TRAVEL NEWS
Welcome to USU’s Travel News webpage! We want to keep you informed on the latest issues and procedural changes occurring in Travel, so please visit our page often. (Updated August 7, 2009)
On This Page:
International Travel Insurance
Airport Shuttle (Cache Valley Limousine) has a new portal for USU travelers offering discount pricing. To obtain the discount pricing click on the link and make your reservations using your TA#, department, and department phone.
August 15, 2009 or later:
- A personal credit card number (which includes the Diner's Card issued through the University) or a University Travel Card must be provided to Airport Shuttle Services when booking their services.
- Please continue to give Airport Shuttle Services the TA number associated with the reservation even when you are providing a credit card number so that you receive the discounted University rate.
September 1, 2009:
- All new travel must use the new TA pdf form.
- Only Christopherson Travel services may be charged using only a TA number:
o An authorization code and TA number will be required when contacting Christopherson's to reserve airfare.
o The Pre-trip form will be modified so that an authorization code is generated after the preparer has filled in the Agency Airfare percentage, index and account code boxes and clicked on the Submit Button.
- All other travel agencies must be paid for when reserving their services with a personal credit card number (which includes the Diner's Card issued through the University) or use a University Travel Card.
The old paper Travel Authorization (TA) form is being replaced with a new TA pdf document.
A couple of special notes about the new form:
- You can now fill out the form on your computer - no more handwriting or using ancient typewriters!
- The new form is actually two-part: Pre-Travel and Post Travel.
- You will save each new TA form to your own computer.
- We aren't quite set up for electronic approvals, so you will have to print out the forms and obtain authorizing signatures before sending it to the Travel Office (UMC 2400).
Please remember that upon receiving the TA, the Travel Office has five business days to process your TA.
See this Information Page for more detailed instructions and for a link to the new online form.
The Travel Card is a type of P-Card that can be issued to University departments for the purpose of making authorized travel-related purchases on the University’s behalf.
Travel Cards do not “travel” with individual cardholders. The card is meant to be kept in the office and pay for certain travel-related expenses in advance.
If employees wish to have an individual card to take with them when they travel to pay for University travel-related expenses, they may apply for the Diners/Mastercard Corporate Travel card.
Special Points about Travel Cards:
- Travel Cards must follow P-Card procedures (except where travel-related expenses are prohibited). This includes statement reconciliations and administrative reviews
.- The Travel Card may be used to pay for the following travel-related expenditures in advance of travel for example:
o Airfare (Delta, Southwest, Expedia, Travelocity, etc.)
o Travel Agencies (including agency airfare)
o Hotel
o Shuttle Service (Airport Shuttle, for example)
o Bus Service
Note: The Travel Card cannot be used to pay for workshop registrations. Departments may use their P-Cards, or employees may use their personal credit card and request reimbursement through the travel authorization process.
- All hotel charges MUST be University travel-related business expenses. If a department wishes to rent a hotel to host a conference, the appropriate payment process is to submit a requisition to Purchasing Services using a non-travel account code. Please note that if the hotel requires a contract, departments may negotiate the terms, but ONLY the Director of Purchasing may sign to the contract.
- Please advise your travelers that even if their hotel room charges are being paid for via the Travel Card, they will still need to present a personal credit card when they check into the hotel to cover any incidental expenses. If the incidental expenses are University travel-related business expenses, travelers will be reimbursed through the Travel Authorization form process.
- Departments can choose between the two following options:
1. One card for all University travel-related expenses. Since a Travel Card can be assigned to only one index, expenses can be reallocated to other indexes by the Cardholder or Card Manager.
2. One card per index for University travel-related expenses
- Transaction and Monthly Limits
o Departments are allowed to set the monthly total limit and single transaction limit based on their volume of travel.
o Single transaction dollar limits and monthly total limits can be considerably higher than for regular P-Cards.
o For example, if a department has a low volume of travel, they may set their montly total at $25,000 with a single transaction limit of $5,000.
- Travel Authorization Forms
o Travel Authorization (TA) Forms must be filled out and approved (signed) before the Travel Card is used for a transaction. All TAs must be submitted to the travel department even if there is no need to reimburse an employee.
o Each line item charge on a Travel Card US Bank Statement must have a correlating TA number written beside it. Departments must be able to provide a copy of the TA during any kind of audit of the Travel Card.
o Each line item charge should have an itemized receipt for support documentation. Copies of itemized receipts are fine as long as they readable.
- Travel Cards may not be used for on-campus expenditures.
Occasionally a traveler will misplace or lose receipts that are required for reimbursement. The Travel Department has developed a Missing Receipt Form to be used in these instances.
