Invoices vs. Reimbursements
Submitting an invoice and a reimbursement to Open Source Collective
Last updated
Submitting an invoice and a reimbursement to Open Source Collective
Last updated
When submitting an expense to Open Source Collective (OSC), it’s important to understand the key differences between an invoice and a reimbursement. These terms may be used differently depending on where you’re located, but they serve different purposes and must be submitted correctly.
We know this page includes a lot of information, and we’ve found it helpful to keep both expense types in one place for easy comparison. To make it easier to find what you need:
Purple headings = Invoices
Orange headings = Reimbursements
Invoice
You're requesting payment for work/services you did
Detailed description of the work provided
Timeframe that you completed the work
BONUS: links that support the work completed
Reimbursement
You've already paid out-of-pocket for a project expense
Receipt from vendor
Amount equal to or lower what was spent
Note: In addition to the key requirements listed above, OSC has broader expense policies that apply to all expense submissions.
Submit an when you're requesting payment for work or services provided to the hosted member project.
Clear description of what you did
When you did it
How it supported the project
Explain what you did in clear, specific terms, and when you did it. Write it as if you're describing the work to someone who doesn't know the project. Tell us when you performed the work or service.
Our accountants and potential auditors may use this information to verify that funds are being used appropriately. Your description should clearly explain how and when you supported open source.
"Fixed critical security bugs in February 2024"
"Maintenance on project infrastructure, March 1-7, 2025"
Use vague or generic terms without specificity (e.g.: "work", "services", "payment")
Use terms like "grant", "donation", "reward" — those words imply that work wasn't necessary done.
"Work done on the project"
"Payment for involvement"
"Donation for service"
To speed up payment processing and improve transparency, consider including relevant links that support the expense (especially important when you're a sole maintainer/admin):
Changelogs
Repositories
Blog posts
GitHub commits
A PDF invoice is not required by OSC, but may be required by some hosted member projects
If including, it needs to be addressed to:
Open Source Collective
440 N. Barranca Ave. #3939
Covina, CA 91723
The payee shouldn't approve their own expense (unless they are the sole admin)
Payments must be made via electronic bank transfer, not PayPal.
Receipt or approved proof of payment showing:
Vendor (who or what company you paid)
Purchase description (what you bought)
Transaction date (when the purchase was made)
Amount paid
Project name or payee's name (who made the purchase)
OSC is responsible for ensuring all funds are used to support open source. Reimbursements must show how it directly benefits the project.
The amount and currency must match the receipt. We can't reimburse you for money you didn't spend.
The required information listed above must be clear and legible in the updated receipt.
If it's not obvious, the expense should include a short explanation of how the purchase supported the project.
Reimbursements for personal expenses (such as personal subscriptions, travel unrelated to the project, or groceries) are not allowed.
A developer contributes a security patch for a project that OSC hosts. The developer got approval from a project admin to submit an expense for her contribution.
Completing the work
The developer fixes security bugs in the project and tracks her time. In total, it took around 2 hours in December 2024.
Submitting the expense
She submits an invoice on the project's Open Collective page with
Expense type: Invoice
Description: Fixed critical security bugs, 4 hours in December 2024"
Total amount requested: Pre-agreed amount with project maintainer
Payment method: She chooses bank transfer
A project maintainer is attending a conference on behalf of the project and books a flight and hotel with pre-approved expenses.
Getting approval
Confirms with the project admins his expenses can be reimbursed
Book travel
Saves all receipts after booking
Submitting the expense
Expense type: Reimbursement
Description: "Travel expenses to attend [conference name]"
Attachment: Receipt from hotel and airline showing that purchase was already paid
Total amount requested: Preapproved amount
Payment method: PayPal
You can include the details of the work done in the description field of each line item.
You can create one invoice for the total and attach your own invoice or time tracker to detail the work done. You do not need to attach your own invoice or time tracker for OSC, unless your project requires it.
Another thing you could do is note something like: "Maintenance on core for the month of April, 2023."
In addition to the key requirements listed above, OSC has broader expense policies that apply to all expense submissions.
TIP: Include Links
Submit a when you've already paid for something that directly supports the project (such as, but not limited to: web hosting, swag, domain renewals, etc) using your own money.
For large expenses that you cannot pay out-of-pocket, you can have your vendors and service providers submit invoices directly via your collective's page, or you can use the "" option, where you fill in the details and they receive an email and then just need to confirm. Vendors can invoice OSC through your page to get paid, and then we pay them directly.
