Value Proposition: Travel Expense Template is used when travel expenses turn into “receipt images + advance transfers” without an accounting trail that closes the balance at Month-End: travel advances are issued and not settled, travel and per diem allowances are issued without a basis, hotel/ticket invoices are charged to a general account without a cost center/project, then at closing, a balance for Travel Advances and an open Claims balance appear without a Tie-out. This Travel Expense Template makes the travel journey a “Case” from start to finish: Travel request and approval → issuing advance/per diem (if any) → compiling hotel and ticket expenses with attachments → settling the travel advance + charging to centers → JE Log + Month-End reconciliation pack ready for delivery.

In 20 Seconds: What Will You Get?

• Travel Request and Approval: A standardized template that documents the purpose, destination, duration, and cost center/project before any disbursement.
• Travel and Per Diem Allowance: Rules (Policy) for Per Diem/limits + what is reimbursable and what is excluded + required documentation.
• Travel Advance: Record of advance disbursement linked to the trip + due date for settlement.
• Hotel and Ticket Expenses: Claim lines categorized (Flight/Hotel/Meals/Transport) with GL mapping.
• Travel Advance Settlement: Sheet that calculates (Advance vs Actual) + refund of the remaining or completion of the expense difference.
• Linking to Centers: Allocation sheet that charges each item to a cost center/project instead of general charging.
• JE Log + Closing Pack: Batch entries + Reconciliations linking the travel record to TB and Adjusted TB at Month-End.

CTA related to outputs: You will receive Travel request + advance/claims + settlement + JE Log + Month-End pack.

Suitable For

• GL / Controller: Closing travel expenses and linking them to trips and advances and producing Reconciliations within the Closing Pack.
• HR / Administration: Managing travel requests, limits for travel and per diem allowances, and reviewing attachments before payment/reimbursement.
• AP / Treasury: Operating travel advance disbursements and settlements and linking payments to clear references to prevent duplicate reimbursements.

Not Suitable For

• If there are no business trips or actual travel expenses (entirely internal operations) — usage will be limited.
• If you have a fully integrated Expense platform (Travel booking + OCR + Workflow + GL integration) that produces a ready Month-End reconciliation — you may only need to update the corporate travel policy.

Without the Pack / With the Pack (Short Comparison)

Before Use: 5 Symptoms That Travel Expenses Will Disrupt Month-End

• Travel advances are issued and then not settled in the same month or within a specified period; and there is no Aging for open advances.
• Travel and per diem allowances are issued without a policy (limits/documents/when they are due), leading to many exceptions that are untraceable.
• Hotel/ticket receipts are not linked to a specific trip or cost center/project, so they are charged to a general account.
• Reimbursements are paid to the employee even though the advance has not been settled, or duplicate reimbursement occurs (advance + full reimbursement).
• Month-End: There is no Tie-out between the travel/advance records and GL accounts (Travel advances / Employee claims).

How the Travel Expense Template Works Practically from Travel Request to Closing?

The pack is managed as a complete operational trip (before/during/after) and not as a single template: before travel, a Travel Request and Approval is created, and a cost center/project and expense limits are defined according to the Corporate Travel Policy. During execution, payments (hotel/tickets/transfers) are recorded and linked to attachments, and any travel and per diem allowance is issued according to clear rules. After returning, a Travel Advance Settlement is performed, comparing “Advance vs Actual,” then preparing the JE Log and posting expenses and settling the advance/claims. At Month-End, Reconciliations are prepared linking the travel record to GL accounts and are included in the Closing Pack.

Implementation Method (3 Steps)

Step 1: Preparation and Gathering Reports

• Define the rules: travel and per diem allowance (Per Diem) + limits for hotel/tickets + acceptable documents + exceptions.
• Prepare Master data: cost centers/projects + GL mapping for travel items (Flights/Hotels/Meals/Transport/Fees).
• Gather payment sources: travel advance (Bank/Cash) + company card transactions (if any) + supplier invoices (travel agencies/hotels).

