Admin Guide

1. Who is this section for?

This section is intended for those setting up and maintaining Travel Expenses for NetSuite – typically implementation specialists, system administrators, or finance leads with admin rights.  

Here you’ll find everything you need to set up and maintain the module: from granting employee access to keeping per diem rates up to date, defining subsidiary-specific settings, and managing approval workflows.  

Once configured, the system automates the heavy lifting — per diem calculations, expense categorization, and approvals — so you can focus on managing the process, not the paperwork.  

Whether you’re rolling out the module for the first time or fine-tuning it for additional subsidiaries, this guide provides a clear, practical roadmap to get you started quickly and keep things running smoothly.

2. Setup

Before you begin, please take a look at the General Setup Recommendations and make sure the right roles and permissions are in place. While no deep technical expertise is required, admin rights are essential for completing the setup. Below you’ll find the initial steps to get the module ready for use. 

Granting Employee Access

Go to: 

Lists > Employees > Employees, open the employee record, enable access, assign the Employee Center role, and save. 

Optionally send a notification email and set a new password.

Managing Expense Categories and Per Diem Rates

• View rates: 

Setup > Accounting > Travel Diem Rates.  

• Select an entry to see details (country, flat rates for arrival/departure days, 8h, 24h, overnight).  

To align with your internal chart of accounts, create expense categories:  

• Path: 

Setup > Accounting > Expense Categories > New.  

• Enter a name and description, then link the correct expense account.  

• Create internal-only categories (meals, accommodation, mileage). These are used for module calculations and must not be visible for employee selection.  

Defining Subsidiary Travel Expense Settings  

Each subsidiary needs its own configuration. Go to: 

Setup > Accounting > Set up AV Travel Expenses > New, select the subsidiary and valid-from date, and enter the domestic country.

Assign the internal categories for meals, accommodation, and mileage, then define the mileage allowances (per km for private cars and passengers). You can also set defaults for breakfast, lunch, and dinner deductions.  Save the record to activate the configuration.  

Important: Make sure to assign internal-only categories for meals, accommodation, and mileage. If employees can see and select these categories, calculations will not work correctly.

3. Key Features of Travel Expenses for NetSuite

The Travel Expenses module extends standard NetSuite with a few focused functions that make expense reporting faster, more reliable, and compliant.  

Built-in per diem rates

The module uses per diem rates for meals and accommodation based on German law. These are kept up to date by Alta Via.  

Journey & Journey Details records  

All travel data is entered once — start and destination, times, country, and mileage. Overnight stays are captured automatically.  

Automated expense line creation  

From this input, the module generates the correct expense lines and amounts. Users don’t need to calculate or enter per diem allowances manually.  

Approval Workflow  

The built-in workflow Approval Expense Report routes submissions through your company’s approval chain. It can be customized to reflect auditors, limits, and spending rules.  

Maintenance & yearly updates  

Per diem rates are updated annually and stored centrally in NetSuite, so the calculations stay accurate without additional admin effort.  

4. Configuration Tips & Technical Info

A few additional settings help ensure that Travel Expenses works smoothly and fits your company’s processes.  

Internal ID fields  

Some configuration records — such as expense categories or workflows — use internal NetSuite IDs.  In most cases these are created automatically and require no changes.  

If you do need to review or adjust them, you can enable Show Internal IDs under:  

Home > Set Preferences > General > Show Internal IDs.  

Only administrators with NetSuite experience should make changes here.  

Custom Expense Categories (internal-only)  

When setting up expense categories, create internal-only entries for meals, accommodation, and mileage.  

These categories are linked to the module’s calculations and must not be visible for employees in their expense reports. Clear naming (e.g. “Internal – Meals Allowance”) helps avoid confusion.