Paper Claims vs App Claims: How Fast Is Fast Enough Today?

Quick Answer

App claims are usually faster because they cut hand-offs: the employee captures the receipt, submits it and tracks the status in one place. Paper claims can work for very small teams, but they add steps, delays and storage. Whichever you use, keep receipts and records in line with the CRA's six-year rule.

A benefit is only as good as the experience of using it. If claiming takes a form, a trip to HR and a wait of unknown length, employees stop claiming, and the money the employer set aside goes unused. This guide walks through a typical paper claim and an app claim stage by stage, shows where each one breaks down, and explains what the CRA expects employers to keep. The paper process described is illustrative, so compare it with your own.

What Does a Paper Claim Involve?

A typical paper claim starts with a receipt and a form. The employee fills out the form, attaches the receipt and hands it in or mails it. An administrator checks the claim, sometimes returns it with questions, and then passes it to payroll or accounting for payment. The employee waits, often without knowing where the claim is. Afterward, someone files the paper, which has to be stored and found again if questions come up.

None of these steps is hard, but each one is a place where a claim can stall, and the employee usually cannot see which one.

What Does an App Claim Involve?

An app claim moves most of those steps into one place. The employee photographs the receipt, describes the expense, picks the category and submits it. Status updates appear in the app, and the employer sees claims and reports without chasing paper. The real gain is not the technology but fewer hand-offs and a visible status.

Side by Side: A Claim, Stage by Stage

To make the comparison concrete, the table pairs an illustrative paper process with the app steps described on GoKlaim's (https://goklaim.com/employees) employee page.

● Capture
Paper claim: Keep the paper receipt and find the form
App claim, as GoKlaim describes it: Snap the receipt in the app

● Describe
Paper claim: Fill in the form by hand
App claim, as GoKlaim describes it: Choose the plan, enter the receipt date, select the category and describe the expense

● Submit
Paper claim: Hand in or mail the form and receipt
App claim, as GoKlaim describes it: Upload proof, review the details and submit

● Review
Paper claim: An administrator checks it and may return it
App claim, as GoKlaim describes it: Claims are approved within 24 to 48 hours, and comments appear on partially approved or declined claims

● Status
Paper claim: Ask someone for an update
App claim, as GoKlaim describes it: Track approved, pending and declined claims in one list

● Payment
Paper claim: Wait for the next payment run
App claim, as GoKlaim describes it: Reimbursement within 24 to 48 business hours, according to GoKlaim's homepage

● Records
Paper claim: File and store the paper
App claim, as GoKlaim describes it: Claim history in the app and expense reports downloadable in real time by employers

● If no app
Paper claim: Not applicable
App claim, as GoKlaim describes it: Log in through the web portal, or share claim details by email or fax

Where Does Paper Still Make Sense?

Paper works for very small teams with few claims, for employees without a smartphone and for situations where a signature or a physical document is needed. The point is not to ban paper but to avoid making it the only way. A fallback keeps the benefit open to everyone while the main route stays fast.

What Do Employers Gain From Faster Claims?

Faster claims mean employees use the benefit, and use shows value. They also reduce administration: fewer questions about status, fewer lost forms and less manual entry. Reports show which categories are used and when, so budgets can be adjusted with facts. And fewer hand-offs means fewer chances for a transcription error that causes a dispute later.

What About Records and the CRA?

The CRA's publication on keeping records (https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/publications/rc188/keeping-records.html) says to keep records for six years from the end of the last tax year they relate to, unless the CRA permits earlier destruction. It says records created by computerized systems are among those to keep, that records must give enough detail to determine tax obligations, and that you remain responsible for adequate records even if a third party keeps them for you. The CRA's guidance on what is a taxable benefit (https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/payroll/benefits-allowances.html) also describes a reimbursement as an amount repaid to an employee, for which the employee must keep proper records and provide receipts or vouchers. On the individual side, the CRA's page on eligible medical expenses says receipts must show the name of the company or individual to whom the expense was paid.

Conclusion

The claim process is where a benefit becomes real for an employee. A slow or opaque process quietly cancels part of the value, while a quick, visible one builds trust. Measure how long a claim takes today, find the steps where claims wait, and decide whether an app-based process would remove them. Keep a fallback for people who prefer another route, and keep your records in line with the CRA's six-year rule whichever method you use. Then revisit the process after a few months and ask employees how it felt, because the best measure of a claims process is whether people use it without thinking twice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are app claims faster than paper claims?

Usually, because they reduce hand-offs. Claims are approved within 24 to 48 hours in GoKlaim.

Do employees need a smartphone?

Not necessarily. GoKlaim says employees can also log in through a web portal, email their claim details or fax them.

How long should we keep claim records?

The CRA says six years from the end of the last tax year they relate to, unless it permits earlier destruction.

Can a third party keep our records?

Yes, but the CRA says you remain responsible for making sure adequate records are kept.

Should employers eliminate paper claims completely?

Not necessarily. Paper or alternative submission methods can remain useful for employees who do not have a smartphone or need to provide physical documentation. A digital process can be the main option while keeping a fallback for accessibility and unusual cases.

What is a reasonable claims processing time?

There is no single target for every benefits plan. Employers should look at the time from submission to approval and reimbursement, then identify where claims spend the most time waiting. A clear status tracker and fewer hand-offs can help reduce delays and make the process easier for employees to understand.

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