Managing expenses is an essential but often dreaded part of running a business. Unfortunately, mistakes in expense reporting are more common than many realize.

According to a study by The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), 19% of all expense reports contain errors. These mistakes can range from small data entry issues to significant policy violations, all of which can cost businesses time, money, and even compliance penalties.

But why are so many reports incorrect, and what can companies do about it?

Most mistakes in expense reports stem from manual data entry. When employees manually input data, the chances for human error increase dramatically. A report by ExpenseWatch found that businesses spend an average of 18 minutes processing a single expense report, but errors can add 20-25 minutes of rework for each incorrect submission.

“The most common mistake we see is employees inputting the wrong amount or attaching incorrect receipts,” says Lisa Martin, VP of Finance at ExpenseEase. “These errors can seem minor, but they add up quickly in both time and cost.”

Duplicate expense submissions are another frequent issue. In a Chrome River survey, 15% of respondents admitted to accidentally submitting the same expense twice. This often occurs because employees lose track of what they’ve submitted, or because they use outdated, cumbersome processes that lack oversight and automation.

“Without an automated system, it’s easy to make mistakes like duplicate submissions,” explains Tom Evans, CEO of SpendTrack Solutions. “Automation can flag these errors instantly, preventing overpayments.”

Employees are sometimes unaware of their company’s specific spending policies, leading to errors in expense reporting. For instance, Certify found that 20% of all expense reports violate company policies, whether due to ignorance or unclear guidelines. These violations can result in unapproved expenses slipping through the cracks or needing to be rejected and resubmitted, both of which waste time and resources.

“Clear guidelines, paired with automated expense management systems, ensure that employees are submitting reports that are compliant from the start,” says Jack Moore, CFO of ExpenseX.

Mistakes in expense reports also contribute to delays in employee reimbursements. According to SAP Concur, 43% of employees experience delayed reimbursements due to errors in their submitted reports. This not only impacts employee satisfaction but also affects company cash flow and payroll efficiency.

“Every time a report has to be sent back for correction, it delays reimbursement,” says Jane Hopkins, Head of Finance at QuickExpense. “And frustrated employees are less motivated to submit timely, accurate reports in the future.”

The financial impact of mistakes in expense reports can be staggering. American Express Global Business Travel estimates that correcting an expense report error can cost a business £41 per report on average. Multiply this across hundreds or thousands of reports annually, and the costs add up quickly.

“The cost of fixing a single mistake might seem small, but over time, it becomes a major expense,” says Samantha Green, Financial Analyst at PayRight Solutions. “Automating the process from the start reduces errors and saves both time and money.”

One of the most significant developments in expense management is the use of open banking to collect live credit card data feeds. This integration allows businesses to automatically pull real-time transaction data directly from employee credit cards into their expense management system, dramatically improving the accuracy of reports.

Open banking provides instant verification of expenses by eliminating manual data entry and reducing the likelihood of human error. Furthermore, because the data is coming directly from the bank, it ensures that each transaction is accurate, properly categorized, and matched with the correct receipt in real-time.

“The introduction of open banking and live data feeds has been a game-changer for companies looking to improve accuracy,” says Sarah Johnson, CFO at FinSync Solutions. “With this integration, we’ve seen error rates drop by as much as 70%, making the entire process faster and more reliable.”

Additionally, using live data feeds speeds up the reconciliation process, as transactions are automatically verified against bank records without needing manual checks. This reduces not only mistakes but also the time spent on correcting errors.

Automation is the clear solution to reducing mistakes in expense reports. Modern expense management systems, especially those integrated with open banking for live credit card data feeds, can automatically detect discrepancies, flag policy violations, and prevent duplicate submissions.

By adding Document Scanning for Expenses, linking them to credit cards transactions, and integrating into the business systems like Purchase Order and Accounting systems, a lot of time and costs can be saved.

By adopting an automated solution, companies can avoid the costly, time-consuming process of correcting mistakes and ensure that their expense reports are right the first time.

At Systematics, we develop custom expense management systems that integrate with systems and deliver perfect fit for your business. Have you automated your expense management process yet? What hurdles have you faced? Let’s discuss in the comments.