Per Diem Expense Management

Per diem expenses in New Expensify simplify daily allowance tracking for business travel. Instead of collecting receipts for every meal, employees can claim standardized daily rates based on their travel destination.

What is Per Diem?

Per diem (Latin for “per day”) is a fixed daily allowance for:

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Incidental expenses: Tips, small items
Lodging: In some configurations

Per diem rates are pre-configured by workspace administrators based on travel destinations and meal types.

Enabling Per Diem

Workspace admins must enable per diem:

Go to Workspace Settings
Navigate to Per Diem
Toggle Enable per diem rates
Configure rates and destinations
Save settings

function WorkspacePerDiemPage({route}: WorkspacePerDiemPageProps) {
    const policyID = route.params.policyID;
    const policy = usePolicy(policyID);
    
    const [customUnit, allRatesArray, allSubRates] = useMemo(() => {
        const customUnits = getPerDiemCustomUnit(policy);
        const customUnitRates: Record<string, Rate> = customUnits?.rates ?? {};
        const allRates = Object.values(customUnitRates);
        const allSubRatesMemo = getSubRatesData(allRates);
        return [customUnits, allRates, allSubRatesMemo];
    }, [policy]);

    return (
        <ScreenWrapper>
            <HeaderWithBackButton
                title={translate('workspace.perDiem.title')}
            />
            <SelectionListWithModal
                sections={[{
                    data: allSubRates.map(rate => ({
                        destination: rate.destination,
                        subRateName: rate.subRateName,
                        rate: rate.rate,
                        currency: rate.currency,
                    }))
                }]}
            />
        </ScreenWrapper>
    );
}

Creating Per Diem Expenses

Tap the green + button
Select Submit expense or Track expense
Choose the Per Diem tab
Select your workspace (if multiple available)
Enter the destination
Choose the meal type or full day
Select the date
Review the calculated amount
Submit the expense

function IOURequestStepDestination({
    route: {
        params: {iouType, reportID, transactionID, backTo},
    },
    transaction,
    openedFromStartPage,
}: IOURequestStepDestinationProps) {
    const [destination, setDestination] = useState(
        transaction?.comment?.destination ?? ''
    );
    
    const perDiemCustomUnit = getPerDiemCustomUnit(policy);
    const rates = perDiemCustomUnit?.rates ?? {};
    
    const onSubmit = useCallback(() => {
        // Find matching rate for destination
        const matchingRate = Object.values(rates).find(
            (rate) => rate.name === destination
        );
        
        if (matchingRate) {
            // Navigate to subrate selection
            Navigation.navigate(
                ROUTES.MONEY_REQUEST_STEP_PER_DIEM_SUBRATE.getRoute(
                    action,
                    iouType,
                    transactionID,
                    reportID,
                    backTo
                )
            );
        }
    }, [destination, rates]);

    return (
        <TextInput
            label={translate('common.destination')}
            value={destination}
            onChangeText={setDestination}
            onSubmitEditing={onSubmit}
        />
    );
}

From a Chat

Open a workspace chat
Tap Request money
Select Per Diem from tabs
Follow the creation flow

Per diem is only available if your workspace admin has enabled it and configured rates.

Per Diem Rates

Rate Structure

Per diem rates typically include: Destinations:

Cities or regions
Countries
Domestic vs. international
High-cost vs. standard locations

Sub-rates (meal types):

Breakfast only
Lunch only
Dinner only
Full day (all meals)
Partial day rates

type SubRateData = {
    pendingAction?: PendingAction;
    destination: string;
    subRateName: string;
    rate: number;
    currency: string;
    rateID: string;
    subRateID: string;
};

function getSubRatesData(customUnitRates: Rate[]) {
    const subRatesData: SubRateData[] = [];
    for (const rate of customUnitRates) {
        const subRates = rate.subRates;
        if (subRates) {
            for (const subRate of subRates) {
                subRatesData.push({
                    pendingAction: rate.pendingAction,
                    destination: rate.name ?? '',
                    subRateName: subRate.name,
                    rate: subRate.rate,
                    currency: rate.currency ?? CONST.CURRENCY.USD,
                    rateID: rate.customUnitRateID,
                    subRateID: subRate.id,
                });
            }
        }
    }
    return subRatesData;
}

