Recording a refund in Concur means creating an expense entry that shows money coming back to you, not money going out
When you receive a refund for an expense you previously submitted in Concur, you do not delete the original expense. Instead, you create a new expense entry with a negative amount — this reduces your total reimbursement and keeps an audit trail of what happened. Concur treats refunds as negative expenses, which means the system subtracts them from what your company owes you rather than adding to it.
The process takes about five minutes and follows the same steps as entering any other expense, with one critical difference: you will enter the refund amount as a negative number (for example, -$45.00 instead of $45.00). This approach works whether the refund came from a vendor, a credit card company, or a merchant you contacted directly.
Key Takeaways
- Create a new expense entry in Concur for the refund rather than editing or deleting the original expense.
- Enter the refund amount as a negative number using the minus sign (for example, -$75.50) so Concur reduces your total reimbursement.
- Use the same expense category as the original purchase, or select "Refund" if your company has a dedicated refund category.
- Attach documentation showing the refund was processed — a credit card statement, email confirmation, or receipt from the merchant.
- Submit the refund entry through the same approval workflow as regular expenses, and it will offset the original amount in your report.
The step-by-step process for entering a refund
Open Concur and navigate to Expenses in the main menu. Click New Expense Report or add the refund to an existing open report — most people add it to the same report that contains the original expense, though Concur allows you to submit it separately if your original report is already approved.
Click Add Expense and fill in the date the refund was processed (not the date of the original purchase). Select the expense category that matches the original expense — if you originally submitted a meal as "Meals and Entertainment," use that same category for the refund. Some companies have a dedicated Refund or Credit category; check with your finance team about your organization's standard practice.
In the Amount field, type the refund amount with a minus sign in front: -$45.00. Do not use parentheses or any other format — Concur recognizes the minus sign as the negative indicator. Enter the merchant or vendor name in the Merchant field, and add a brief description in the Comment field such as "Refund for overcharge on hotel stay" or "Credit issued by airline."
Attach a document that proves the refund was issued. This can be a credit card statement showing the credit, an email confirmation from the merchant, a refund receipt, or a bank statement showing the deposit. Click Attach Receipt and upload the file. Submit the expense entry through your normal approval chain — your manager will see it as a negative amount and understand it reduces your total reimbursement.
Why Concur uses negative amounts instead of a separate refund type
Concur's design treats refunds as negative expenses because this method keeps the original transaction and the refund together in your audit history. If you deleted the original expense, there would be no record that you ever submitted it or that a refund was issued. If Concur had a separate "refund" button, the system would have to link it to the original expense manually, which creates room for error.
By entering a negative amount, Concur automatically nets the two transactions: the original $150 hotel charge and the -$50 refund appear in your report, and your reimbursement total reflects the actual $100 you are owed. This also makes it easier for your finance team to reconcile your expenses against your credit card statement, because both the charge and the credit appear in the same report.
Handling refunds when the original expense is already approved
If your original expense report has already been approved and paid, you can still submit a refund entry — it straightforward becomes a separate transaction. Create a new expense report (or add to a new one if your company prefers), enter the refund as a negative amount, and submit it. Your finance team will process it as a credit against future reimbursements or, depending on your company policy, may issue you a check for the refund amount.
Some companies require you to notify your manager or finance team when submitting a refund for an already-approved expense, so they understand the context. Check your company's expense policy or ask your manager whether you should send a note along with the submission. This prevents confusion about why a negative expense suddenly appears in the system weeks after the original report was closed.
Common mistakes to avoid when entering refunds
The most frequent error is entering the refund as a positive amount instead of negative. If you type $45.00 instead of -$45.00, Concur will add it to your reimbursement total rather than subtract from it, and you will be reimbursed twice for the same transaction. Always double-check the minus sign before you submit.
A second mistake is selecting the wrong expense category. If the original expense was "Travel" but you categorize the refund as "Office Supplies," your company's accounting system may not match them together, and your manager may question why you are claiming a credit in an unrelated category. Use the same category as the original expense unless your company has a specific refund category.
Do not attach the original receipt for the purchase — attach the refund documentation instead. Your original receipt is already in the first expense entry. The refund entry needs proof that the refund was actually issued: a credit card statement, a refund confirmation email, or a bank deposit receipt. This shows your finance team that the money actually came back to you.
What happens after you submit a refund entry
The refund entry goes through the same approval workflow as any other expense. Your manager will see it in their queue and can approve or ask questions about it. Once approved, the negative amount is recorded in your expense report and reduces your total reimbursement or creates a credit balance.
If the refund is submitted in the same report as the original expense, both appear together and net automatically. If it is submitted in a separate report after the original was already approved, your finance team will process it according to your company's policy — some issue a check for the credit, others explore it against your next reimbursement request.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I received a partial refund instead of a full refund?
Enter the refund amount as a negative number — for example, if you were refunded $30 out of a $75 charge, enter -$30.00. The original $75 expense and the -$30 refund will both appear in your report, showing a net cost of $45 to your company.
Can I edit the original expense instead of creating a new refund entry?
You can edit an expense if the report is still in draft status and has not been submitted for approval. If the original report is already submitted or approved, do not edit it — create a new refund entry instead. Editing an approved expense can cause reconciliation problems with your company's accounting system.
Do I need to attach a receipt for the refund if I have the original receipt?
Yes. The original receipt proves you made the purchase; the refund documentation proves the money came back. Attach a credit card statement, refund email, or bank deposit receipt showing the credit was issued. This gives your finance team proof that both transactions actually occurred.
What if the refund was issued to my credit card but I do not have a statement yet?
Wait until the credit appears on your statement, then submit the refund entry with the statement as proof. If you need to submit your expense report before the statement arrives, attach the refund confirmation email from the merchant or credit card company instead, and note in the comment field that the credit is pending.
Will a refund entry reduce the amount my company owes me?
Yes. If you submitted a $100 expense and received a $30 refund, your net reimbursement is $70. The refund entry appears as a negative amount and reduces your total. If the refund is larger than the original expense, you may end up with a credit balance that your company will handle according to its policy.