> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://documentation.specollective.org/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://documentation.specollective.org/about-us/organization/expense-policy.md). # Expense Policy This page provides SPEC contributors with guidance on the proper and timely submission of billable expenses. All billable time must be approved by one of SPEC's Collective Administrators before starting work and tracking expenses. Expenses submitted for work that was not explicitly approved by a Collective Administrator will be rejected. SPEC reserves the right to reject any expenses submitted with insufficient information or that do not correspond to the pre-agreed on scope of work, time commitment, and pay rate. Through Open Collective SPEC is able to pay out expenses twice a week. Contributors who submit their expenses later in the week and miss the second pay run will receive their pay the following week. ## Submitting Expenses All expenses should be submitted on Open Collective. Open Collective is online funding platform that provides tools to raise and share its finances in full transparency. The platform enables SPEC to collect and disburse funds, and makes all contributions and expenses 100% visible to the public. Visit SPEC's Open Collective "Submit Expense" page by clicking the following link . From that page you can enter your payment details and upload your time sheet. **Before submitting expenses make sure that you have done the following:** * Tracked only billable expenses * Confirmed tracked expenses with your Project Lead * Accounted for each hour for which you are billing * SPEC recommends using Toggl Track to generate timesheets to submit their expenses * If you are an independent contractor and have a preferred tool to generate timesheets and invoices, you must get the format approved by a Collective Administrator before submitting expenses. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://documentation.specollective.org/about-us/organization/expense-policy.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.