Step-by-step guide to submitting your Expensify.org/hunger report for reimbursement

Sheena Trepanier · March 17

UPDATE June 2020:

[NEW] We're no longer accepting new participants as our focus is on reimbursing existing claims. Thanks for your understanding!

The number of families signing up for reimbursement has vastly outnumbered the limited funds available. Though we’re unable to provide a specific timeline on when your report will be reimbursed, we’re doing our best to drive donations and keep reimbursements moving forward. Rest assured, we’ll review every report that has been submitted per our instructions.

If you know anyone who can donate to this campaign please direct them to Expensify.org/donate.

How it works

Purchase food as normal with your SNAP card and save the receipt.
Download Expensify on iOS or Android, for free.
SmartScan the receipt, which will tell us how much you paid and show that it was paid for with an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card.
Double check your report is on the Expensify.org/hunger policy.
Set up your bank account to receive the funds
Submit it to [email protected] or let our system automatically do it later that night.
So long as we have funds available, we will reimburse up to $50 per family (one time), the very next day.

Now that you have an overview of how it works, you can find more in-depth instructions and visual examples below. If you get stuck at any point, please feel free to reach out to [email protected] with your questions!

Creating the expense

After you download the mobile app, use it to take a picture of your receipt with a clear total showing the amount paid with your SNAP benefits.

SmartScan will create an expense for you with the merchant, date and amount already filled in. Don't forget to edit the total to be $50 if your EBT purchase is greater than $50! If your purchase is less than $50, you will be reimbursed that amount and can submit another reimbursement with your next purchase to total $50.

Fill out the Category, Class and Description fields, then save the expense.
Scheduled Submit will create a report for you and place the expense on the report automatically.
Next, Scheduled Submit will submit the report for you at the end of the day.

Submitting the report

As long as your expense matches the example above, our automated system will submit the report for you and our team will review it. Once reviewed we will reimburse up to $50 to your bank account, once per family.

Scheduled Submit will place the expense on a report for you.
Check to make sure the report total is $50 or less and the policy is the Hunger policy.

Notice the banner at the top of the report, it reminds you that it will be submitted automatically. If the banner says anything else, take the action mentioned!

Sharing with others in need

Expensify.org's mission is to empower communities to help each other and increase everyday generocity, thank you for partnering with us and donating to future campaigns when you're able.

Sheena Trepanier · March 20

@KAGatton, @Meriahwhitson1 - I checked both your accounts and the instructions below fit your scenario. Please follow them and make sure your bank account is added so we can reimburse the funds to you.

When your report is Closed / Category is missing

If your report is Closed or your can't find the right category to apply to the expense and looks like the image below, please scroll down to the Correction steps section and follow the steps there.

Correction steps:

Changing the report's policy and coding the expense

Log into your Expensify account using your preferred web browser
Head to your Reports page and click on your report,
Click on the Undo Close button,

Next, click on the Policy dropdown at the top right of the report and choose the Expensify.org/hunger policy.

Now, click on your expense to open it to correct the category.

Select the correct category - Volunteer reimbursement - and the correct Class - Expensify.org/hunger, then Save the expense.

Lastly, click the Submit button or wait for our system to automatically submit your report later tonight.

Once your report looks like the picture below, you're report is ready.

The last thing you should check is to be sure your Personal Bank Account is connected and ready to receive the reimbursement funds.

Instructions for setting up your account can be found here.

Juniemoon · March 18

Just got word of this today!Thank you! As I am laid of for 2 weeks for not being "essential" . I just went food (SNAP) shopping the other day but may have tossed the receipt. I am searching but is there another way of I can't find it?

Kkupner · March 19

I cannot get mine to submit

SamIchBin · March 19

Same. Please, @Expensify_Admin_NY, please reply to my email sent to “[email protected]” requesting assistance. I wrote 2 days ago.

Sheena Trepanier · March 19

@Kkupner, thanks for reaching out. I see your first report was accidentally submitted on your personal policy instead of the Hunger policy. However, you've resubmitted on the correct policy and we've approved and reimbursed your report. Cheers!

@SamIchBin, thank you as well for the post. I see you had a similar situation a kkupner and have also submitted a correct report and been reimbursed.

We truly hope that this helps in some small way and that you have friends of family who can also benefit from it. Please share it with them and we will continue to reimburse people as long as we have the funds to do so.

Take care and stay safe and healthy.

Sheena Trepanier · March 19

@Juniemoon, thanks for the question! It's really important for us to have a receipt which shows a clear date and EBT purchase amount. We must follow some specific rules in order to donate these funds in this manner, and we have to be able to prove each recipient qualifies for the program. I'm sorry for this frustration, if we didn't have to do it this way we wouldn't!