Rate Examples

Sample rate table:

Destination	Meal Type	Rate
New York, NY	Breakfast	$15
New York, NY	Lunch	$25
New York, NY	Dinner	$35
New York, NY	Full Day	$75
London, UK	Breakfast	£12
London, UK	Lunch	£20
London, UK	Dinner	£30
London, UK	Full Day	£62

Full day rates are often less than the sum of individual meals as an incentive to use the simpler option.

Selecting Destinations

When creating a per diem expense:

Destination Input

Type the destination name
Select from configured destinations:
- Exact city matches
- Region or country matches
- Recently used destinations
Choose the most specific option available

Destination Hierarchy

If multiple matches exist:

City-specific rates take precedence
Then regional rates
Then country-wide rates
Then default rates

If your destination isn’t listed, contact your workspace admin to add it.

Meal Type Selection

After selecting a destination:

Available Options

Individual meals:

Breakfast: Morning meal
Lunch: Midday meal
Dinner: Evening meal

Combined options:

Full day: All three meals
Multiple meals: Select multiple individually

function IOURequestStepSubrate({
    route: {
        params: {iouType, transactionID, reportID, backTo},
    },
    transaction,
}: IOURequestStepSubrateProps) {
    const perDiemCustomUnit = getPerDiemCustomUnit(policy);
    const destinationRateID = transaction?.comment?.customUnit?.customUnitRateID;
    const destinationRate = perDiemCustomUnit?.rates?.[destinationRateID];
    const subRates = destinationRate?.subRates ?? [];

    const selectSubrate = useCallback((subrateID: string) => {
        const selectedSubrate = subRates.find((sr) => sr.id === subrateID);
        if (!selectedSubrate) return;

        // Set the amount based on selected subrate
        setMoneyRequestAmount(
            transactionID,
            selectedSubrate.rate,
            destinationRate?.currency ?? CONST.CURRENCY.USD
        );

        // Navigate to confirmation
        Navigation.navigate(
            ROUTES.MONEY_REQUEST_STEP_CONFIRMATION.getRoute(
                CONST.IOU.ACTION.CREATE,
                iouType,
                transactionID,
                reportID
            )
        );
    }, [subRates, transactionID]);

    return (
        <SelectionList
            sections={[{
                data: subRates.map((subRate) => ({
                    text: subRate.name,
                    keyForList: subRate.id,
                    isSelected: false,
                }))
            }]}
            onSelectRow={({keyForList}) => selectSubrate(keyForList)}
        />
    );
}

Meal Time Ranges

Some configurations restrict meals by time:

Breakfast: 6:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Lunch: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Dinner: 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Submitting meals outside allowed times may trigger violations or require approval.

Multi-Day Per Diem

For travel spanning multiple days:

Option 1: Multiple Expenses

Create separate expenses:

One per diem expense per day
Each with the appropriate date
Same destination (if unchanged)
Select full day or individual meals

Option 2: Bulk Creation

Some workspaces support:

Date range selection
Automatic per diem for each day
Single submission for entire trip

Bulk per diem creation depends on workspace configuration. Check with your admin.

Per Diem Adjustments

Partial Meals Provided

If meals are provided (conference, hotel, etc.):

Select only meals you paid for
Don’t claim provided meals
Or choose a reduced rate if available

Example:

Hotel includes breakfast
Claim only lunch and dinner
Or use “Lunch + Dinner” combined rate

Reduced Rates

Some situations warrant reduced rates:

Travel day (departure/arrival)
Partial day travel
Meals provided by client
Company events with catering

Add notes to explain why you’re using a reduced rate to help approvers understand.

