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APSense documentation

First-time setup guide

Welcome to APSense! This guide helps you quickly set up your account and personalize your experience. You will create your account, configure essential permissions, organize your workspaces, customize expense categories, set notification preferences, and create your first expense report.

Create Your Account

Establish your user identity and secure access to the APSense platform.

  1. Download the APSense app from your device’s app store or access the web application.
  2. Choose your sign-up method:
    • Sign in with Google: Use your existing Google account for a quick setup.
    • Sign up with email and password: Create a new APSense account using your email address. You will need to verify your email address to complete the setup.
  3. Complete the sign-up process.

Expected Result: You are signed in and directed to the main dashboard. A “Personal” workspace is automatically created for you, ready to organize your expenses.

Configure Mobile Permissions

Enable the app to use your device’s hardware for essential features like receipt scanning and mileage tracking.

  1. Grant Camera Access: When prompted, allow APSense to access your device’s camera. This permission is necessary for scanning physical receipts.
  2. Grant Location Access: When prompted, allow APSense to access your device’s location. This permission is essential for accurately tracking mileage for your business trips.

Expected Result: The app has access to your camera and location services. You can now use the “Scan Receipt” feature without further camera prompts, and the “Log Mileage” feature can detect your current coordinates.

Set Up Your Workspaces

Organize your expenses by separating personal spending from business or project-related costs.

  1. Access Workspaces: Navigate to the Settings screen, then select Workspaces.
  2. Review Your Personal Workspace: You will see a “Personal” workspace already created. This is your default space for general expenses.
  3. Create a New Workspace:
    • Tap the + icon or “Create New Workspace” option.
    • Enter a Name for your new workspace (e.g., “Project X,” “Freelance Work”).
    • Choose a Color to easily distinguish it from other workspaces.
    • Optionally, add a Description and Avatar Text or Image URL.
    • Tap Save.
  4. Switch Workspaces: Select any workspace from the list to make it active. The active workspace determines where new expenses and reports are created.

Expected Result: You have distinct areas for different types of financial tracking. You can easily switch between them, and the active workspace is clearly indicated.

Customize Categories and Payment Methods

Tailor the data entry fields to match your specific accounting needs, making expense logging faster and more accurate.

  1. Access Expense Settings: Go to Settings, then select Expense Settings.
  2. Manage Categories:
    • Tap on Categories to view the default list (e.g., “Meals,” “Travel,” “Supplies & Materials”).
    • Add a new category: Tap the + icon, enter a name, and optionally choose an icon.
    • Rename a category: Select an existing category, edit its name, and save.
    • Remove a category: Select a category and choose the delete option.
  3. Manage Payment Methods:
    • Tap on Payment Methods to view the default list (e.g., “Credit Card,” “Cash,” “Bank Transfer”).
    • Add a new payment method: Tap the + icon and enter the method name (e.g., “Company Card,” “PayPal”).
    • Remove a payment method: Select an existing method and choose the delete option.

Expected Result: Your preferred categories and payment methods appear as options when creating an expense, streamlining your data entry process.

Set Your Notification Preferences

Choose how you want to be alerted about important updates, such as report approvals, rejections, and helpful tips.

  1. Access Notification Settings: Go to Settings, then select Notifications.
  2. Configure General Notifications:
    • Emailed Expense Processed: Choose whether to receive notifications when an expense submitted via email is processed.
    • Report Approved/Rejected: Select your preferred delivery method (Push, Email, or Both) for updates on your report’s status.
    • Announcements: Decide how you want to receive important announcements from APSense.
    • Tips and Tricks: Choose your preferred method for receiving helpful tips and tricks.
  3. Set Accounting and Approval Emails:
    • Enter your Accounting Email if you plan to submit reports for reimbursement. This email address will be pre-filled when you submit reports.
    • Enter your Approval Email if you need to send reports to a specific approver.

Expected Result: Alerts are delivered via your preferred channels (Push, Email, or both), and your accounting and approval contacts are ready for report submissions.

Create Your First Expense Report

Establish a container to group related expenses for submission or personal organization.

  1. Navigate to Reports: From the main dashboard, go to the Reports section.
  2. Create a New Report:
    • Tap the + icon or “Create New Report.”
    • Enter a Title for your report (e.g., “Q4 Business Travel,” “January Expenses”).
    • Choose a Color to visually identify your report.
    • Optionally, add a Description and Avatar Image URL.
    • Tap Save.
  3. Set as Default (Optional but Recommended): After creating your report, you may be prompted to set it as your default. If you do, new expenses you scan or add manually will automatically be assigned to this report, saving you time. You can also manually set or clear a default report from the report’s detail screen.

Expected Result: An active report is ready to receive scanned or manual entries. If set as default, new expenses will automatically be added to it.

Need More Help?

If you encounter any issues or have questions, please contact our support team: