1. Travel Policy Payment Services Becky Lappin Manager
Felisitas Alvarado Travel Coordinator
Sally Shaff Travel Coordinator
February 2019

2. 2019 Changes
Mileage rate for business travel occurring on or after 1/1/19 is 58.0 cents per mile.
Mileage driven for moving purposes on or after 1/1/19 will be reimbursed at 20.0 cents per mile.
Boarding passes: If you receive paper boarding passes, retain them and submit them with your travel claim. If you use boarding passes on your phone, you will no longer be required to provide paper passes due to the prevalence of virtual boarding passes.
Drinks will no longer be limited to one per meal.
Snacks and drinks purchased outside of meals are now reimbursable as long as the expense requirements are met: any meal over $24.99 requires a detailed receipt and the maximum reimbursed per day is $55.00.
Travelers should group expenses with the closest meal, timewise; i.e., a coffee purchased at 9:30am would be added to breakfast and a dessert purchased at 10pm would be grouped with dinner. If the total claimed for a meal is over $24.99, all detailed receipts that make up the claimed amount are required. This change is taking place in order to create efficiencies.
Conference meals are an exception to this change. No food or drink expenses can be reimbursed for the meals provided by the conference.
CSU Travel Restrictions – Assembly Bill (AB) 1887
No new states have been added to the restricted list since 6/22/2018.
There’s a new form for travelers to use, to request travel to one of the banned states. Prohibited State Travel Request Form
February 2019

3. 2019 Changes (continued) REAL ID Act – Homeland Security
Effective April 1, 2019 passengers with a driver’s license issued by a state (like California) that is not compliant with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s REAL ID Act of 2005 will need to show a supplemental form of acceptable identification in addition to their driver’s license to board domestic flights. Accepted travel identification includes:
U.S. passport
U.S. passport card
DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
Permanent resident card
Federally recognized, tribal-issued photo ID
Foreign government-issued passport
A full list of acceptable identification and more details may be found at and
A passport is mandatory for international travel. The passport must be valid for a minimum of 6 months past the return date on your airline ticket.
February 2019

4. CSU Travel Restrictions – Assembly Bill (AB) 1887
No new states have been added to the restricted list since 6/22/2018.
Travelers and approvers are required to verify the current list on the California State Attorney General’s website before planning out of state travel.
Alabama, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas are states subject to California’s ban on state-funded and sponsored travel.
No Stateside or sponsored travel funds may be used for travel to the banned states unless certain criteria are met. Exceptions to the travel prohibition may be granted for the following purposes:
Enforcement of California law, including auditing and revenue collection
Litigation
To meet contractual obligations incurred before the state became restricted
To comply with requests by the federal government to appear before committees
To participate in meetings or training required by a grant or required to maintain grant funding.
Note: If an employee has met one of the exceptions and plans to travel to one of the banned states, they should fill in the Prohibited State Travel Request Form. Any backup that will show that they meet the exceptions should be attached. The Dean and Provost or Vice President/Provost’s approval is necessary in order for travel planning to proceed. See the instructions on the form.
February 2019

5. Travel Policy Highlights
The CSUB Travel Policy applies to all travel which will be paid by CSUB: for employees, students, visiting scholars, candidates, visitors, etc.
The University assumes no financial responsibility for expenditures incurred by individuals who fail to adhere to policy.
Any expenditures included on a travel reimbursement must be:
Ordinary, reasonable, not extravagant, and necessary to conduct official University business, and
Appropriately used and properly authorized, and
For a documented business purpose, and
Substantiated by original, itemized receipts ($25.00 and more), and
Correctly processed for payment, and
Compliant with all applicable regulations and agreements.
Grant terms, if more restrictive, takes precedence over the travel policy.
February 2019

6. Travel Policy Highlights – continued
Claims must be submitted no later than 60 days after the end of travel per CSU policy.
The CSU will only pay or reimburse for travel-related expenditures that are ordinary, reasonable, not extravagant and necessary to conduct official University business.
All expenses must be approved by an authorized administrator, an individual given that authority by the delegation of authority process.
Travelers should keep in mind that these are public funds, and travelers are representing CSUB.
Some travel reimbursements may be taxable to the traveler; i.e., one-day travel and relocation expenses.
The maximum tip allowed by the CSU is 20% (applies to all business units). Any tips over that amount will need not be reimbursed or will need to be repaid (if charged to a CSUB credit card).
Group travel/retreats have more requirements than individual
travel. Contact Payment Services for review before making reservations.
February 2019

