Spend requests
Ask before you spend, get approved, then upload your receipt
Spend Requests lets you ask your chapter for permission before you spend its money. Once a request is approved, you spend the money and upload the receipt against the request. Your treasurer can then match each approval to what was bought. Any chapter member can send a spend request.
Where to find it
Open Finance → Spend Requests. In the iOS and Android apps, it's also on the Apps page.
If you don't see Spend Requests, your chapter hasn't turned on both Budget and Reimbursements yet. If the page says "Spend Requests aren't available yet.", your chapter doesn't have a budget to ask against. Ask your treasurer.
Sending a request
1. On the Spend Requests page, click Add (tooltip: New request).
2. Fill in the details:
- What is it for?: a short description, such as "Rush Week pizza". Required.
- Amount: how much you need. Required, and more than $0.
- Budget: the budget this comes out of. Required. Each budget shows how much is left on it.
- Category: optional. Pick one if you know it.
- Note: optional. Add anything the approver should know.
3. Click Submit.
If your amount is more than what's left on the budget, you'll see a warning. You can still submit, and the approver decides.
Approvers get a notification ("New spend request") as soon as you submit.
Changing or cancelling a request
You can change or cancel a request until it is approved or denied.
1. Open the request from My requests.
2. Click Edit to change it, or Cancel request to withdraw it.
A cancelled request no longer waits for a decision. Approvers only see it under their Cancelled filter. You can send a new one any time.
Once a request is approved or denied, it's locked. If it was denied and you still need the money, send a new request.
Statuses
- Submitted: waiting for a decision.
- Approved: you can spend the money. The request shows "Approved" with the date.
- Denied: not approved. The request shows the approver's reason.
- Cancelled: you withdrew it.
You get a notification when your request is approved ("Spend request approved") or denied ("Spend request denied", with the reason).
Uploading your receipt
After you spend the money, upload the receipt so the treasurer can match it to your request.
1. Open the approved request.
2. Click Upload receipt. The receipt form opens with your request already attached.
3. Add the receipt photo or PDF, check the details, and submit it.
You can also start from Finance → Reimbursements → My Receipts. When you have approved requests, the form asks "Is this for an approved request?" Pick the request, or choose "No, just a receipt". If the receipt scan matches one of your requests, it's picked for you. Check it before you submit.
A receipt attached to a request always goes to the request's budget.
One request can have several receipts, for example two separate store runs. The request shows how much you've spent out of the approved amount, and which receipts are still pending. If your receipts add up to more than the approved amount, you'll see a warning.
Reminders
If you haven't uploaded a receipt for an approved request, Greek Connect reminds you ("Receipt needed"). By default, the first reminder comes 3 days after approval. It repeats every 3 days, up to 4 reminders. Your treasurer can change this timing.
The reminders stop as soon as you attach a receipt to the request. A rejected receipt doesn't count.
Getting paid back
If you paid with your own money, your receipt goes through the usual reimbursement steps: an officer approves it, then marks it paid. See the Reimbursements overview.
Common questions
I can't find my budget in the list
You can only pick open budgets. A budget disappears from the list once it's archived or past its end date. Ask your treasurer which budget to use.
Can I ask for more than the approved amount?
Not on the same request. Send a new request for the difference.
Who decides on my request?
Anyone in your chapter with the Reimbursements Admin permission, which usually means the treasurer, plus chapter Admins. One approval is enough.