Create an expense batch

Updated in November - 2025 | Subscribe to watch greytHR how-to video

In many companies, reimbursing employee expenses is a recurring task. Employees often submit multiple expense requests such as travel, meals, or office-related costs over the course of a month. 

Manually reviewing and paying each individual expense claim can be error-prone and time-consuming. Instead of processing each request separately, companies typically prefer to review and pay approved requests in groups, either weekly, fortnightly, or monthly.

The expense batch configuration in greytHR, allows you, as an admin, to group multiple approved expense requests together and mark them as paid in one go. You can either create these batches manually or configure the system to create them automatically at set intervals. 

To configure access rights for the feature, from the greytHR Admin portal, click the Settings icon > User Administration > User > User Roles.

1. Select the admin user role card and click the Edit icon.

2. From the Category dropdown list, select Expense Management. The table displays all the related features.

3. Enable the Read Access and Write Access checkboxes for features such as Expense Batch and Expense Management.

4. Click Save.

Create an expense batch manually

To create an expense batch manually, hover over the 9 dots and go to Expense > Admin Tools > Batch Configuration.

1. Click Create Batch and select Manual Batch. 

2. In the slider that appears, enter the Batch Name. You can select a Date Range (From and To).  All expense requests approved within this date range will be grouped under this batch.

3. Click Create to generate the batch.
   Once created, the batch will appear in the listing page, showing key details like Batch Name, Batch Type, Batch Duration, Total Number of Requests, Total Amount, and payment Status.

Create an expense batch automatically

If you prefer automation, you can configure the system to create batches at regular intervals. Automating the creation of expense batches helps reduce manual errors and saves time by ensuring a consistent payout process.

To create an expense batch manually, hover over the 9 dots and go to Expense > Admin Tools > Batch Configuration.

1. Click Create Batch and select Automatic.

2. In the Automatic Batch Scheduler that appears, define the Batch Code, Period Days, Ends On, End Date and click Create.
   Note:

• Once automatic batch creation is enabled, manual batch creation will be disabled to prevent duplication.

• You can disable automatic batch creation at any time by toggling it off and setting an End Date.

• Once an End Date is set, the system will display a note confirming when the automation will stop.

Once a batch is created, from the Batch Configuration page, you can:

• View all approved expense requests included in the batch

•  Mark requests as Paid (individually or in bulk)

• Track the payment status of each batch (Paid, Unpaid, Partially Paid)

• Lock the batch to prevent any further changes or new approvals from being added

View and edit batches

All created batches (manual or automatic) are listed on the Batch Listing Page. For each batch, you can see: Batch Name, Batch Type (Manual/Automatic), Batch Duration, Total Expense Request, Total Amount, and Status (Paid, Unpaid, or Partially Paid).
You can click View Details to open the batch summary.

Note:

• Once a batch is created, it cannot be edited except for marking payments.

• For automatic batches: The date range cannot be edited; only the batch name can be edited.

• For manual batches: Both the batch name and date range can be edited.

• For locked batches (manual or automatic): Editing or deleting is not allowed.

Mark expenses as paid

Once the batch is open and you're on the detail page, you’ll see a full list of all the expense requests included in that batch. This page will display information such as the Expense batch, batch period (date range), total requests,  status, and  total amount. Below that, each expense request is listed with these details such as Employee Name, Expense Category, Submitted Date, Amount, Payment Date, Remarks

You can select one or more expense records and mark them as paid. After selecting the records, click on the Mark as Paid button. A pop-up will appear where you’ll need to provide a few payment details:

• Payment Method – For example, Bank Transfer, UPI, or Cash.

• Payment Date – When was the amount paid

• Remarks – Optional, but you can add notes like “Paid with salary” or “Transferred via bank.”

After this information is saved, the selected requests will be moved to the Payment Completed tab and the payment details will become visible to the employees. This makes it easier to track which expense requests have been paid and which are still pending.

Undo payment status

If you’ve accidentally marked a request as paid, or if there’s a need to move it back for any reason, you can undo the payment update easily.

