Locking expenses helps teams avoid unwanted changes after financial data has been reviewed and approved. It’s especially useful when multiple people (e.g. CFOs, back office, accountants) work with expenses and need a clear signal that an item is final and ready for accounting.
Why this matters
When multiple people (CFOs, back office, team leaders, account managers) work with expenses, it’s important to clearly define when an expense is final.
Locking ensures that:
no one can accidentally edit finalised data
everyone knows the expense has passed final control
financial data stays consistent and reliable
What happens when an expense is locked
Once an expense is locked:
it cannot be edited
it is marked with a red lock icon
you can see who locked it and when
This makes it clear that the expense is finalised and ready for further processing (e.g. accounting, reporting).
How to lock an expense
There are three ways to lock an expense in Allfred:
1. Lock from expense detail
open the expense detail
click the Lock button (top right)
2. Lock using bulk actions
go to the Expenses list
select one or more expenses using checkboxes
in the bottom toolbar, click the 🔒 lock icon
You can also use the unlock icon to reverse the action.
3. Lock directly in the table row
go to the Expenses list
find the expense you want to lock
click the lock icon in the row (it is necessary to scroll to the right)
Once locked, the icon turns red and the expense is marked as locked. This step is best for quick actions without opening the expense detail.
How to unlock an expense
If needed, you can unlock an expense:
via bulk actions (unlock icon)
or by toggling the lock icon in the table or in the expense detail (Lock button)
Make sure that you use this feature only when changes are required after locking.
What this means in practice
With locking, your expense workflow becomes much more reliable:
CFO or the accountant reviews the expense
once confirmed, they lock it
the rest of the team knows it’s final
no risk of accidental edits
👉 Result: Cleaner processes, fewer mistakes, and better financial control.