Step 2: Claims + Attachments + Approvals

• Record the trip as a Trip ID and link it to Employee + dates + destination + CC/Project.
• Record hotel and ticket expenses line-by-line with Receipt index, specifying: Business purpose + GL + CC.
• Record the advance/allowance and link it to the trip, and record the claim status (Submitted/Reviewed/Approved/Returned).
• Manage exceptions (Missing receipt / Over limit / Policy exception) through reason codes + documented approval.

Step 3: Settlement + JE Log + Month-End Closing Pack

• Prepare Travel Advance Settlement: (Advance paid) versus (Actual eligible expenses) → determine (Refund/Additional reimbursement).
• Generate JE Log for posting:
  • Dr Travel expenses (by items + CC/Project)
  • Cr Travel advance / Employee payable / Corporate card payable (by payment path)
• Month-End tie-out: linking travel and advance records to GL accounts (Adjusted TB) + list of Open trips/advances + Evidence index within Closing Pack.

Components of Travel Expense Pack (Clear Inventory)

1. Corporate Travel Policy
   • Practical Purpose: Define travel and per diem allowances, limits for hotel/tickets, mandatory documents, exceptions, and their approval path.
   • When to Use: Before approving any trip + when reviewing any claim.
   • Resulting Evidence: Approved Policy (Version/Effective date/Approvals).
2. Travel Request and Approval
   • Practical Purpose: To prove that the trip is approved before disbursement and link it to a cost center/project and budget if available.
   • When to Use: Before booking/payment or before issuing the advance.
   • Resulting Evidence: Travel request ID + approvals + trip scope.
3. Travel Advance Register
   • Practical Purpose: To record any travel advance and link it to the trip, payment reference, and due date for settlement.
   • When to Use: When issuing the advance + updating during settlement.
   • Resulting Evidence: Register showing Advance open/settled + references.
4. Travel Expense Template
   • Practical Purpose: To enter expenses line-by-line (Flights/Hotels/Meals/Transport/Other) and link them to attachments.
   • When to Use: After the trip or weekly according to company policy.
   • Resulting Evidence: Signed claim form + Receipt index.
5. Receipt Index
   • Practical Purpose: To index attachments and link them to each item in the claim instead of unknown files.
   • When to Use: During claim preparation and before approval.
   • Resulting Evidence: Deliverable evidence index (Trip ID → receipt file).
6. Per Diem / Allowance Calculator
   • Practical Purpose: To calculate the allowance based on days/destination/class (if applicable) and show the payable entitlement.
   • When to Use: When calculating the allowance before payment or during final settlement.
   • Resulting Evidence: Allowance schedule + policy references.
7. Advance Settlement Sheet
   • Practical Purpose: To compare the paid advance with accepted expenses and produce a result: Refund/Top-up.
   • When to Use: When closing the trip and before Month-End.
   • Resulting Evidence: Settlement statement + approval decision.
8. Cost Center Allocation + GL Mapping
   • Practical Purpose: To link each item to a cost center/project and the appropriate GL account to avoid general charging.
   • When to Use: Before posting in JE Log.
   • Resulting Evidence: Allocation schedule + mapping table.
9. JE Log + Month-End Reconciliation Pack
   • Practical Purpose: To produce postable entries and link them to the travel and advance records within the Closing Pack.
   • When to Use: Month-End and Year-End.
   • Resulting Evidence: JE batch + tie-out to GL + open items listing + sign-off.

What Should Be Included in the Delivery?

