Set up SFTP export configuration for expenses

Only account admins can perform this task.

The SFTP export configuration tells Perk how to send your expense export files to your SFTP folder. Use this article to set up the export configuration for expense data, so Perk can deliver files to your server automatically instead of you downloading them from the web app.

Note: Perk doesn't support importing data (such as cost objects or users) via SFTP for new customers. If you were already importing data through SFTP before you upgraded to Perk, you can keep using your existing setup. Exporting expense data via SFTP is available to all customers.
Note: Before you set up the SFTP export configuration, you need an active SFTP connection and a folder created in your secure directory. For more information, see Set up an SFTP connection. New SFTP connections can take up to 24 hours to become active.

Set up the export configuration for expenses

The SFTP export configuration determines how Perk transfers your expense export files to your SFTP folder. Perk stores this configuration per legal entity and per export system, so if you export expenses, card transactions, and travel expenses, you need to set up a separate configuration for each one.

  1. Go to Settings Integrations, and select the Expense export card.
  2. For the export system, select Export via SFTP. This option only shows up for file-based export integrations.
  3. Choose where to store the files. The dropdown lists the folders available on the Perk SFTP server. If you use a self-hosted SFTP server, the file path doesn't show here.
  4. Set up the options that match your use case. See the SFTP export settings table below.
  5. Click Save to save the SFTP export configuration.

Once saved, Perk exports all files it generates for the selected document type to the SFTP folder you chose, based on this configuration.

SFTP export settings reference

The SFTP export configuration includes 2 settings you can turn on depending on your setup.

Option What it does
Overwrite files Turn this off (default) so Perk adds a timestamp to each exported file name, which stops existing files from being overwritten. Turn it on so Perk skips the timestamp and overwrites existing files in the SFTP folder instead.
Windows compatibility Turn this on to make exported files compatible with Windows. Perk replaces colons (:) and periods (.) in file names. We recommend this if you plan to import the export files into a Windows-based system.

Limitations for the SFTP export configuration

A few limits apply to the SFTP export configuration for expenses.

  • For Perk-hosted SFTP folders, the folder must already exist before you can select it here. If you use a self-hosted SFTP server, Perk can't check in advance that the folder exists.
  • You can't filter which files Perk transfers by file name. If you need this, reach out to Perk — see Contact us.
Caution: Setting up a new SFTP connection can take up to 24 hours to become active. Plan ahead if you're setting up a connection for the first time.

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