e-xpense gives you flexible options when you set up forms to both allow multiple expense reports for one trip and enforce a percent of the maximum M&IE (meals and incidental expenses) per diem on the first and last day of reports.
The following table explains how each of your options works for the Prorate per diem for multiple expense reports field on the Parameter Setup screen, Expenses tab. Note that the first and default option is applicable only if the form requires pre-authorization, so if no pre-authorization is required you must manually change the field to Prompt Employee.
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Per diem parameter |
Explanation |
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By Pre-Authorization Request |
e-xpense assumes that all reports for a request are part of one trip. This is the default. When the employee clicks the Per Diem button, the Get Per Diem dialog box appears to ask if the employee wishes to overwrite any values that s/he has already entered in fields where per diem rates apply. e-xpense calculates the per diem for the first day on the first report based on the percentage that you enter in the form’s Percent of Maximum Per Diem for First and Last Day field, but it does not perform the calculation for the first day on subsequent reports. The dialog box does not ask if the first column is the first day of the trip, and it asks if the last column is the last day of the trip only if there is no report for the request that is later than the current report. For example, the employee creates two reports for the request: one for 1/1/2010 through 1/7/2010, and another for 1/8/2010 through 1/14/2010. If the employee then edits the first report (1/1/2010 through 1/7/2010) and clicks Per Diem, e-xpense does not ask if the last column is the last day of the trip because it knows that there is a later report for the trip. |
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By Expense Report |
e-xpense treats every report for a request as an individual trip. You may find this option useful if your company uses requests that allow multiple reports for "blanket" approval for a series of individual trips. When the employee clicks the Per Diem button, the Get Per Diem dialog box appears to ask if the employee wishes to overwrite any values that s/he has already entered in fields where per diem rates apply. The dialog box also asks if the last column is the last day of the trip, but it never asks if the first column is the first day of the trip. When the employee submits a report, e-xpense calculates the per diem for the first day and last day on the report based on the percentage that you enter in the form’s Percent of Maximum Per Diem for First and Last Day field. |
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Prompt Employee |
This option gives the employee the ability to decide whether each report is an individual trip or part of one trip. When the employee clicks the Per Diem button, the Get Per Diem dialog box appears to ask if the employee wishes to overwrite any values that s/he has already entered in fields where per diem rates apply. It also asks if the first column is the first day of the trip, and if the last column is the last day of the trip. This option also adds an Individual Trip check box to the report. If the employee turns on this check box then clicks Submit Report, e-xpense calculates the per diem for the first day and last day on the report based on the percentage that you enter in the form’s Percent of Maximum Per Diem for First and Last Day field. |