Manage expense categories
On the Expenses page, click Categories to open the category manager. Add, rename, or delete categories there. Deleting one moves its expenses to a category you choose, and only the fallback category cannot be deleted.
Categories are how "$4,000 of stuff" becomes "mostly materials, too much fuel". WorkZen starts every company with a sensible set and lets you shape it to your trade.
The starting set
New companies get 12 categories: Materials, Tools/Equipment, Fuel, Vehicle/Mileage, Subcontractor, Office/Admin, Meals/Entertainment, Permits/Licenses, Disposal Fees, Uniforms/PPE, Software/Subscriptions, and Other. They are created in your company's language.
Other is the fallback: the safety net expenses land in when their own category goes away. You can rename it, but it cannot be deleted.
Manage the list
On the Expenses page, click Categories. In the manager you can:
- Add: type a name under New category name and click Add.
- Rename: use the pencil on any row, including the seeded ones and the fallback.
- Delete: use the trash icon. If the category has expenses, the dialog tells you how many and asks where they should go (Move expenses to); the fallback is pre-selected. The move and the delete happen together, so nothing is ever orphaned.
Each row shows how many expenses use it, so you can spot dead weight before deleting. The list sorts alphabetically with the fallback pinned first.
Deleting is safe by design: expenses always move, never lose their category silently. If a seeded category never fits your business, delete it without ceremony.
Where categories show up
- The Category field when filing an expense (optional; "No Category" is allowed).
- The Category filter and column on the Expenses list.
Categories are available on every plan, and managing them requires the manage expenses permission; team members who only file their own expenses see the list but cannot change it.
Frequently Asked Questions
This article answers:
- How do I add an expense category?
- Can I delete the default expense categories?
- What happens to expenses when I delete their category?
- How do I rename an expense category?