To do this:

1. Go to the Payment Completed tab inside the batch.

2. Click Move to Pending for the request you want to revert.

3. Enter the reason and any additional remarks explaining why it’s being moved.

Once done, that request will move back to the list of unpaid items. This ensures that you can correct mistakes or reprocess payments when needed.

Lock a batch

Once you start working on a batch, especially if you have begun reviewing or paying requests, you may want to prevent new expense requests from being reviewed for that batch period. This helps avoid changes to the batch when you're finalizing reports or payments.

To lock a batch:

1. On the Batch Configuration page, select the batch you want to lock and click the Lock option and confirm.

 Note: You can also delete or unlock a batch by clicking delete/unlock options.

Once a batch is locked:

• Managers will no longer be able to review any new expense requests submitted for that batch duration.

• Employees can still submit new requests, but those requests will not be added to the locked batch.

• You can unlock the batch later if you want to allow further changes or reviews.

Create an expense batch from greytHR: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Expense Batch Configuration feature in greytHR?

The Expense Batch Configuration helps to group multiple approved employee expense requests together and process them as a single batch. This makes it easier to track, pay, and manage expense reimbursements.

Why should I use batch processing for expenses?

Reviewing and paying individual expense requests can be time-consuming. Batching helps streamline the process by letting you approve and mark multiple requests as paid in one go, either manually or through automation.

How do I enable access to configure Expense Batch in greytHR?

To allow a user role to create and manage Expense Batches, from the greytHR Admin portal go to Settings > User Administration > Users > User Roles in the greytHR Admin portal.

1. Select the Admin User Role card and click the Edit icon.

2. From the Category dropdown, choose Expense Management. The related features will appear in a table.

3. Enable Read Access and Write Access for Expense Batch and Expense Management.

4. Click Save.

How do I create an expense batch manually?

To create a batch manually, from your greytHR Admin portal hover over the 9 dots and go to Expense > Admin Tools > Batch Configuration.

Click Create Batch, and select Manual Batch. Enter the batch name and the date range. All approved expense requests within that date range will be grouped under the batch.

Can I set the system to create expense batches automatically?

Yes. You can configure Automatic Batch Creation by defining the batch code, period days (e.g., every 15 days), and end settings. The system will then create batches automatically at regular intervals.

What happens once automatic batch creation is enabled?

Once enabled, manual batch creation is disabled to prevent overlapping data. However, you can disable automatic creation anytime by toggling it off or setting an end date.

Where can I see the list of batches created?

All created batches, whether manual or automatic, are available on the Batch Listing Page. Each entry displays the batch name, type, date range, total requests, total amount, and payment status (Paid, Unpaid, or Partially Paid).

Can I edit a batch after it’s created?

Once a batch is created, editing is limited:

• For automatic batches: You can edit the batch name, but the date range cannot be changed.

• For manual batches: Both the batch name and date range can be edited.

• If the batch is locked (manual or automatic), editing or deleting is not allowed.

How do I mark expense requests as paid?

1. From the greytHR Admin portal hover over the 9 dots and go to Expense > Admin Tools > Batch Configuration.

2. Open a batch and select the expense request you have paid. 

3. Click Mark as Paid, and enter the payment date, method (Bank Transfer, UPI, cash, cheque etc.), and optional remarks. 

Once saved, the expense request move to the Payment Completed tab.

What does locking a batch mean?

Locking a batch prevents any new expense requests from being reviewed or added for that date range. Managers won’t be able to review the expense requests in that period, but employees can still submit them. You can unlock the batch later if needed.

Can I delete an expense batch?

You cannot delete an expense batch if it is locked. Manual batches can be deleted only when unlocked, while automatic batches cannot be deleted at all.

What is the difference between Paid, Unpaid, and Partially Paid batch statuses?

• Paid – All expense requests in the batch are marked as paid.

• Unpaid – No expense requests in the batch are paid.

• Partially Paid – Some expense requests are paid, while others are still pending.

Related Articles:

Configure expense policies in greytHR

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