The quick answer
Create an Expense Report Policy with the matching dates, subsidiary, and expense category. Set Limit Type to Per day, Maximum Amount to 65, and Action to Do not allow outside limit. Test an eligible USD report with a 130 meal on one day, read the blocking policy message and Show Policies, then correct the expenses using their actual dates. Completing and saving a compliant report enters the account’s configured approval process; it does not approve or reimburse it.
The screenshots use sample data and fictional person and operating-company names.
Before you start
Enable the Expense Reports feature and confirm Expense Report Policies are available with standard approval routing. Use Administrator or a role with Expense Policies permission to create the rule. The test role must be allowed to enter reports for Morgan Ellis and access Northwind Services US and Meals and Entertainment. USD must be available for the employee under the account’s currency settings. Confirm the approval configuration and any custom form validation. This example uses Meals Daily Allowance with Start Date 10/01/2026. The illustrated administrator form exposes Complete and Save; Employee Center can use Submit instead. The resulting approval status depends on the account. Confirm conversion behavior before applying the cap to foreign-currency expenses. This walkthrough tests one report and one category; it does not establish a company-wide allowance across separate reports.
01. Set the policy scope
Locate Expense Report Policies in Accounting setup. The illustrated administrator menu uses Setup → Accounting → Expense Report Policies → New; availability and navigation depend on your role and account. Enter Meals Daily Allowance, set Start Date to 10/01/2026, and choose Northwind Services US and Meals and Entertainment. Leave Inactive clear. Blank filters broaden the rule to all values in that dimension, so leave them blank only for that intended scope.
02. Save the daily blocking cap
Choose Per day in Limit Type, enter 65 in Maximum Amount, and choose Do not allow outside limit in Action. Per individual Expense Line and Per individual Expense Report define different limits. Save, reopen the policy, and confirm its date, subsidiary, category, limit type, amount, and action.
03. Test the over-limit meal
This walkthrough opens Transactions → Employees → Enter Expense Reports and uses the administrator form’s Save control. Choose Standard Expense Report, purpose Client planning meals, and employee Morgan Ellis. Confirm US Dollar is available and the subsidiary is eligible. Enter Meals and Entertainment dated 10/05/2026 for 130, add the line, and attempt Save. The demonstrated form displays a blocking policy violation message. Dismiss it and inspect the marked expense line; the report remains editable. Use your account’s required submission route when testing another form.
04. Inspect Show Policies
Open Show Policies. Find Meals Daily Allowance and verify Per day, Maximum Amount 65, and Do not allow outside limit. Close the policy window. A warning action can permit an expense outside the limit, so confirm the action rather than relying on the policy name.
05. Correct actual expense dates and save
Remove the over-limit test line. Add two Meals and Entertainment lines for 65: one dated 10/05/2026 and one dated 10/06/2026. Use the dates when those meals actually occurred; moving a date solely to evade a cap is not a valid correction. On the illustrated form, mark Complete and Save. Employee Center may expose Submit instead; follow the account’s required route. Confirm both dates, each 65.00 amount, total 130, and the configured saved status. This replay shows EXP420 in Pending Accounting Approval; that status does not establish the routing behavior of every entry form.
06. Verify the rollout boundaries
A saved pending report has not been approved or reimbursed. Recommended checks before wider rollout include the exact boundary, a just-over amount, multiple matching lines on the same day, nonmatching categories, and date and subsidiary exclusions. These are unperformed tests in this walkthrough. The shown two-date report does not establish aggregation across separate reports.
Common questions
Is the limit per line, per report, or per day?
Per day applies the selected daily limit. It is different from Per individual Expense Line or Per individual Expense Report. The example saves 65 on each of two actual dates for a total of 130; it does not test several matching lines on one date or aggregation across separate reports.
Does a warning policy block an expense?
A warning-only action can permit an expense outside the limit. This policy uses Do not allow outside limit. On the illustrated administrator form, the 130 meal produces a blocking policy message and marked line. Submission controls can differ on other forms.
How do I find the policy behind the message?
Open Show Policies on the expense report. Check the matching policy’s scope, Limit Type, Maximum Amount, and Action. Here it lists Meals Daily Allowance with Per day, 65, and Do not allow outside limit.
Can I change the expense date to pass the cap?
Use the date the expense actually occurred. The corrected example contains meals on two actual dates, 10/05/2026 and 10/06/2026. Moving a date solely to evade the cap is not a valid correction.
Does Pending Accounting Approval mean the employee has been paid?
No. EXP420 is saved and pending approval in this account; it is neither approved nor reimbursed. Follow the account’s required entry and approval route. Employee Center may expose Submit where the illustrated administrator form uses Complete and Save.