The Travel Department Missing Receipt Form is a pdf form that can be filled out on your computer and then printed out for signatures before being attached and turned in with the Travel Authorization Form (TA form).
Please remember, use of the form in lieu of an actual receipt should be a rare exception, not the rule.
A memo was issued by the Controller’s Office August 15, 2006, stating that travel (cash) advances were being phased out.
University travelers are encouraged to use a personal credit card or obtain a Diners/MasterCard Corporate Travel Card Cash advances are available using a Diners Travel Card ($250 per day/$500 per 7 days).
All fees associated with the use of the Diners/MasterCard Corporate Travel Card or personal credit card to obtain a cash advance will be reimbursed to the traveler through the regular TA process.
Cash advances should not be confused with the pre-trip reimbursement process. If a traveler pays for travel-related expenses, he/she can request reimbursement before the trip by submitting a completed and signed TA form along with itemized receipts to the Travel Department. The Travel Department will reimburse the expenses and return the original TA to the traveler.
The ONLY Cash Advances available through the Travel Department are for students. Circumstances where cash advances are allowed include:
- Individual student(s) who are traveling on University related business travel.
- Group travel involving students.
The Student Travel Cash Advance Check Request Form is a pdf form that can be filled out on your computer and then printed out to be attached and turned in with the TA Form for processing. For student group travel, please note:
- Only one check per trip will be prepared for group travel.
- The check will be made out to the faculty or staff member that has been designated responsible for the group.
- The names of all students in the group must be included on the Student Travel Cash Advance Check Request Form.
- Staff can sign for and pick up a cash advance check made out to the designated faculty member. I.D. is required.
Cash advances will be prepared in the form of a check. Checks must be picked up at the Travel Department (located in the Controller’s Office, basement of Old Main, Room 26). A signature and I.D. will be required when checks are picked up.
Please allow FIVE business days for processing. For example, if a Student Cash Advance Check Request Form is received in Travel on Monday, the check will be available for pick-up Friday morning. Please call 7-1011 to confirm that your check is available.
All Cash Advances will be funded through the Controller’s Office. Cash Advances will be closed out and charged to the department’s index when the Travel Authorization Form is turned in at the completion of travel.
A memo was issued from the Controller’s Office on July 9, 2008, requesting that all reimbursement for personal auto mileage be charged to account code 750320. By doing this, the University will be able to provide data for measuring the University’s carbon footprint and will also be able to accurately measure the cost impact of increases or decreases in the personal auto mileage rates.
When completing a Travel Authorization form that includes reimbursement for personal auto mileage, please do the following:
- Complete a separate line under Section 3A Funding Approval for the personal auto mileage amount, remembering to use account code 750320.
- Complete Section 4A.2 Private Auto Travel Record.
- Complete Section 4B, Private Auto (from 4A.2)
- Attach a Mileage Reimbursement Form
International Travel Insurance
Utah State University has contracted with International SOS to provide international travel insurance effective May 1, 2009. International travel for this program is defined as any travel outside of the 50 states of the United States.
Information and access to the SOS website is located at:
http://www.usu.edu/riskmgt/other/international.cfm
Accessing the SOS website allows travelers to complete a travel profile, obtain helpful travel information and print an ID card for your wallet. The USU pin number is: 11BYSG000002
International travel occurring May 1, 2009 and after will be charged in accordance to the following schedule:
Departments will be charged:
- $50 for each faculty or staff per trip
- $1.25 per day for students and volunteers calculated by:
(The # of students/volunteers X the # of days in country X $1.25)
The following will be required when turning in Travel Authorization forms:
Faculty and Staff International Travel:
- Departments are required to include the $50 per person cost as a separate line item under Section 3A Funding Approval, using account code 752525.
- A copy of the travelers’ ID card(s) printed from the SOS website must be attached to the TA.
Student International Travel:
- Departments are required to calculate the student cost based on the formula referenced above and include it as a separate line item under Section 3A Funding Approval, using account code 752525.
For additional information regarding this valuable program, including the availability of coverage for spouses and dependents, please call Joe Dulin, at the Office of Risk Management at 435-797-1844.
As a preparer of TA forms, you want to make sure that you have the correct A# and the exact spelling of your traveler’s name as it exists in Banner. Doing this one simple step can help ensure that your travelers receive their reimbursements quickly:
- Go to screen FAIVNDH and do a query on your traveler by entering in their A#. This allows you to:
* Make sure that you have the correct A# for your traveler
* Get the exact spelling of your traveler’s name
By using the exact spelling of your traveler’s name as it exists in Banner, the Travel Department will not have to contact you to make sure that Ronald R. Smith is the same person as Ron Smith.