Per Diem E-Receipts

Per diem expenses generate electronic receipts:

function PerDiemEReceipt({
    transaction,
    isThumbnail = false,
}: PerDiemEReceiptProps) {
    const {
        amount,
        currency,
        created,
    } = getTransactionDetails(transaction) ?? {};
    
    const destination = transaction?.comment?.destination ?? '';
    const subRateName = transaction?.comment?.customUnit?.subRateName ?? '';

    return (
        <View style={styles.perDiemEReceipt}>
            <View style={styles.eReceiptIcon}>
                <Icon src={Calendar} />
            </View>
            <Text style={styles.eReceiptTitle}>
                {translate('eReceipt.perDiem')}
            </Text>
            <Text style={styles.eReceiptMerchant}>
                {destination}
            </Text>
            <Text style={styles.eReceiptDetail}>
                {subRateName}
            </Text>
            <Text style={styles.eReceiptAmount}>
                {convertToDisplayString(amount, currency)}
            </Text>
            <Text style={styles.eReceiptDate}>
                {created}
            </Text>
        </View>
    );
}

E-receipt includes:

Per diem icon/badge
Destination
Meal type
Date
Amount
Currency

Per diem e-receipts serve as proof of the allowance claim for audit purposes.

Editing Per Diem Expenses

Before Submission

Edit any field:

Destination: Change location
Meal type: Select different meals
Date: Adjust travel date
Amount: Updates automatically based on rate

After Submission

Depending on policy:

May require approval to edit
Some fields become locked
Delete and recreate if needed
Contact approver for assistance

Changing destination or meal type may significantly alter the expense amount.

Per Diem Compliance

Policy Rules

Workspace policies may enforce:

Maximum days: Limit per diem claims
Approval required: Higher amounts need review
Documentation: Proof of travel required
Frequency limits: Prevent duplicate claims

Violation Detection

Common per diem violations: Duplicate per diems:

Same destination and date
Multiple full-day claims
Overlapping meal claims

Invalid dates:

Future dates
Dates outside travel period
Weekends (if not allowed)

Policy violations:

Exceeds maximum daily limit
Missing required approvals
Destination not approved

function validatePerDiemExpense(
    transaction: Transaction,
    policy: Policy,
    allTransactions: Transaction[]
): TransactionViolation[] {
    const violations: TransactionViolation[] = [];
    const destination = transaction.comment?.destination;
    const expenseDate = transaction.created;

    // Check for duplicates
    const duplicates = allTransactions.filter((t) => {
        return t.transactionID !== transaction.transactionID &&
               t.comment?.destination === destination &&
               isSameDay(t.created, expenseDate);
    });

    if (duplicates.length > 0) {
        violations.push({
            name: CONST.VIOLATIONS.DUPLICATE_PER_DIEM,
            type: CONST.VIOLATION_TYPES.ERROR,
            showInReview: true,
        });
    }

    return violations;
}

Admin Configuration

Workspace admins manage per diem rates:

Adding Destinations

Navigate to Workspace Settings > Per Diem
Click Add destination
Enter destination name
Set currency
Add sub-rates (meal types)
Save

function EditPerDiemAmountPage({
    route: {params: {policyID, rateID, subRateID}},
}: EditPerDiemAmountPageProps) {
    const policy = usePolicy(policyID);
    const [amount, setAmount] = useState('');

    const saveAmount = useCallback(() => {
        // Update per diem rate
        updateWorkspacePerDiemRate(
            policyID,
            rateID,
            subRateID,
            {
                rate: convertToBackendAmount(Number(amount)),
            }
        );
        Navigation.goBack();
    }, [policyID, rateID, subRateID, amount]);

    return (
        <ScreenWrapper>
            <MoneyRequestAmountForm
                amount={amount}
                onSubmitButtonPress={saveAmount}
            />
        </ScreenWrapper>
    );
}

Editing Rates

Modify existing rates:

Select the destination
Choose the meal type
Update the amount
Save changes

Importing Rates

Bulk import per diem rates:

Download CSV template
Fill in rates
Upload CSV file
Review and confirm
Rates activate immediately

Use standard per diem rates (like GSA rates) as a starting point, then customize as needed.

