Set up custom per diem rates
Admins can create custom per diem policies and define their own reimbursement rates for any country using an Excel template.
Note: German entities have a separate per diem setup with rates maintained by Spendesk.
⚠️ The examples in this article are for guidance only and should not be treated as legal, tax, or payroll advice. Always confirm your rates and rules with your payroll, tax, or legal advisor before activating a policy.
Create a policy
Go to Settings → Company rules → Reimbursements → Per diem allowances
Enable per diem allowances if needed, then click New policy.
Select an effective date.
Download the Excel template, fill it in, and upload it.
Review any validation errors, then create the policy.
Employees can then submit per diem requests under the configured policy.
The Excel template
Country code — Required.
ISO 3166alpha-2code (e.g. FR, US, GB). See guide.Specific destination — Optional. City or area (e.g. Paris area, New York). Leave empty for the country-wide rate.
Currency — Required. Currency for all amounts in that row.
Reduced allowance — Amount for first/last travel days or partial days.
Daily allowance — Amount for full travel days.
Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner — Amounts used when meals affect the calculation.
Meal rule — How meal amounts are applied (see below).
Lodging — Amount used when accommodation affects the calculation.
Lodging rule — How lodging amounts are applied (see below).
Each country must have at least one country-wide row (Specific destination left empty) as a fallback. Destination-specific rows are optional.
Meal and lodging rules
Add if incurred — the amount is added if the employee paid for it.
Deduct if provided — the amount is deducted if the company provided or paid for it.
Disabled — meals or lodging don't affect the calculation. Employees won't be asked to declare them.
Effective dates and policy periods
Each policy applies from its effective date. Most companies create one policy per year. When rates change, create a new policy with a new effective date.
Note: a single per diem request cannot span two different policy periods. If a trip crosses into a new period, the employee should submit separate requests.
Configuration examples by country
The following examples show common configuration patterns. They are not legal or payroll advice. Use them as a starting point and adapt them to your company policy and local requirements.
Germany
Germany continues to be supported separately with up-to-date rates maintained by Spendesk.
For custom configurations, Germany generally maps well to a daily allowance model:
Reduced allowance for arrival/departure or partial days
Daily allowance for full days
Meal amounts deducted when meals are provided
Lodging handled separately or through a lodging allowance if your company uses one
Example configuration:
Country code: DE
Currency: EUR
Reduced allowance: 14
Daily allowance: 28
Breakfast: 5.60
Lunch: 11.20
Dinner: 11.20
Meal rule: Deduct if provided
Lodging: 20
Lodging rule: Deduct if provided
Use the official German support when applicable. Only use custom configuration if your company intentionally manages its own rates.
France
France may require different setup depending on whether the trip is domestic or international.
France domestic travel
For domestic travel, companies often configure the policy as item-based reimbursement rather than a daily allowance.
A common setup is:
Reduced allowance: 0
Daily allowance: 0
Meals: added if incurred
Lodging: added if incurred
Breakfast: often disabled or set to 0, depending on your policy
Example configuration:
Country code: FR
Currency: EUR
Reduced allowance: 0
Daily allowance: 0
Breakfast: 0
Lunch: 21.10
Dinner: 21.10
Meal rule: Add if incurred
Lodging: 75.60
Lodging rule: Add if incurred
French employees travelling abroad
For international travel from a French entity, companies may use a destination-based daily allowance with deductions when accommodation or meals are provided.
A common setup is:
Daily allowance: official or company-validated international rate
Reduced allowance: company-validated reduced rate if applicable
Meals: deducted if provided
Lodging: deducted if provided
Example configuration:
Country code: GB
Currency: EUR
Reduced allowance: 100
Daily allowance: 160
Breakfast: 0
Lunch: 28
Dinner: 28
Meal rule: Deduct if provided
Lodging: 104
Lodging rule: Deduct if provided
In this example, the meal and lodging deduction amounts would be calculated from your validated international allowance rules.
United States
For US-based policies, companies often separate:
Meals and incidentals
Lodging
A common setup is:
Daily allowance: full meals and incidental allowance
Reduced allowance: first/last day amount, often a percentage of the full daily allowance
Meals: deducted if provided
Lodging: added if incurred only if your company pays a flat lodging allowance through per diem
If lodging is reimbursed through regular expenses instead, set lodging to Disabled.
Example configuration — US (general):
Country code: US
Currency: USD
Reduced allowance: 44.25
Daily allowance: 59
Breakfast: 13
Lunch: 15
Dinner: 26
Meal rule: Deduct if provided
Lodging: 107
Lodging rule: Add if incurred
Example configuration — US (New York):
Country code: US
Specific destination: New York
Currency: USD
Reduced allowance: 60
Daily allowance: 80
Breakfast: 18
Lunch: 20
Dinner: 36
Meal rule: Deduct if provided
Lodging: 300
Lodging rule: Add if incurred
If you use official US rates, make sure your finance or payroll team validates the applicable rates, destination coverage, first/last day handling, meal breakdown, and lodging treatment.
