# Processing Personal and Employee Expenses in Apron

## Expenses paid personally by the business owner

If you (as the director or owner) pay for something business-related using your personal card or cash, you can still reclaim it and ensure it’s correctly recorded.

**What to do:**

1. **Upload the receipt/invoice to Apron** using any method (email, app, WhatsApp, etc.).
2. In **Apron → Bookkeeping → Purchases**, open the document and **change the supplier name to your own** (e.g. "*Bill Palmer (Expenses)*").
3. Click **Publish** to send the expense to Xero.
4. In Xero, it will appear as a **bill payable to you**, ready for reimbursement.
5. Pay yourself (from the business bank account to your personal bank account).
6. At a later date, the payment will show up in your Xero bank feed:
   1. If we reconcile Xero for you, we'll handle this step.
   2. If you reconcile Xero yourself, you should allocate each payment against the related bill.

{% hint style="info" %}
If possible, make one payment per bill, to help us when matching the payment to the bill.
{% endhint %}

This ensures the business gets the tax relief, and you get properly reimbursed. 

## Expenses paid by employees

If an employee pays for something on behalf of the business, the process is nearly identical.

**What to do:**

1. Ask the employee to **upload the receipt/invoice to Apron** - or do it on their behalf.
2. In **Bookkeeping → Purchases**, change the supplier name to the employee’s name (e.g. "*Patty McKee (Expenses)*").
3. Click **Publish** to send it to Xero as a bill payable to the employee.
4. Once paid, reconcile the payment against the bill in Xero.

{% hint style="info" %}
If possible, make one payment per bill, to help us when matching the payment to the bill.
{% endhint %}

## Setting up employee expense cards

Apron offers **free expense cards** for small businesses. These cards work like **prepaid debit cards**, and are a simple way to let team members pay for business expenses without needing reimbursements.

You can read more about how they work on [Apron's website](https://getapron.com/expenses), but if you’d like to try them out, it’s quick to get started.

### 1. Log in to the Apron mobile app

Download the **Apron app** from the App Store or Google Play and log in with your usual account details.

### 2. Start the expense card setup

On the home screen, look for an option to **Set up Expense Cards**. Tap this to begin the process.

### 3. Complete the verification steps

To activate the cards, Apron will ask for a few business and identity details. This may include:

* Your company’s registered name and address
* Proof of ownership or control (e.g. a Companies House check)
* A photo of your ID (like a passport or driving licence)

{% hint style="info" %}
We can help you set up additional members on your Apron account - just ask! Access can be restricted to just their own expenses so they don't see everything on the account.
{% endhint %}

### 4. Order and assign cards

Once approved, you can issue **virtual cards** (physical cards are coming soon). For each card, you’ll:

* Choose a cardholder (yourself or a staff member)
* Set a monthly spending limit
* Add any category restrictions (e.g. fuel, food, tools)

Virtual cards will be available immediately.

### 5. Use the card for business purchases

The cardholder can now use their Apron card for business-related spending. After each purchase, they’ll get a prompt in the Apron app to upload a receipt.

### 6. Review and publish in Apron

Each transaction appears in **Bookkeeping → Purchases** with the cardholder’s name attached.\
You (or your accountant) can:

* Check the details and receipt
* Categorise the expense
* Publish it to Xero like any other invoice or bill

This keeps things simple and avoids the need for manual reimbursements.