7. Before and During Travel
Approval to Travel: All reimbursable travel must be approved prior to departure by the appropriate administrator. Pre-approval may be documented in one of three ways:
With an approved Travel Authorization Request Form (TARF), or
An approved Charge Request form, or
An approved Travel Advance.
CSU’s cap for lodging is $275 per day, before tax. If your lodging is over $275 per day (pre-tax), required is an approved:
A Lodging Justification Form (departments under the Provost) or
A Travel Authorization Request Form (all others)
(Only international travel is exempt from the $275 per day limit. See page 20.)
Making reservations: Travelers are expected to use CSUB preferred vendors and CSUB negotiated terms and conditions whenever possible.
While traveling: Employees are expected to behave in an ethical and responsible manner and minimize any risk to themselves and to the University.
February 2019

8. How do you pay for CSU travel?
Campus is expected to use Charge Requests to pay for airfare, car rentals, and local hotel stays (for applicants and visitors) using our preferred vendors instead of paying for those expenses and then asking for reimbursement.
Charge Requests: This is the preferred method to reserve rental cars, airfare and local lodging; expenses are billed directly to the University.
Government Personal Liability Cards (US Bank Travel Credit Card): CSUB employees may apply for a Government personal liability card if they will be traveling on a regular basis (currently 2+ times per year). The card will identify the employee as a Government employee, but all payments must be made directly to US Bank by the statement due date, regardless of the status of any travel claim reimbursements.
Personal credit cards or cash: A personal credit card or cash may be used.
Conferences/training should be paid via CSUB ProCard.
Advances: Available only on a limited basis for hardship circumstances. See the next page for details.
Airfare: Any airline reservations made with Uniglobe or in the Concur booking tool will be paid by CSUB.
Car rentals should be made directly with the vendor, in addition to submitting an approved Charge Request. CSUB will be billed by the vendor.
February 2019

9. Travel Advances There are 3 types of travel advances:
Hotel advances may be obtained on a limited basis by employees under hardship circumstances. This advance requires the submission to Payment Services no later than 10 business days before you require the check of all the following:
A completed Travel Advance form, and
A description of the hardship circumstances with:
Dean/MPP approval and
Cabinet Member approval and
A confirmation from the hotel, and
A conference flyer or meeting agenda.
Meal advances will be issued only for international travel and require an approved Travel Advance form be received in Payment Services at least 10 business days before you require the check.
Reimbursements to employees for expenses paid before travel require both:
A completed Travel Advance form must be received in Payment Services at least 15 business days before departure and
Proof that the travel expense was paid by the employee 30 days or more before departure.
February 2019

10. Travel Advances (continued)
Campus is expected to use Charge Requests to pay for airfare, car rentals, and local hotel stays (for applicants and visitors) using our preferred vendors instead of paying for those expenses and then asking for reimbursement. Travel Forms site.
NOTE: If an expense was paid less than 30 days prior to departure and/or the completed
paperwork was received in Payment Services less than 15 business days before departure, the Travel Advance will be returned to the requestor and they will be reimbursed on their travel claim, after the trip.
A traveler may have no more than one outstanding advance at a time.
If a trip is cancelled, postponed, or employment ceases, the advance must be returned immediately.
Advances must be cleared on a travel claim within 60 days of the end of travel. Failure to do so may affect your ability to receive future advances, trigger collection proceedings, and/or have the advance reported as taxable income.
All deadlines are for completed paperwork to be received in Payment Services.
February 2019

11. Transportation Procedures
Traveling by Private Automobile
Mileage costs for a private vehicle will ordinarily be reimbursed based on miles from the traveler’s work location to the destination. Mileage rate for reimbursement is $0.58 cents per mile as of Jan. 1, 2019.
Miles driven for relocation purposes will be reimbursed at $0.20 per mile as of 1/1/19. Relocation reimbursements are tax reportable beginning 1/1/18.
Mileage is calculated from Point A to Point B on Google Maps. Be sure to click on the car to calculate the correct driving mileage. Expenses resulting from side trips or stopovers will not be reimbursed.
For travel without an overnight stay (local conference, training, etc.), reimbursement will be made for mileage costs from the work location or home, whichever is less.
Mileage reimbursement rates are adjusted annually by the Chancellor’s Office.
Travelers are responsible for maintaining appropriate liability insurance if using a private vehicle.
February 2019