• 01-Travel-Expense-Pack.xlsx: The main file (Trips register + claims + settlement + reports).
• 02-Travel-Policy.docx: Corporate travel policy (per diem/limits/required docs/exceptions/approvals).
• 03-Travel-Request-Approval-Form.docx: Travel request and approval + CC/Project + business purpose.
• 04-Trip-Register.xlsx: Trip register (Trip ID/employee/dates/destination/status/CC).
• 05-Travel-Advance-Register.xlsx: Travel advance register (payment ref/due date/settlement status).
• 06-PerDiem-Allowance-Calculator.xlsx: Travel and per diem allowance (days/rates/eligibility) + references.
• 07-Travel-Expense-Template.xlsx: Travel Expense Template (line items + categorization + attachments list).
• 08-Hotel-Tickets-Receipts-Index.xlsx: Index of hotel and ticket expenses + Naming convention + links/paths.
• 09-Exceptions-Log.xlsx: Exceptions (missing receipt/over limit/policy override) + reason codes + approvals.
• 10-Advance-Settlement-Sheet.xlsx: Travel advance settlement (advance vs eligible actual) + refund/top-up.
• 11-CostCenter-Allocation.xlsx: Linking expenses to cost center/project + split allocations.
• 12-GL-Mapping-Travel.xlsx: Mapping travel items to GL (Flights/Hotels/Meals/Transport/Fees).
• 13-JE-Log-Travel-Expenses.xlsx: JE Log for posting (Dr expenses/Cr advances/payables) + references.
• 14-GL-TieOut-AdjustedTB.xlsx: Tie-out between travel/advance records and GL accounts within Adjusted TB.
• 15-MonthEnd-Closing-Pack.xlsx: Closing pack: Summary + open trips/advances + exceptions + sign-off.
• 16-Runbook.pdf: Step-by-step operation (Request → Advance → Claim → Settlement → JE → Reconciliations).
• 17-Controls-Checklist.pdf: Control checklist (approval completeness/duplicate reimbursements/advance aging).
• 18-Archiving-Map.docx: Archiving tree (Year/Month/Trips/Requests/Receipts/Settlements/Pack).
• 19-Signoff-Page.docx: Prepared/Reviewed/Approved + period scope (e.g., Dec-2025).

After Implementation (Two Points Only)

• Operational Outcome for the Team: Each trip has an ID and status (Open/Settled), advances are closed with documented settlements, and allowances are calculated with fixed rules before payment.
• Control/Audit Outcome: Month-End: Reconciliation links (Trip register + advances + claims) to GL/Adjusted TB, with Receipt index and Approval trail within the Closing Pack.

FAQ — Questions Before Purchase

Is it compatible with any ERP system?

Yes. You only need payment/advance references and statements/receipts. The template produces JE Log and Reconciliation file, and posting occurs within ERP according to your accounts.

Does it include Travel Request and Approval before booking/payment?

Yes. There is a Travel Request and Approval template that documents the purpose and cost center/project and approval before issuing an advance or paying for tickets/hotel.

Does it support full or partial settlement of travel advances?

Yes. The settlement supports (Settled/Partial/Refund/Top-up) and shows the remaining balance and plan for closing it before Month-End.

Does it cover travel and per diem allowance (Per Diem)?

Yes, through Policy + Calculator that clarifies entitlement based on days/destination/class (if applicable) with policy references.

What is the minimum data required to get started?

Trip info (employee/dates/destination) + cost center/project + advance/payment references + hotel and ticket receipts or proof + approval.

Is it suitable for multi-branch or project companies?

Yes, by adding Company/Branch/Project/Cost center and producing reports for each entity and then Consolidated.

Is it suitable for monthly closing only or also for annual closing?

Suitable for both. Year-End typically requires stronger Evidence for open items (Open advances/trips), and the Pack produces that within the Closing Pack.

Is there a delivery template for internal/external audit?

Yes: Month-End travel pack (tie-out + open items + receipt index + sign-off) ready for attachment with the Closing Pack.

Ready to close advances and travel expenses on GL with a “Total Entry” evidence file?

Outputs: Travel request + advances + claims + settlement + JE Log + Month-End reconciliation pack.