Last Updated on Apr 3, 2020 by James W
One of the greatest benefits of modern mobile technology is that many of the items that used to take up valuable space in your luggage or briefcase can now fit in your pocket. You’ve probably already replaced your books, calculators, travel alarms, and camera with apps. But have you found the right program to replace that dog-eared envelope full of business expense receipts? There are a number of choices on the market, with distinct approaches that will suit various users. Read on to choose the one that’s right for you.
AndroMoney
This native Android app has a simple, intuitive interface and packs a lot of functionality. AndroMoney is a general budgeting and financial management app. You can use it to manage just your business travel expenses or keep your business expenses as part of your overall financial record keeping.
The layout is bright and appealing, but the financial reporting is serious. Your reports will export as CSV files that you can send directly to accounting. This app doesn’t offer a system for photographing your receipts, so you’ll have to use your regular camera app for that and store them separately. AndroMoney is free, with a $4.99 upgrade option to eliminate advertising.
Travel Expense
If you prefer a more streamlined interface and a more specific app, Travel Expense might be what you’re looking for. This deceptively simple little app hones in on your travel expense tracking needs and does everything you need it to do. It offers a camera receipt function, so if you have a smartphone with a dependable, high-quality camera, you’ll be able to finally get rid of that receipt envelope.
Travel Expense will categorize your expenses, let you share reports by e-mail, and use the app’s database across multiple devices via Dropbox. The software is available in several languages and can use multiple currencies, so it’s a good choice for international businesses. The lite version of the app is free; the full version is $5.99.
Abukai Expenses
Do you want an app that makes tracking your business expenses blissfully simple? Then give Abukai Expenses a try. Take photos of your business expenses and let Abukai create expense reports for you. If most of your expenses come with a paper receipt, that’s all there is to it. You’ll need to look over the reports that get generated to make sure Abukai has picked up the correct data, but you won’t need to sit and do tedious entry except for cash expenses.
The mobile scanner app and up to 12 expense reports per year (up to 10 receipts) are free. For additional expense reports or customized apps for your staff, you’ll need to sign up for an expense account plan. The plans start at $99 per year for unlimited reports for a single user.
Expensify
Expensify is a popular full-featured business expense app with travel expense features. Like Abukai Expenses, the app uses your camera to capture receipts, saves the image so you can throw the paper receipt away, “reads” the receipt, and automatically enters the data into your expense report. Expensify also has functions to handle time billing and track your mileage. You can even sync your bank accounts and credit cards to make sure you’ve captured all your business expenses.
Expensify’s travel features include automatic currency conversion, free flight alerts, and automatic expense reports based on your itinerary. The personal Expensify app is free; small teams pay $5 monthly per team member and the corporate version costs $9 per active user each month.
To choose the best app for you, start by considering your needs. If you’re already tracking expenses with another app then you’ll want a simple system to store receipt images and generate expense reports. If you’re an on-the-go entrepreneur who isn’t already using an app to track your business expenses, then look into a more full-featured system that can encompass travel expense into a rich financial management environment or a business expense tracking method.
Whatever system you choose, get in the habit of using it consistently so you’ll always have up-to-date reports.