12. Airbnb, Uber, Lyft
Per California Assembly Bill AB2777, these lodging and transportation companies may now be used by state employees. The bill is valid through 1/1/2022.
Airbnb:
Authorized for individual travel. Retreats/group stays need to accommodation details to Tim Ridley/Risk Management for review and approval before making reservations.
Before reserving accommodations, please evaluate the property and location. Examples are:
Using Google Maps or similar tool, locate the property address.
Verify the property matches the photos on the Airbnb site and/or
The neighborhood is in the desired location.
Uber and Lyft:
Are now authorized for CSUB travel.
Detailed receipts are required for expenses of $25.00 and more, including tip.
Maximum tip allowed is 20%.
February 2019

13. Meals, Parking and Incidentals
The up to $7 per day incidentals expense includes tips and customary travel fees such as baggage porters, housekeeping, etc. The CSU does not pay per diem, so only expenses actually paid by the traveler should be submitted for reimbursement. (Incidentals are not paid for the first day of travel.)
Snacks and drinks purchased outside of meals are now reimbursable as long as the expense requirements are met: any meal over $24.99 requires a detailed receipt and the maximum reimbursed per day is $55.00.
Travelers should group expenses with the closest meal, timewise; i.e., a coffee purchased at 9:30am would be added to breakfast and a dessert purchased at 10pm would be grouped with dinner. If the total claimed for a meal is over $24.99, all detailed receipts that make up the claimed amount are required. This change is taking place in order to create efficiencies.
Conference meals are an exception to this change. If a conference/training provides meals, no reimbursements will be made for the same meals.
A daily agenda is required for all conference and training claims.
Any exceptions (i.e., due to a food allergy) must be detailed on the claim before submission. If there are no details regarding why meals, snacks, and drinks were purchased during the time a conference or training provided meals, those expenses will be deleted from the reimbursement.
(Continued on next page)
February 2019

14. Meals, Parking and Incidentals (continued)
Reimbursement of most expenses begins when the traveler leaves his/her residence or normal work location – whichever occurs last – and ends when the traveler arrives back to residence or work location – whichever occurs first. Meals are an exception (see details on page 17).
Parking: Only self-parking will be reimbursed unless a valid reason for valet parking is provided on the claim. (If only valet is available, attach proof of that.)
● If claiming valet parking, it is the traveler’s responsibility to detail the
business reason in the remarks/details area of the claim before submittal.
If no explanation is included, Payment Services will reimburse the self-parking
amount.
See page 20 for lodging, meals, and incidentals rules for travel to international destinations, Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. possessions.
February 2019

15. Receipt Requirements
Receipts are required for expenses of $25.00 or more. Travelers should make an effort to obtain detailed receipts; most vendors will provide one if you ask.
Tape smaller receipts on 8 ½ x 11 inch paper.
If a receipt is not available, a Lost Receipt Form must be submitted. Lost Receipt Forms may not be completed on a routine basis, and overuse may revoke the privilege of providing a Lost Receipt Form in lieu of a receipt.
If a meal of $25.00 or more is included on a hotel bill, a detailed meal receipt is required. If it isn’t available:
A Lost Receipt Form must be submitted, and
On the hotel bill, the traveler must write next to the charge either:
“No alcohol” or
“Alcohol total $##.##”(enter amount spent on alcohol plus the associated tax & tip) and
Sign or initial.
NOTE: Most hotels will you a replacement receipt if you ask them, even after you return from the trip. It is the traveler’s responsibility to provide detailed receipts for expenses $25 and over.
February 2019

16. Lodging
Travelers may be reimbursed for lodging expenses only when traveling on business 25 or more miles (one way) from their work location or residence, whichever is closer to the destination.
Maximum lodging rate is $ per day, pre-tax. If your lodging is over $275 per day, also required is either:
A Lodging Justification Form (departments under the Provost) or
A Travel Authorization Request Form (all others).
Exception: International travel – see page 20 for details.
Whenever possible, CSU employees should request occupancy tax waivers and the government rate when checking into a California hotel.
All hotel receipts/folios must show a zero dollar balance with the last four digits of the credit card number used. This is to ensure that:
The hotel bill was paid in full, and
A CSUB credit card was not used to pay the lodging expense.
February 2019

17. Meal Reimbursements Less than 24 hours without an overnight stay:
Breakfast – Reimbursable if travel begins 2+ hours before regular work hours (reportable as income).
Lunch -- Not reimbursable.
Dinner -- Reimbursable if travel ends 2+ hours after regular work hours (reportable as income).
Less than 24 hours with an overnight stay:
Breakfast – Reimbursable (2nd day only)
Lunch – Reimbursable (if travel ends after lunch)
Dinner – Reimbursable (if travel ends after regular work hours)
More than 24 hours:
Departure day: Breakfast is reimbursable if travel begins 2+ hours before regular work hours, and must be purchased out of town.  
Last day of travel: Dinner is reimbursable if purchased 2+ hours after regular work ends, and must be purchased out of town.
No meals purchased within 25 miles of CSUB or the employee’s home are reimbursable.
February 2019

