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I interviewed on-site for a company about 3 weeks ago. I got an email from the recruiter a day after the interview saying that the reimbursement has been approved.

I still haven't received any money and I am worried that they may not reimburse because I didn't take the offer.

Is that possible? Should I just send an email and ask them?

3 Answers 3

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I still haven't received any money and I am worried that they may not reimburse because I didn't take the offer. Is that possible?

Anything is possible but it's highly improbable. Companies that offer to reimburse travel costs for job candidates aren't likely to renege on that offer just because it didn't work out.

Should I just send an email and ask them?

Yes, though I would personally give them another week. While in the US payroll is often done multiple times a month, expenses are typically paid out monthly. The hiring manager's approval might have just missed their submission deadline which can add up to another month to their normal cycle. In slow-moving companies where a lot of administrative effort is involved it can take several months for expense payments to clear the system. This is obviously far from ideal and can be particularly unfair as employees (or in this case candidates) end up fronting the company's business costs, but it's not uncommon.

If you haven't been reimbursed a week from now (or if you feel like you've waited long enough), just send a simple email to your HR contact or the hiring manager that you noticed while checking your finances that you hadn't yet received the reimbursement and if he could check the status of the payment.

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    Yeah if you think 3 weeks is bad... back when I was at University it was on the order of months!
    – enderland
    Oct 22, 2015 at 14:02
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    In particular, if you interviewed 3 weeks ago (i.e. in October) it hasn't yet passed a month end - it could be that they only do one expenses run a month. Oct 22, 2015 at 14:05
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    In many organisations, expenses have to be authorised near the start of the month for payment near the end: I'd give it until at least the 3rd of November, as 3 weeks suggests it would have definitely missed the cutoff for payment in September and should be due at the end of October (assuming a standard "end or start of the month" for payroll)
    – Jon Story
    Oct 22, 2015 at 14:26
  • @PhilipKendall Indeed, I've clarified that in the answer.
    – Lilienthal
    Oct 22, 2015 at 15:40
  • "While in the US payroll is often done weekly" ? I don't think I've ever seen a place run payroll weekly. Once every 2 weeks or twice a month is common.
    – NotMe
    Oct 22, 2015 at 19:15
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I still haven't received any money and I am worried that they may not reimburse because I didn't take the offer.

Is that possible? Should I just send an email and ask them?

It's possible, although very unlikely. Few companies mess around with reimbursing these sorts of expenses - the small amounts aren't worth the negative reputation they would get.

More likely, they just haven't cut accounts payable checks for the month yet. While 3 weeks is understandably a long time for you, for most vendors expecting a check it's not. In many companies the process of submitting a reimbursement request and having a check issued is tedious.

Send a polite email, asking when you can expect to receive your reimbursement. Then try to be patient and not worry until it's warranted.

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I still haven't received any money and I am worried that they may not reimburse because I didn't take the offer. Is that possible?

Yes. Companies do not tend to reimburse candidates who have not accepted the offer. I don't know if it's common everywhere, but AFAIK it happens quite often in India. So, your chances of getting a reimbursement look pretty bleak to me.

Should I just send an email and ask them?

Yes. Please send a simple e-mail to her about the issue. As simple as that.

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