diff --git a/app/components/add-reimbursement/component.js b/app/components/add-reimbursement/component.js
index 2d28c26..2bf8c74 100644
--- a/app/components/add-reimbursement/component.js
+++ b/app/components/add-reimbursement/component.js
@@ -107,6 +107,9 @@ export default class AddReimbursementComponent extends Component {
   @action
   submit (e) {
     e.preventDefault();
+    if (!this.kredits.currentUser) { window.alert('You need to connect your Ethereum account first.'); return false }
+    if (!this.kredits.currentUserIsCore) { window.alert('Only core contributors can submit reimbursements.'); return false }
+
     const contributor = this.contributors.findBy('id', this.contributorId);
 
     const attributes = {
diff --git a/app/services/kredits.js b/app/services/kredits.js
index 232f1f8..3755806 100644
--- a/app/services/kredits.js
+++ b/app/services/kredits.js
@@ -594,7 +594,10 @@ export default Service.extend({
         // Listen to tx mining/execution status
         data.wait()
             .then(d => console.debug('[kredits] tx successful', d))
-            .catch(e => console.log('[kredits] tx error', e));
+            .catch(e => {
+              window.alert('The transaction failed to execute. Please check the browser console.');
+              console.log('[kredits] tx error', e);
+            });
 
         return reimbursement;
       });