18. Personal Travel
Travelers are expected to travel to their business destination no earlier than the day before the conference/business begins and travel back to Bakersfield no later than the day after it ends. Travelers may alter travel for personal convenience only if:
They provide proof that there’s no additional cost to the University, or
Proof is provided with the travel claim that the cost difference has been repaid to CSUB.
Proof of the cost difference is required for both directions of the trip.
If the fare purchased is lower than the fare for the transportation directly to/from the destination, no refunds or extra expenses will be paid by CSUB.
No expenses on personal days will be paid by CSUB.
Include an airfare quote for each direction, showing what the cost would have been if you hadn’t added any additional time. Examples:
February 2019

19. Types of Travel
Travel involving overnight stays is categorized by type:
Travel within the 48 contiguous U.S. States or
Travel to Hawaii, Alaska, or U.S. possessions or
International Travel, which has the following special requirements:
It must be approved by the Provost (Academic departments) and the campus President (all travel) on all travel forms.
International travel insurance is required. Contact Risk Management for information (661)
It is the traveler’s responsibility to verify if the country/countries being visited are High Hazard or War Risk countries.
High Hazard: Pre-approval by the Campus President is required. (This authority can only be delegated when the President is not on campus.)
War Risk: Same approval(s) required as High Hazard, plus the Chancellor’s Office (CSURMA).
February 2019

20. Alaska, Hawaii and U.S. Possessions
Lodging, Meals and Incidentals For overnight travel of 1-29 days. Contact Payment Services before trip of 30 days or more.
Expense
48 Contiguous U.S. States
Alaska, Hawaii and U.S. Possessions
International
Lodging
▪Actual costs reimbursed
▪Detailed receipt(s) required.
▪Folio must show zero balance and last 4 digits of the credit card.
▪Maximum rate for all lodging is $275 per night, excluding taxes.
If the cost is higher, either
a. An approved Lodging Justification Form (Academics departments) or
b. Travel Authorization Request Form is required.
▪Maximum rate for lodging is $275 per night, excluding taxes.
▪Federal foreign per diem paid for specific location per the US Department of State.
▪No receipts required.
Meals
▪Actual expenses up to $55/day. ▪Original receipts required for meals $25.00 and over.
▪Federal per diem for specific location from the DoD website. (You may receive a security warning, but you should be able to continue.)
Incidentals
▪Actual expenses up to maximum of $7 per day.
▪Not paid on first travel day.
▪Federal per diem for location from the DoD website.
▪Federal foreign per diem paid for specific location per the US Department of State
February 2019

21. Special Situations
CSUB will reimburse travel expenses under certain conditions for the following:
Faculty members on sabbatical leave
School site teacher candidate supervisors
Visiting academic appointees
Students performing business for CSUB or participating in educational related activities (i.e., supporting research, attending conferences, presenting papers, etc.)
And CSUB will reimburse travel expenses for the following travelers if a bona fide business purpose is detailed on the paperwork and on the condition that all CSUB travel procedures are followed:
Prospective employees
Independent contractors and consultants
Foreign visiting scholars
Spouse/registered domestic partners
Witnesses for Litigation Matters
February 2019

22. Insurance Coverage
Employees are routinely covered 24 hours a day against accidental death or dismemberment while on official CSUB business.
International travel, contact Risk Mgmt. x 2066.
Employees regularly using a private vehicle on University business must maintain adequate insurance coverage.
Rental vehicles should be obtained from agencies with which the University has contracts.
Our preferred car rental partners are Enterprise and Certified.
Insurance coverage is included in our negotiated rates with those companies.
February 2019

23. Reimbursement Procedures
Submit the appropriate travel expense claim within 60 days of the end of a trip.
Note the business purpose of the trip on the claim. Include any information that will help the processing of the claim, including any payments CSUB has already made on your behalf (conference registration paid on a ProCard, airfare or car rental paid per Charge Request number #, etc.)
Indicate the start and end times of the trip and any personal travel that is included.
List each expenditure by date and location.
Total all expenditures and provide appropriate chartfield information (fund, department, account, project, program, and class.)
Attach original receipts for expenses of $25 or more (see per diem rules for International, Hawaii, Alaska or U.S. possessions travel on page 19). If a receipt is lost or not available, a Lost Receipt Form should be submitted. Lost Receipt Forms may not be completed on a routine basis, and overuse may revoke the privilege of providing a Lost Receipt Form in lieu of a receipt.
One of these is required:
Attach an original Travel Authorization Request Form (TARF), or
Reference the Charge Request number(s) submitted for the trip, and/or
Reference the Travel Advance number(s) submitted for the trip.
Identify and deduct any travel advances received; they should not be included in the “Net Reimbursement” amount.
Sign the claim as verification that the expenses were incurred on behalf of CSUB.
February 2019

