Finance

Expense Approval Flow Diagram (Tiered Sign-Off Tree)

Decision tree for routing employee expense claims through approval tiers.

Free to start · Fully editable · Export to SVG, PNG, GIF & MP4

What's in this template

7 connected components you can rename, recolor, and extend with AI.

Policy & Receipt CheckUnder $500: Manager Approval$500-$5000: Finance ApprovalOver $5000: Director Sign-offApproved: ReimbursementPayout to EmployeeRejected: Return to Employee

An expense approval flow diagram is a decision tree showing how an employee expense claim is reviewed and approved based on amount and policy. It branches from claim submission through policy checks, manager approval for smaller amounts, finance or director sign-off for larger ones, and rejection or reimbursement outcomes.

Finance controllers, HR teams, and operations leads use this diagram to enforce spend policy, set approval thresholds, and configure tools like Expensify, Ramp, or SAP Concur. It clarifies who approves what, when escalation kicks in, and how reimbursements get paid out.

Great for

  • Finance policy documentation
  • Employee handbook diagrams
  • Spend tool configuration
  • Controller and AP training
  • Audit and compliance reviews

Frequently asked questions

What is an expense approval flow?+

It is the routing logic that sends an employee expense claim to the right approver based on amount and policy, ending in either reimbursement or rejection.

How do approval thresholds work?+

Thresholds set spending tiers so small claims need only manager sign-off, mid-size claims require finance review, and large claims escalate to a director or executive.

What are the components of an expense approval process?+

Key elements are claim submission, policy and receipt validation, tiered approvers, rejection handling, and the reimbursement payout step.

How do you automate expense approvals?+

Platforms like Ramp, Expensify, and SAP Concur let you encode policy rules and thresholds so claims route automatically to the correct approver and reimburse on approval.

Related templates

View all Finance

Make it yours in seconds

Open the expense approval flow diagram (tiered sign-off tree) in the Infogiph canvas, then edit, animate, and export.

Use this template