Rate History

Track rate changes:

View historical rates
See effective dates
Compare rate changes over time
Audit rate modifications

Reporting and Analytics

Per Diem Reports

View summaries:

By employee: Individual usage
By destination: Most common locations
By date range: Trends over time
By department: Team comparisons

Export Data

Download per diem data:

CSV or Excel format
Filtered by criteria
Include all expense details
For accounting integration

Best Practices

Know your rates

Familiarize yourself with per diem rates for your common destinations.

Submit promptly

Create per diem expenses during or immediately after your trip.

Be accurate

Only claim meals you actually paid for out-of-pocket.

Add context

Include trip purpose and any special circumstances in notes.

Keep travel proof

Maintain records like flight confirmations to support per diem claims.

Troubleshooting

Destination Not Found

Solutions:

Check spelling
Try nearby city
Use country/region instead
Request admin to add destination

Wrong Amount Calculated

Check:

Correct destination selected
Right meal type chosen
Currency is accurate
Rate is current

Fix:

Reselect destination
Choose correct meal type
Contact admin if rate is outdated

Can’t Submit Per Diem

Common causes:

Per diem not enabled for workspace
No rates configured
Policy restrictions
Missing required fields

Resolution:

Verify workspace has per diem enabled
Check policy settings
Contact workspace admin
Fill all required fields

Next Steps

Create an Expense

Learn how to create expenses

Distance Tracking

Track mileage for travel

SmartScan

Scan receipts automatically

Split Expenses

Share costs with others

​What is Per Diem?

​Enabling Per Diem

​Creating Per Diem Expenses

​From the Create Menu

​From a Chat

​Per Diem Rates

​Rate Structure

​Rate Examples

​Selecting Destinations

​Destination Input

​Destination Hierarchy

​Meal Type Selection

​Available Options

​Meal Time Ranges

​Multi-Day Per Diem

​Option 1: Multiple Expenses

​Option 2: Bulk Creation

​Per Diem Adjustments

​Partial Meals Provided

​Reduced Rates

​Per Diem E-Receipts

​Editing Per Diem Expenses

​Before Submission

​After Submission

​Per Diem Compliance

​Policy Rules

​Violation Detection

​Admin Configuration

​Adding Destinations

​Editing Rates

​Importing Rates

​Rate History

​Reporting and Analytics

​Per Diem Reports

​Export Data

​Best Practices

​Troubleshooting

​Destination Not Found

​Wrong Amount Calculated

​Can’t Submit Per Diem

​Next Steps

Create an Expense

Distance Tracking

SmartScan

Split Expenses

What is Per Diem?

Enabling Per Diem

Creating Per Diem Expenses

From the Create Menu

From a Chat

Per Diem Rates

Rate Structure

Rate Examples

Selecting Destinations

Destination Input

Destination Hierarchy

Meal Type Selection

Available Options

Meal Time Ranges

Multi-Day Per Diem

Option 1: Multiple Expenses

Option 2: Bulk Creation

Per Diem Adjustments

Partial Meals Provided

Reduced Rates

Per Diem E-Receipts

Editing Per Diem Expenses

Before Submission

After Submission

Per Diem Compliance

Policy Rules

Violation Detection

Admin Configuration

Adding Destinations

Editing Rates

Importing Rates

Rate History

Reporting and Analytics

Per Diem Reports

Export Data

Best Practices

Troubleshooting

Destination Not Found

Wrong Amount Calculated

Can’t Submit Per Diem

Next Steps