I hope you find your receipt or are able to submit another receipt soon. Take care and stay safe!

Shani1 · March 19

Hi, I wanted to check and make sure that my receipt was submitted correctly.

ShannonC2017 · March 19

I wish i had a bank account to do this it would be a major help i wish we could use paypal as an option

Kenosha · March 19

I tried to submit my recipt but I'm not sure if I did it correctly, I wasn't able to choose the correct categories. Someone please help

Kristin_Keplar · March 19

Thank you so much for doing this! I will be sure to look further into you app as well!

TiffanyG · March 19

I just submitted my receipt for the $50 SNAP reimbursement but I don't know if I did it right. Was I supposed to wait for a confirmation email or notification after this one? "Your request to join the Expensify.org/hunger team has been sent! I'll reach out and let you know as soon as volunte[email protected] accepts."

I just went ahead and scanned my receipt, but there was no "Volunteer Reimbursement" in the category section, and there was no way to add it. There was also no "class" section whatsoever. I'm scared I won't be able to get it because I only have one smart scan left.

AshleyG · March 19

Can you provide the source that says this is legal? Getting money for your SNAP benefits is usually a felony.

Jon_stevenson · March 19

I submitted a picture of my receipt but as it was a long reciept o had to take multiple pictures and I was trying to manually enter it in and I. Not sure I sent it to the right Ace. I haven't received a confirmation other than my request to join was sent. Did I do this right?

Meriahwhitson1 · March 20

I think I might have done something wrong. It says my report was closed due to submit only-policy?

KAGatton · March 20

I got the same thing that says my report was closed due to submit only policy and there was no volunteer reimbursement or class section

AJB · March 20

https://community.expensify.com/discussion/comment/15129#Comment_15129

This is a reimbursement to aid struggling people . Not the sale of snap benifits. Please if you can't be supportive, be elsewhere! Why are you so concerned with a $50 one time benifit to low income people? Ebenezer Scrooge?

AJB · March 20

Unfortunately most of us have had no luck getting this funding. It was a nice idea though.

Shantell · March 20

Mine still says processing since yesterday when will I receive it.

Sheena Trepanier · March 20

@AJB - I see your report is processing and waiting for review. We've had volunteers working around the clock since this went live to process and send reimbursements and we are working towards yours as fast as we can.

Before we can send you the funds however, you will need to add your personal bank account so we can send you the deposit.

You can find step-by-step instructions on doing that here.

Once you've added your bank account and we've reviewed the report it will be reimbursed.

Kristyrhea · March 20

same thing being said on my report!

Sheena Trepanier · March 20

@Shantell - thanks for checking in!

I took a look and your report is processing with our team. As I mentioned above there is great demand for this benefit and we're working tirelessly to approve reports and find additional funding so we can keep helping.

I appreciate your patience and we're working as quickly as we can to help as many families as possible.

Sheena Trepanier · March 20

@Shani - thanks for posting! I checked your report and it shows it was reimbursed yesterday. You should be all set and see the funds today or Monday depending on your bank's processing time.

@TiffanyG and @Kenosha - I checked both your reports as well and they are currently processing and waiting for approval. We have had volunteers working 24/7 since this program was announced and we're getting to yours as soon as we possibly can.

To make sure reimbursement isn't delayed unnecessarily, please ensure you've added your personal bank account so we know where to send your money. You'll find instructions for doing this here, if you haven't already done so.

Capri · March 20

I cannot get my report to submit. It keeps closing. Please help

Missrayna · March 21

Seen a similar situation and I believe I got it right now. Thanks.

Amanda3485 · March 21

I wanted to make sure my receipt was submitted correctly. Some of the steps it says to do on here doesn't show up on the app. It says my ticket is closed but doesn't say why or if it was approved or how to fix it.

Anahernandez239 · March 21

Hi, I wanted to see if I submitted the receipt correctly?

Ladee · March 21

Unfortunately I'm having multiple problems. I think my account isn't a hunger account; though I followed the link.

Also, while trying to add my bank account, I wasn't able to complete the process because I signed up using the Google button so, I have no password to enter. Please help. Thanks so much for the blessing!

Lorraine_12_1w · March 21

Hopefully I did it right I need it

Cassandrax0 · March 21

I submitted my receipts a few days ago and according to the examples I think I did it right. I do see people who did it just today getting reimbursed so now I’m worried I didn’t do it right.

Brittalex1 · March 22

PLEASE HELP I dont have a option for volunteer reimbursement and do I make a new report and name it Expensify.org/hunger policy? I don't understand mine does not look like the one posted above and I desperately need this help!! Do I have to wait until I get accepted into the hunger policy first because I don't see options to change personal to hunger etc.