💳Expenses

This policies applies to all our employees, if something is not clear please reach our to Maitham before spending.

Everything should be charged to the appropriate Ramp card. Do not pay for it yourself and reimburse, unless you have approval from Maitham.

Allowed Expenses

• Accommodation, if not arranged for you

• Legal document expenses, such as visa

• Air, train, ship, bus or other transportation fares

• Local transportation

• Other per diem expenses, $100 a day for non lodging expenses.

`Cheapest viable option`

We're at a startup and one of the quickest ways for a startup to die is to run out of cash. Please take a common-sense approach when booking travel. Please choose the cheapest option, unless it is significantly worse.

International transportation

Please use Skyscanner, Google Flights when trying to find the cheapest flight to your destination. Please pick the cheapest option, not the airline where you will collect more points.

We will only allow expensing of economy flights. For travel less than 3 days please use the baggage option that comes with the ticket. If you are travelling for longer and require other baggage options please use the "cheapest viable option" policy.

You can purchase additional upgrades on your own card if needed.

Local transportation

Please again use common sense. When picking between Uber or public transportation such as bus or subway, the preference is always to use public transportation. Examples where it is acceptable:

• If you're sharing with coworkers and its cheaper to pool in one ride.

• If you're transporting equipment and its not safe via public transport.

• Safety concerns (don't ride the NY subway after 10pm).

• If public transport will take significantly longer.

• You are late and at risk of missing a company flight because of it.

Software

• For company wide SaaS products please use the Ramp SaaS Tools card in 1Password, please give notice in #people-ask prior to purchasing a new tool

• For software products that are personal and would be helpful in improving your output please go ahead and just pay for it. We give each employee $300/mo to spend on Ramp on productivity related items, feel free to use this.

Hardware - workstation funds

• Full time employees will get their own laptop ordered during onboarding

• You will also receive $1,000 on a separate ramp card to spend on necessary workstation costs. We want to make sure you have everything you need to do your work in a remote setting

What can I buy?

Here’s what you can use this allowance for:

• Hardware: Monitors, keyboards, mice, laptop stands (you will get a Macbook when you join)

• Ergonomic accessories: Basic items like office chairs, standing desks, or laptop stands to make sure you’re safe from injury and have a comfortable work environment.

What’s not possible to buy on the company

This money can’t be used on personal or non essential items:

• Decorative items like plants, desk ornaments

• High end or luxury equipment beyond reasonable needs, for example gaming monitors, premium headphones for non-work purposes, selfie lights, treadmills etc.

Things to remember

• All purchased items are company property and must be returned if you were to leave Vital

• We are an early stage company and every penny counts so please stay frugal.

Documentation

Ramp make it easy to upload receipts and submit memos for each of your transactions. For all transactions above $75 USD please upload the receipt. The app makes it easy for you to do this.

For anything below please write a memo and explain what it is for. If you are buying multiple items you will need to upload a receipt.

All invoices should confirm to legal standard and requirements, we can't just accept a paper with "$20 for a mouse" handwritten on it.

Other (obvious) rules

You can’t expense:

• Anything incurred by spouses or other non-employees

• Unauthorised or unscheduled business meetings with clients, partners or job candidates

• Unauthorised/non-approved service upgrades (e.g. business class or hotel rooms)

• Personal services (beauty treatments etc.)

• Personal purchases (gifts, clothes, etc.)

• Lost personal property (e.g. luggage)

• Baggage oversize or overweight charges

• Fines or penalties

• Personal trips, including if you go and do something for personal enjoyment whilst on a business trip

Essentially, anything that you only have to pay for due to your own fault, for instance if you damaged a rental car and had to pay, that’s not expensable.

Audits

We know this is a long document but given the money we have raised, we will undergo annual audits going forward. It is important we are in compliance with these rules. We take these rules seriously and if the proper documentation aren't in place, it opens us up to liability with the IRS.

If you're not in compliance with these rules we reserve the right to cancel any cards immediately. We want to focus on building a billion dollar company, not navigating IRS audits and investigations.