Cash Advances

Track cash given to team members for operational purposes with full lifecycle management, reconciliation, and write-off support.

Cash advances track money given to team members for operational tasks such as market purchases, errands, or emergency supplies. Unlike a direct payment to a supplier, an advance is given to a person who is then responsible for spending it on behalf of the business and reporting back what was spent. Eleo tracks each advance from issuance through reconciliation to ensure full accountability.

Advance lifecycle

Every cash advance moves through a defined set of statuses as it progresses from issuance to closure:

• Issued — The advance has been approved and cash has been given to the team member. The advance is now outstanding.
• Outstanding — The team member has received the funds but has not yet reported how they were spent. The advance remains on the books as an open item.
• Reconciled — The team member has submitted their actual spend, any remaining change has been returned, and a manager has confirmed the reconciliation.
• Flagged — The advance has been flagged for review due to a discrepancy between the advance amount and the reported spend, missing receipts, or overdue reconciliation.
• Overdue — The advance has not been reconciled within the expected timeframe defined by your store’s operations settings.
• Written Off — The advance has been written off as irrecoverable. A reason is recorded for audit purposes.

Reconciliation

When a team member returns from their task, they reconcile the advance by reporting what was actually spent. The reconciliation process compares the original advance amount against the reported spend and identifies any discrepancy.

1. 1

   Open the advance

   Navigate to Operations & Projects → Cash Advances and select the outstanding advance to reconcile.

2. 2

   Enter actual spend

   Enter the total amount that was actually spent. Attach receipts or other supporting documents as proof of expenditure.

3. 3

   Account for change

   If the actual spend is less than the advance amount, the system calculates the change owed. Record whether the change has been returned to the till or safe.

4. 4

   Submit for review

   Click Reconcile Advance. A manager reviews the reported spend, verifies the receipts, and approves or flags the reconciliation.

If the reported spend exceeds the advance amount, the system flags the discrepancy and the manager can decide whether to approve the overspend or request further explanation.

Write-offs

In some cases, an advance cannot be recovered — for example, if a team member leaves the organization with an outstanding balance or if the amount is too small to justify further collection efforts. Managers can write off an advance to close it out.

Every write-off requires a reason that is recorded for audit purposes. Common reasons include employee separation, disputed amounts, and management discretion. Written-off advances are still visible in reports and contribute to operational cost tracking.