# Expenses & Getting Paid – FAQs

### 💰 How does paying people work?

When someone wants to be paid, they submit an expense through your Collective's page. After approval by a Collective admin and by OCE, the person can be reimbursed via PayPal or bank transfer (we use Wise for bank payouts).

{% hint style="info" %}
**Note**: Expenses are publicly visible for transparency. However, personal details such as names, emails, and addresses are only visible to the submitter and Collective administrators.
{% endhint %}

***

### 🧾 How do I get paid / reimbursed / receive my grant money?

Go to your initiative's page and click **“Submit Expense”**. You’ll need to log in (or create an account), then upload a valid receipt or invoice.

{% hint style="info" %}
[How to submit an expense – Open Collective Docs](https://docs.opencollective.com/help/expenses-and-getting-paid/submitting-expenses)
{% endhint %}

***

### 🧾 Invoice or Reimbursement – which one do I need?

* **Reimbursement**: Use this when you've paid out-of-pocket. A receipt is required (must include vendor name, address, and tax ID). Order confirmations are not valid receipts.
* **Invoice**: Use this when you're requesting payment for services. A formal invoice is required, including contact details, tax info, and description of services.

{% hint style="info" %}
[Invoices vs. Reimbursements – OCE Docs](https://docs.opencollective.com/oceurope/how-it-works/expenses/invoices-or-reimbursements)
{% endhint %}

***

### 🎁 Can I donate part of my Collective’s budget to a charity?

Yes. The beneficiary charity must submit an expense on your Collective's page and provide the following documents:

* A donation request letter signed by one of their administrators, stating the amount and purpose of the donation
* Their incorporation document
* Their bank identification details

{% hint style="danger" %}
Donations must be unconditional (no exchange of services). If a donation is made in exchange for something, it becomes a taxable payment.
{% endhint %}

***

### 🔒 Are receipts and invoices public?

Only general information (amount, description, purpose) is public. Uploaded documents (invoices, receipts) are private — visible only to the Collective’s admins and OCE staff.

***

### 📬 Need help?

If you need assistance with expenses or payments, just email us at <oce@opencollective.com>.


---

# Agent Instructions: 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:

```
GET https://docs.opencollective.com/oceurope/how-it-works/expenses/expenses-and-getting-paid-faqs.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
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.