Author: hhubbard

Travel P-Card Transactions and Pre and Post Trip Reports

Travel P-Card Transactions and Pre and Post Trip Reports
University travelers typically plan travel months prior to their actual trip using the P-Card to book airfare and register for conferences. Deposits for lodging may also be paid on the P-Card prior to traveling (Note lodging deposits can be reconciled using the Lodging – Deposit Account Code which will not require itemization).

Charges incurred prior to the trip typically will have to be reconciled prior to the trip in order to be in compliance with P-Card deadlines. We recommend completing and submitting a Pre-Trip Expense Report for these types of pre-trip transactions. The travel dates in the Expense Report header can be input as the dates the transactions were incurred.

A post-trip report would then be submitted following the trip to request per diems and reconcile any P-Card transactions incurred while in travel status. The travel dates on this Expense Report should be input as the actual dates of travel. Another reminder when reconciling P-Card transactions is that transactions will typically take 3-5 business days to post in Concur. If you use your card and subsequently note an e-receipt or itinerary in your Available Receipts, please know that you still must wait the 3-5 business days for the actual transaction to post and match with the e-receipt/itinerary documentation.

Tips for Minimizing Disruptions

The P-Card is an easy and convenient way to pay for supplies and travel needed for UA operations. Since the purchases made by UA employees are essential to the goals and missions of departments and UA as a whole, it can be a major inconvenience when declines occur. This is especially important before business travel. Here are some tips for preventing issues that arise when using the P-Card:

  • Be aware of your available credit. You can call US Bank’s customer service number or log in to Access Online to check your available credit.
  • Know your spending limits. There are two spending limits on p-cards. The single purchase limit is the amount you can spend in one purchase. The monthly or cycle limit is the total amount you can spend in the cycle (26th of the month through the 25th of the next month). This can be increased if approved by your department.
  • Determine whether your card is meant to be used for travel-only or both travel and supplies.
  • Reconcile reports in a timely manner to avoid card suspension.
  • Make sure you know the following information associated with your account: billing address, CVV, expiration date. Declines commonly occur because this information in entered incorrectly. It’s a good idea to confirm these details and try the charge again when your card declines.

Please feel free to reach out to P-Card Services at pcard@ua.edu with any questions.

Professional Services and Payments to Individuals

As a reminder, payments for professional services and payments to individuals (through PayPal, Venmo, Square, etc.) should not be made using the purchasing card (P-Card).  These types of payments should be made through Concur Invoice.  There are multiple requirements that must be met before payment can be made for these items.  If you have any questions, please see the Professional Services Guidelines website, the Independent Contractor website or contact the UA Tax Office at tax@ua.edu.

Amazon Business Integration in Concur

Amazon Business Integration is now available in Concur, which allows users to quickly access Amazon receipts in Concur without saving and uploading the receipts. After items in your Amazon order ship, the receipt will show up in your available expenses as a Pending Card Transaction within 24-30 hours. To take advantage of this feature, you must verify your UA email address in your Concur profile. For instructions on verifying your email address in Concur, see page one of the “User Profile Setup Guide” in our Concur training resources. Please feel free to contact us with any questions at pcard@ua.edu.

New Milage Rate for 2024

The IRS has announced an increase in the standard mileage rate for 2024.  Effective January 1, 2024, the mileage rate paid to persons traveling in privately owned vehicles on official business for the state will be 67 cents per mile (up 1.5 cents from 2023). The updated mileage rate is available in Concur and on the Accounts Payable Mileage Rates webpage.  When you enter mileage in your Concur Expense Report, please make sure you include the correct transaction date in the mileage form. For example, if travel occurred in December 2023, please ensure you have entered the correct transaction date in December 2023 in order to properly calculate the mileage.

Travel Expense Reports – Pre-Trip and Post-Trip

  • September 11th, 2023
  • in News

When traveling on UA business, travelers often incur several expenses prior to the trip such as airfare reservations, conference registration, and hotel deposits.  These expenses should be reconciled and submitted according to the p-card deadlines even if this occurs prior to the trip.  When doing so, the traveler should use either the transaction date or the date that they are submitting the report as the Report/Trip Start Date and Report/Trip End Date in the report header.  When the traveler returns from the trip, they should then use the actual travel dates as the Report/Trip Start Date and Report/Trip End Date in the report header.  This will allow the traveler to correctly add the GSA per diems to the report using the correct dates of travel.

In-State Travel

  • August 1st, 2023
  • in News

For in-state travel occurring August 1 and after, there will be two options for submitting your Concur Expense report.

Option 1: In-State GSA Reimbursement 

In accordance with the Code of Alabama 36-7-21, prior approval must be obtained from the supervisor of the traveler for in-state travel seeking GSA per diem reimbursement.  A record of this approval must be retained within the department. Employees traveling within the state of Alabama may be reimbursed for their actual expenses for lodging (in accordance with Section 11.0 Lodging) and a per diem for meals (in accordance with Section 12.0 Meals) in addition to the actual expenses for transportation.   If this method is selected, the University Purchasing Card (P-Card) is the required method of payment for lodging and rental cars.  The P-Card is the preferred method of payment for conference registration fees, allowable ground transportation, and parking fees.  Personal meals and incidentals cannot be charged to the P-Card.

When completing an Expense Report in Concur, select “Domestic Overnight” as the Report Type within the Report Header when receiving GSA reimbursement.

Option 2: In-State Per Diem Reimbursement

The employee can be reimbursed on a per diem basis for expenses other than transportation. Current per diem rates are maintained on the Accounts Payable website. In-State travel expenses covered by per diem, such as lodging, meals, and gratuities, cannot be charged to the P-Card.  The P-Card is the preferred method of payment for conference registration fees, allowable ground transportation, and parking fees.

When completing an Expense Report in Concur, select “In-State Overnight (1 night)” or “In-State Overnight (2 or more nights)” as the Report Type within the Report Header when receiving per diem reimbursement.

The UA Travel Policy and Procedures has been updated to reflect these changes. If you have any questions, please reach out to concur@ua.edu.

International Travel Requests

  • July 20th, 2023
  • in News

Concur Request should be used to notify appropriate parties of international travel.

All UA related international travel for faculty and staff must be submitted using the Concur Request Module as an International Travel Request. The International Travel Request should be submitted prior to booking travel in order to provide notification to applicable departments on campus. With Concur Request, the University can consistently and thoroughly assess the risk and benefit of international trips in order to enhance the safety of university travelers.

Tax Tip: 60-Day Rule for Expense Reports

  • July 10th, 2023
  • in News

To avoid tax consequences on expense reimbursements, University employees should remember the 60-Day Rule:
Expense reports for out-of-pocket expenses must be submitted within 60 days from the date the expense was incurred (in the case of travel, within 60 days from end of trip).
Per federal tax regulations, expenses submitted after 60 days will be reported as taxable income to the employee, and applicable Federal, State, FICA and Medicare taxes will be deducted from a subsequent salary check.
Timely reporting and submission of expense reports is the responsibility of the employee being reimbursed regardless of whether the employee self-submits or has designated a delegate for expense reporting.
When combining smaller instances into one expense report, employees are encouraged to submit at least once a month. (For example, mileage logs or multiple small out-of-pocket expenses)
The 60-Day Rule is stated in the University’s spending and travel policies and is necessary to comply with the IRS safe-harbor guidelines for expense reimbursements. For more information, refer to the following website links: