Sanka

Finish expense reimbursement and approval from AI chat

Use Claude or Codex to draft expense requests, check receipts, route approvals, prepare reimbursement, and review the audit trail in Sanka.

Last updated: May 16, 2026

This guide shows how to use Claude or Codex connected to Sanka to move expenses through draft -> review -> approval -> reimbursement prep -> accounting review. Start by asking AI to read receipts or invoices and prepare drafts, then confirm the details before anything is submitted, approved, or marked as paid.
Claude/Codex
client-dinner-receipt.pdftaxi-receipt.jpg
I want to reimburse these two receipts. Please create expense drafts first, then check the amount, date, tax, category, approver, and duplicate candidates. Do not submit them yet.
Preparing expense drafts in SankaI prepared two expense drafts from the attached receipts. Please review the amount, tax, category, requester, department, approver, and any missing information before submission.
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Before you start

Check that you have the following ready.
  • Claude or Codex is connected to Sanka
  • Employees, departments, projects, and approval rules are available in Sanka
  • Receipt, invoice, or card statement files are ready to attach
  • Your team has expense categories, tax treatment, reimbursement methods, and payment schedules defined
  • You have permission to create expenses, review approvals, and prepare reimbursement
If you have not connected an AI agent yet, start with Claude setup or Codex setup.

Ask AI to draft the expense request

Open a new chat in Claude or Codex, attach receipts or invoices, and ask it to prepare expense drafts. Keep the first step as a draft so you can review it before submission or payment.
Sample prompt
/sanka I attached receipt files. Please create expense drafts and show the amount, date, vendor, category, tax treatment, requester, department, approver, duplicate candidates, and missing information. Do not submit them yet.
Ask the AI to check:
  • Receipt date, amount, currency, and tax treatment
  • Vendor, business purpose, and expense category
  • Requester, department, project, and cost center
  • Duplicate candidates with the same date, amount, and vendor
  • Unreadable or missing receipt information
  • Amounts or categories that change the approval route

Review before submission

After the draft is prepared, review the expense in Sanka. Ask the AI to explain what it read from the receipt and which fields need human confirmation.
Sample prompt
/sanka Review this expense draft before submission. Check whether the receipt matches the entered amount and date, whether a similar request already exists, and whether the selected approver is correct. Do not submit it yet.
If anything needs attention, update the draft before submission. If the receipt is unclear or the request may violate policy, ask the requester for a clearer receipt or additional explanation.

Check the approval route

Once the request is correct, route it for approval. Approval routing can use amount, category, department, project, or company policy.
Sample prompt
/sanka Show the approval route for this expense before I submit it. Explain who will approve it, why that route applies, and whether any receipt or policy issue blocks submission.
Common approval patterns include:
  • Small travel or office expenses go to the direct manager
  • Larger expenses or client entertainment require department head or finance review
  • Requests without receipts stay pending until the file is attached
  • Project expenses also route to the project owner

Prepare reimbursement

After approval, prepare reimbursement or payment records according to your team's rules. Before marking anything as paid, review bank transfer, payroll reimbursement, or company card handling.
Sample prompt
/sanka This approved expense is ready for reimbursement. Prepare a reimbursement draft and show the employee, amount, payment method, scheduled payment date, and linked expense. Do not mark it as paid yet.
Before confirming reimbursement, check:
  • The approved amount and reimbursed amount match
  • The payment method and scheduled payment date are correct
  • The expense request and reimbursement record are linked
  • Company card, employee reimbursement, and supplier invoice payment are not mixed
  • The status changes to reimbursed only after payment is complete

Checkpoints

Use Sanka logs and tables to review AI-prepared drafts, submissions, approvals, reimbursement prep, and accounting review. Logs help finance teams see who changed what and when.
Search Sanka...
Review expense reimbursement activity in logs

Logs

Search logsAll actionsAll dates
ID / ActionDateTarget / ItemChangeActor
4Reimbursement draft created2026/05/12 15:20Client dinner / ExpensePrepared payment details after approvalClaude / Codex
3Expense approved2026/05/12 14:42Client dinner / ExpenseManager approved the requestSales manager
2Expense submitted2026/05/12 13:18Client dinner / ExpenseSubmitted with receipt attachedRequester
1Expense draft reviewed2026/05/12 13:05Client dinner / ExpenseChecked amount, category, and duplicate candidatesClaude / Codex

You can also confirm requester, status, amount, receipt, approver, and reimbursement details from the expense table.

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