receipt issues can be prevented with the right setup:

• Real-time collection. Encourage employees to upload receipts immediately after making a purchase. In Ramp, receipts can be uploaded via mobile photo, email forwarding, or direct attachment to the transaction.
• Automated reminders. Configure automated notifications to remind employees when a receipt is overdue. This ensures receipts are collected without finance teams manually chasing them.
• Clear policies. Define receipt requirements upfront. For example, require receipts for all card transactions over $75, and clarify what constitutes an acceptable receipt (vendor, date, amount, and itemized details).
• Employee guidance. Share examples of valid receipts vs. invalid ones (e.g., blurry photos or incomplete credit card slips) to reduce errors at the source.

Handling missing or unreadable receipts after the fact

Even with proactive measures, some receipts will be permanently missing or unreadable. A consistent policy ensures these exceptions don’t disrupt compliance:

1. Employee note or affidavit. If the receipt is unavailable, the employee provides details of the expense (vendor, date, amount, and business purpose).
2. Manager review. The note is reviewed and approved (or denied) by a manager or administrator. This adds oversight before the expense is marked compliant.
3. Dollar thresholds. Limit exceptions to small amounts or a set number of cases per employee (e.g., no more than two lost receipts per quarter).
4. Vendor reissue. For higher-value expenses, employees should request a duplicate invoice directly from the vendor instead of submitting an affidavit.
5. Audit logging. Keep a permanent record of the exception and the decision so auditors can see how it was handled.

How Ramp manages receipt exceptions

Ramp provides built-in workflows for handling lost or unreadable receipts while maintaining compliance:

• Automatic flagging. Transactions without receipts are flagged, and employees receive reminders until resolved.
• Employee notes. Employees can add notes with vendor, date, amount, and purpose if receipts cannot be provided.
• Manager approval. Managers and admins review and approve or deny the note according to policy.
• Audit trail. Ramp preserves the note, the review decision, and the transaction. If a receipt is later uploaded (for example, retrieved from the vendor), it is attached alongside the existing history.

Example: An employee loses a $40 taxi receipt. Ramp flags the missing document, the employee adds a note with the trip details, and the manager approves it. Ramp stores the note, the approval, and the transaction, so auditors can see the exception was identified and resolved.