# Update Expense Category

`PATCH /accounting/expense-categories/{id}`

Group: Accounting › Expense Categories · Operation ID: `updateExpenseCategory`

Updates the expense category with the given identifier. Only the fields in the request body change.

Only the fields in the request body change. entityIds and accountIds each replace the whole set when sent. Omit one to leave it unchanged, or send an empty array to clear it. Renaming to a name another category already uses fails with DUPLICATE_CATEGORY. Moving a category to 'Dis' when an active distance category already exists for the same reimbursable value fails with DUPLICATE_DISTANCE_CATEGORY. To retire a category that is in use, set status to 'inactive' rather than deleting it. Removing the last prepaid account from accountIds discards draft amortization schedules on the affected expense items. The response is empty. Read the updated record with GET accounting/expense-categories/:id.

[Open in the interactive reference](https://docs.api.lensing.ai/?op=updateExpenseCategory)

## Parameters

| Name | In | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `Api-Version` | header | `"v1"` | yes | The API version this request targets, named by its public identifier. Required on every request; omitting it, or naming a version this company does not have, is answered with 400. This document describes version `v1`. |
| `Idempotency-Key` | header | string | no | An opaque caller-chosen string (1-255 characters) that makes this request safe to retry. Repeating the same key with an identical request body replays the original response instead of re-executing - but only once that original request succeeded; a failed attempt re-executes on retry. Repeating the key with a different body is answered with 422. A key still in flight is answered with 409 - as is a key whose original request was interrupted before it finished, for a few minutes afterwards, until that attempt is presumed dead. A completed response stays replayable for 24 hours. The key is scoped to the caller, not to the action: reusing it for a different action is answered with 409 or 422 rather than treated independently. On read actions this header is ignored. On write actions that cannot offer the guarantee it is answered with `400 IDEMPOTENCY_NOT_SUPPORTED` rather than silently ignored. |
| `id` | path | string | yes | The unique identifier for the expense category to update. |

## Request body

Required, `application/json`: updateExpenseCategoryInput.

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `category` | string | no | The new name. Omit to leave it unchanged. It must stay unique across the tenant. The category's own current name is not a collision. |
| `categoryType` | string | no | The new kind of expense. One of 'Pur', 'Dis' or 'PerDiem'. Omit to leave it unchanged. |
| `status` | string | no | The new lifecycle status. Accepted values: 'active', 'inactive'. Setting 'inactive' retires a category that is in use without deleting it. |
| `reimbursable` | boolean | no | Whether expenses in this category are reimbursed to the employee. Omit to leave it unchanged. |
| `requireAttachment` | boolean | no | Whether an expense in this category must have a receipt attachment. Omit to leave it unchanged. |
| `requireAttendees` | boolean | no | Whether an expense in this category must list attendees. Omit to leave it unchanged. |
| `entityIds` | array of string | no | The legal entities this category is available in. This array replaces the whole set. Omit to leave it unchanged. Send an empty array to clear it. See id on GET base/entities. |
| `accountIds` | array of string | no | The GL accounts this category posts to. This array replaces the whole set. Omit to leave it unchanged. See id on GET accounting/accounts/:id. |

Example:

```json
{
  "category": "<category>",
  "categoryType": "<categoryType>",
  "status": "inactive",
  "reimbursable": true,
  "requireAttachment": true,
  "requireAttendees": true,
  "entityIds": [
    "<entityIds>"
  ],
  "accountIds": [
    "<accountIds>"
  ]
}
```

## Response

`200` Success

## Response headers

- `Idempotency-Replayed` — Present and `true` only when this response replays a previously stored one for the same Idempotency-Key, rather than reflecting a live execution. Absent on a live response - never sent as `false`.

## Errors

| Code | Status |
| --- | --- |
| `NOT_FOUND` | 400 |
| `DUPLICATE_CATEGORY` | 400 |
| `DUPLICATE_DISTANCE_CATEGORY` | 400 |
| `REFERENCE_NOT_FOUND` | 400 |
| `IDEMPOTENCY_KEY_CONFLICT` | 409 |
| `IDEMPOTENCY_PAYLOAD_MISMATCH` | 422 |

## Statuses

- `400` — Invalid request or business failure. Codes: NOT_FOUND, DUPLICATE_CATEGORY, DUPLICATE_DISTANCE_CATEGORY, REFERENCE_NOT_FOUND
- `401` — Missing or invalid access token
- `403` — Not authorized
- `404` — Not found
- `409` — The Idempotency-Key is still being processed by another request.
- `422` — The Idempotency-Key was already used with a different request payload.
- `429` — Too many requests
- `500` — Internal server error