Spain
Spain generally works well with a daily allowance setup.
A common setup is:
Reduced allowance for days without overnight stay or reduced days
Daily allowance for days with overnight stay or full days
Meal impact disabled unless your company has an internal rule for reducing allowances when meals are provided
Lodging handled separately, unless your company uses a flat lodging allowance
Example configuration — Spain (general):
Country code: ES
Currency: EUR
Reduced allowance: 26.67
Daily allowance: 53.34
Breakfast: 0
Lunch: 0
Dinner: 0
Meal rule: Disabled
Lodging: 0
Lodging rule: Disabled
Example configuration — Spain (international):
Country code: ES
Specific destination: International
Currency: EUR
Reduced allowance: 48.08
Daily allowance: 91.35
Breakfast: 0
Lunch: 0
Dinner: 0
Meal rule: Disabled
Lodging: 0
Lodging rule: Disabled
If your company wants to reduce the allowance when meals are provided, define the deduction amounts internally and use Deduct if provided.
Switzerland
Switzerland is often policy-driven. Many companies define their own internal reimbursement rates and validate them with payroll or tax advisors.
A common setup is:
Daily and reduced allowances if your company uses a daily policy
Or daily/reduced allowances set to 0 with meals and lodging added if incurred
Lodging disabled if accommodation is reimbursed through a separate expense process
Example configuration:
Country code: CH
Currency: CHF
Reduced allowance: 0
Daily allowance: 0
Breakfast: 15
Lunch: 25
Dinner: 35
Meal rule: Add if incurred
Lodging: 0
Lodging rule: Disabled
This lets you reflect your company's policy while keeping the setup simple.
United Kingdom
UK per diem rules can vary depending on whether you use domestic benchmark scale rates, overseas subsistence rates, or company-specific rates.
The current custom template can support UK policies with some limitations, especially when you translate the policy into reduced and daily allowance amounts.
A simple configuration pattern could be:
Reduced allowance for shorter or partial trips
Daily allowance for full-day or overnight trips
Meal amounts deducted if the allowance already includes meals
Lodging added if incurred or disabled if reimbursed separately
Example configuration — UK (general):
Country code: GB
Currency: GBP
Reduced allowance: 10
Daily allowance: 25
Breakfast: 0
Lunch: 0
Dinner: 0
Meal rule: Disabled
Lodging: 0
Lodging rule: Disabled
Example configuration — UK (London):
Country code: GB
Specific destination: London
Currency: GBP
Reduced allowance: 40
Daily allowance: 80
Breakfast: 10
Lunch: 25
Dinner: 35
Meal rule: Deduct if provided
Lodging: 180
Lodging rule: Add if incurred
UK hourly thresholds and some overseas rate structures may require additional interpretation. For strict UK-specific calculations, confirm the setup with your payroll advisor.
Austria
Austria commonly uses hourly or fraction-based calculation methods, such as twelfths of a daily rate.
The current template can support simplified Austrian configurations, but it does not fully model every hourly or cross-border calculation method.
A simplified setup could be:
Reduced allowance for partial travel days
Daily allowance for full travel days
Meal and lodging rules based on your company policy
Example configuration:
Country code: AT
Currency: EUR
Reduced allowance: 15
Daily allowance: 30
Breakfast: 0
Lunch: 15
Dinner: 15
Meal rule: Deduct if provided
Lodging: 17
Lodging rule: Add if incurred
If your company needs strict hourly or twelfth-based calculations, validate the configuration with payroll before activating the policy.
Poland
Poland can often be represented using a daily allowance model with reduced and full-day amounts.
A common setup is:
Reduced allowance for shorter or partial days
Daily allowance for full days
Meal deductions when meals are provided, if required by your company policy
Lodging rules based on your policy and documentation requirements
Example configuration:
Country code: PL
Currency: PLN
Reduced allowance: 22.50
Daily allowance: 45
Breakfast: 11.25
Lunch: 11.25
Dinner: 22.50
Meal rule: Deduct if provided
Lodging: 0
Lodging rule: Disabled
Polish rules may include minimum statutory amounts and destination-specific international rates. Confirm the setup with your payroll advisor.
Current limitations
Requests must be at least 8 hours long.
A single request cannot span two policy periods.
If no rate exists for the employee's destination country, they cannot submit a request until the policy is updated.
Frequently asked questions
Can I have different rates for different cities?
Yes. Add one row per city using the same country code and a different Specific destination value.
What if the employee's country isn't in the template? They'll see an error. Add the missing country to the Excel file and re-upload it.
Can I disable meals or lodging? Yes. Set the relevant rule to Disabled — for example, if lodging is reimbursed through a separate expense flow.
Are the template examples legally compliant?
No. They illustrate the expected format only. Always validate rates and rules with your payroll or tax advisor.