Send reminders for missing receipts
Controllers and Account Owners can send reminders to collect missing receipts from requesters, either manually or automatically. This article explains both methods and how they interact with Play by the Rules.
For: Controllers and Account Owners.
Before you start
You need the Controller or Account Owner role to send reminders and configure notification settings.
Automatic weekly reminders only apply to users who are not assigned to a spending rule under Play by the Rules. Users on Play by the Rules receive targeted notifications instead (warning before being blocked, and confirmation once blocked).
You can send a custom reminder for a payment even if the requester already receives automatic weekly reminders.
The "Send reminder" button is disabled for 7 days after you send a reminder on the same payment.
Send a custom reminder
Navigate to Payments > All.
Select a payment that is missing a receipt.
Click the "..." button next to the payment.
Click "Send reminder".
Edit the email content if needed.
Click "Send" to notify the requester by email.
💡 Tip: If "Send reminder" appears greyed out, hover over the button. A tooltip confirms a reminder was already sent for this payment in the last 7 days.
Set up automatic weekly reminders
Navigate to Settings > Company settings > Notifications.
Locate the "Reminder of missing receipts" setting.
Select the day of the week for the reminder.
Select the time of day for the reminder.
Save your changes.
Requesters then receive a weekly recap email listing their payments with missing receipts, based on the day and time you set.
👥 Roles: This automatic reminder only applies to users who are not subject to a spending rule in Play by the Rules. To manage reminders for Play by the Rules, see "Admins: Set up Play By the Rules to collect more receipts and info!" in Related articles.
Mark a receipt as "cannot be provided" or invalid
Navigate to Payments > All.
Select the payment with the missing or incorrect receipt.
Click the "..." button next to the payment.
Select "Mark as cannot be provided" if the receipt was lost or is unavailable, or select "Mark as invalid" if the uploaded receipt is incorrect.
⚠️ Warning: Marking a receipt as "cannot be provided" stops all future reminders for that payment, but no receipt will ever be attached to it. Use this option only when the receipt genuinely cannot be obtained.
Marking a receipt as invalid sends an email notification to the requester, asking them to upload a valid receipt.
Troubleshooting
Symptom: The "Send reminder" button is greyed out and cannot be clicked.
Cause: A reminder was already sent for this payment within the last 7 days.
Resolution: Wait until the 7-day cooldown ends, or hover over the button to see when you can send the next reminder.
Symptom: A requester says they never receive weekly reminder emails.
Cause: The requester is assigned to a spending rule under Play by the Rules, so they don't receive the standard weekly reminder. They instead receive an email only when they are about to be blocked, or once blocked, due to late receipts.
Resolution: Check the requester's rule assignment in Settings > Organization > Members > [member] > Edit Member Profile > Settings & Policies > Receipt Controls. If you want them to receive standard weekly reminders instead, remove them from the Play by the Rules assignment.
Symptom: You can't enable automatic weekly reminders and a Play by the Rules rule for the same user.
Cause: These two reminder systems are mutually exclusive by design.
Resolution: Choose one system per user: standard weekly reminders, or a Play by the Rules spending rule.
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