Frequently asked questions

Getting started

Q What is Xpenser?

A We were fed up with how painful expense reports and tracking were. After many experiments we found a workable solution: record expenses as soon as they happen and forget about them.

Xpenser lets you do just that - record expenses via whatever means are available to you quickly and painlessly. Send them in via Email, SMS, IM, or voice (call a number and say your expense). Use the iPhone, Android, or WebOS native applications. From your Blackberry, email "Lunch 78.50 with BigClient" and it's recorded. From your phone, SMS "exp groceries 27.13". From your computer, IM "Equipment 889.19 backup server". From your phone, call and say "taxi 39 office to airport".

Use the Web interface to edit and finalize them or export them to your favorite financial management software. No more forgetting your cash expenses, no more half-day expense entry sessions.

If you track expenses or do expense reports, give it a try. We're pretty sure you'll like it. It's free and we'll never spam you.

Q Why didn't I get my registration confirmation?

A If you haven't received the confirmation email within a few minutes please check your spam box. Sometimes the validation code triggers the spam filtering.

If you don't see it there contact us with the details and we'll get you set up.

Q What formats do you support for receipts?

A We support JPG, GIF, PNG, PDF, HTML, and plain text. You can also email us your online receipts and we'll automatically figure out which part of the email is the receipt and add it to your expense report.

If there are other formats you'd like to see supported please let us know at feedback@xpenser.com .

Q How much do you charge for SMS messages?

A We don't charge anything, it's free. However, standard SMS text messaging rates from your cell phone provider do apply; please check your mobile phone contract.

Q Does Xpenser work well internationally? Are non-US users supported?

A Yes, Xpenser provides strong support for non-US currencies, customers, and features. We have customers and users in just about every corner of the world.

Q Does Xpenser support VAT / GST / other tax tracking?

A Yes, Xpenser provides strong support for VAT, GST, and user defined taxes. You can define your taxes and tax rates via the Account Settings page, and include your tax keywords in your submissions to record items with tax.

Q What is your privacy policy?

A Your privacy is very important to us. Please take a look at our Privacy Policy, and let us know if you have any feedback.

Q I really need feature X. Can you add it?

A We love feedback, so let us know what's on your mind and we'll do our best to accommodate it.

Developers

Q Do you offer APIs so I can integrate my own apps with Xpenser?: A Xpenser offers a comprehensive set of APIs that are under very heavy use by our partners, the iPhone, Android, and other mobile apps that support Xpenser, and from customer integrations with their internal systems.
We are very supportive of third parties building on top of Xpenser, integrating with it, or building new interfaces, so feel free to jump in and use the APIs, and please let us know what you're working on at api@xpenser.com and we're happy to support you.

How To

Q How do I modify my expenses? Where's the "Edit" button?: A You can modify most things in place. Try clicking on what you want to modify.
Q Can I add other email addresses to my account?: A Absolutely, via the Account page.
Q How can I track my mileage?: A Using the "mileage" keyword. Turn on mileage tracking via the Keywords page and set your desired mileage-to-currency conversion rate (eg. IRS standard 0.51). Include the keywords "miles" or "mileage" in your submitted expenses - for example, "driving 64 miles office to client" or "mileage 100 customer visit".
Q How do I submit receipts using my mobile phone's camera?: A Via the iPhone, Android, or WebOS apps, or e-mail and MMS. If you are not using the native apps, take a picture of the receipt using your cell phone and email the image to r@xpenser.com with the normal subject format—for example, "lunch $32 with Jake". Please make sure your cell phone's sender address is registered with Xpenser, particularly if you are sending messages via MMS.
Q Can I specify the date of the expense?: A Yes, see the Keywords page for instructions. You can include the date explicitly, or conversationally — for example, "taxi $19 date last wed"
Q How do I use SMS outside of US and Canada?: A Via Twitter. SMS expense submission is available via Twitter outside of US and Canada. Please take a look at the Using Xpenser with Twitter article for details of how to use the service.

Integration

Q Does Xpenser integrate with QuickBooks?: A Xpenser integrates with both QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks online, enabling you to easily synchronize and reimburse your expense reports.
QuickBooks integration is available in Xpenser For Business, and can be enabled via the QuickBooks tab under the Account page.
Q Does Xpenser integrate with Microsoft Dynamics GP?: A Xpenser integrates with Microsoft Dynamics GP, enabling you to easily synchronize and reimburse your expense reports.
Dynamics integration is available in Xpenser For Business. Contact us and we will get you setup.

Troubleshooting

Q Why are my expense submissions not showing up in Xpenser?

A You've probably registered multiple accounts. The most frequent cause is that you've registered multiple accounts. You created a "me@somewhere.com" account, later forgot that you already have an account and created a new "me@anotherplace.com", and are now looking for your expenses in the second account when they're actually going to the first account. If that's not the case contact us with the details and we'll make sure we get you setup correctly.

Q Why aren't my receipts being recorded?

A Please be sure to send expenses with receipts to r@xpenser.com (for receipt) instead of e@xpenser.com. The subject of the email is the same—for example, "lunch $32 with Jake". Also make sure the email address your receipts are being sent from is registered with Xpenser. This is particularly common when sending emails via MMS or non-PDA mobile phones.

To fix this, send an MMS message with the receipt attached to your yourself and look at what the sender address is (the sender could look like 5555558329@mms.att.net). Add this address to your registered email addresses via the Account page and you should be ready to go.

If you're still having trouble please contact us with the details and we'll make sure we get you setup correctly.

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