24. Traveler’s Responsibilities
Even if someone else completed the Travel Claim, the traveler’s signature on the form signifies they have reviewed it and accept responsibility for the information it contains.
Prior to signing a travel claim, the traveler is responsible for:
Submitting travel claims within 60 days after the end of travel.
Verifying that the business purpose and travel dates are accurate.
Certifying that they received authorization to travel by attaching one of the following:
A Charge Request copy, or
A Travel Advance copy, or
An original Travel Authorization Request Form (TARF).
Verifying that any personal days/expenses have been deducted from the amount to be reimbursed.
Confirming that all expenses claimed are reasonable, appropriate, and supported by required receipts for all expenses of $25.00 and more.
Identifying any purchases of alcohol as such.
Deducting any tip amounts over the CSU maximum of 20%. 
Verifying that the amount due is accurate.  
Confirming that they have not and will not seek reimbursement for
A duplicate claim or
From any other source 
February 2019

25. Authorized Administrator’s Responsibilities
Prior to signing a travel claim, an authorized administrator must:
Confirm that all required documentation is attached.
Verify that the dates and business purpose of travel noted are accurate.
Verify that if any personal days/expenses were included in the trip, they have been deducted from the amount to be reimbursed.
Confirm that all expenses claimed are reasonable, appropriate, and supported by required receipts.
Verify that all expenses are in compliance with CSUB and CSU policies and procedures.
Once signed by the administrator, the department should keep a complete copy of the packet, then forward it to Payment Services, ADM35.
Exception: All grant paperwork must be sent to GRaSP.
All international travel requires the President’s approval.
February 2019

26. Payment Services’ Responsibilities
Payment Services will:
Review the submitted claim to ensure proper authorization and approval by an administrator (plus the President for international travel),
Ensure that all receipts (or Lost Receipt Forms, if applicable) are included,
Verify that pre-paid expenses or advances are deducted, in order to close out any outstanding advances, and
That the appropriate signature for the chartfield being charged is included.
If the travel claim is complete, reimbursement will be processed in within 10 business days, or the next check run thereafter.
February 2019

27. Concur Travel
A new, integrated online travel system in conjunction with the Chancellor’s Office and 5 other campuses will be rolled out on our campus in phases during spring/early summer Highlights include:
No more lost paperwork, since everything will be done online, including approvals.
Travelers can assign other employees to act as their proxy/delegate to request travel, make reservations, and compile their travel claim online. Note: Only the traveler themselves can submit the final Travel Requests and Expense Claims.
Travel requests will be submitted in Concur, and once they’re approved, the traveler can click on a “book” button that will allow them to make airline, car rental and hotel reservations with our travel partners. You may also make the reservations on the phone, which is recommended for trips with multiple destinations or with special requirements (an extra fee will apply for phone reservations).
After travel is completed, the traveler or their proxy/delegate can click on the “expense” link in their request and the system will auto-fill much of the information into their travel claim. Attach receipts to your claims online.
Real-time visibility of where a transaction is in the approval process.
February 2019

28. Concur Travel (continued)
February 2019: Concur is currently being tested in the “live” environment. A small group of selected individuals/areas are currently requesting travel approval, booking travel, and submitting expense reports in Concur.  Testing also includes reviewing the expense reports, printing checks, process EFT payments, and verifying the expenses in the general ledger.
The next testing phase will include the BAS division and international travel. Departments/divisions will be testing in waves, with the goal of having testing completed by June 30. 
Concur trainings will be departments/division focused and will be scheduled based on the testing schedule (to be developed). At this time, only a traveler’s Profile may be updated in Concur.  The other parts of the system are unavailable until your department has been notified to begin testing.
 There will be more Concur webinars this spring, to provide an overview of the system. These are conducted by SAP Concur, and advance notice will be given.
If you have any questions regarding the Concur project, please contact the Payment Services Manager, Becky Lappin, at or extension 2531.
February 2019

29. Questions? Contact Payment Services:
Location of all travel policies and forms:
Questions? Contact Payment Services:
Felisitas Alvarado, Travel Coordinator
- ext. 2535
Sally Shaff, Travel Coordinator
- ext. 6207
Becky Lappin, Manager
- ext. 2531
February 2019