PSU's travel guidelines are derived from travel rules established and authorized by the Oregon State Board of Higher Education (OSBHE). Travel rules are found in the Financial Administrative Standard Operating Manual (FASOM).
It is PSU policy to pay for or reimburse employees and authorized non-employees traveling on official university business. Such payment or reimbursement is subject to all applicable statutes, regulations, bargaining agreements, contracts, policies, and budget availability. Questions about this set of travel policies should be directed to PSU's Travel Office at travel@pdx.edu or through instant messaging at http://www.pdx.edu/financial-services/travel
The university has several fundamental travel guidelines:
All Travel Authorizations and Travel Reimbursements submitted must include a business purpose. The business purpose serves as justification for travel. The nature of the business needs to be described in detail for each destination. IRS defines business purpose as “the expense or the business benefit gained or expected to be gained.” Descriptions should give enough information to determine the benefit.
Individuals who travel where no formal agenda is provided (i.e. conference and or workshop) must attach a daily itinerary to document a business purpose for all days. The itinerary should include dates, name of the organization involved (no acronyms please), names and positions of individuals, places, monuments or institutions visited; or other descriptions as appropriate and a description of the activity itself. The description of the activity should be specific and mention, for example, research topic, paper title etc.
Inadequate descriptions:
Adequate description:
These terms are used throughout this policy:
In-State Travel - Travel between locations in Oregon and Vancouver surrounding suburbs and any travel to Oregon.
Out-of-State Travel - Travel from Oregon to a destination within the continental U.S. This may include travel between points outside of Oregon, where the trip does not originate from or return to Oregon.
Foreign Travel - Travel to or in foreign countries.
Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS) Travel - OCONUS travel comprises travel in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and other U.S. Possessions.
Commercial Travel - Travel requiring overnight stay from employee's office location with expenses arising from the use of commercial lodging.
Non-traditional Travel - Overnight travel using non-commercial lodging, e.g., camping in a park, using an RV, or a private home.
Office Location - The city, town or other location to which an employee is assigned.
Per Diem - Reimbursement amounts for lodging, meal and incidental expenses for a 24-hour period. When claiming per diem, receipts are not required. Per diem for the first and last day of travel will be 75%.
Incidental Expenses - These expenses are combined with meal per diems and are not reimbursable outside of the per diem amount. Incidental expenses include, but are not limited to: tips and gratuities. Incidental expenses do not apply to taxis, airport shuttles, telephone or fax calls; these are to be itemized and reimbursed at cost, with explanation of business purpose.
Unrestricted Air Travel - Air travel for which no advance purchase or stay restrictions are placed on the ticket purchase. The state's City-Pair airline contracts are examples of unrestricted air travel.
The following may be reimbursed for official travel expenses:
Travel expenses will be reimbursed provided the Travel Authorization (except for in-state, no airfare required) is approved in advance by the departmental approver (authorized university personnel), usually the Financial Manager/Proxy. Grants and contract projects may need to obtain current budget approval from Research and Strategic Partnerships before travel commences. ALL TRAVEL AUTHORIZATIONS MUST BE APPROVED IN ADVANCE OF TRAVEL.
Authorized travel expenses may be paid in several ways:
Payment of all personal travel expenses is strictly prohibited. Reimbursement of personal expenses is not authorized. Examples of personal expenses include travel to places of entertainment or personal gain using University funds.
Authorizations for travel must be submitted in writing, subject to the policy of the department. Employees whose duties require frequent or continuous instate or regional travel, are considered to have advance approval when the required travel is within the usual limits of their duties.
The Travel Authorization must include a valid, approved business purpose and a daily itinerary attached, which specifically identifies personal days from business days.
The Travel Authorization must be completed and approved by the Department within Viking Travel before booking any travel arrangements made on behalf of PSU. If traveling on a grant, the PI and DRA approval also must be submitted within Viking Travel.
Travel Authorizations with sponsored project funding will be routed to RSP/DRA for approval to confirm funding is available and allowed. The DRA/RSP must approve the Travel Authorization for all travel proposed on their sponsored project.
In PRACTICE: Jane Smith’s travel is taking place in New York. She is not attending a conference where a formal agenda is already provided; she is conducting research for her grant. A Travel Authorization was submitted for Jane with detailed daily itinerary attached indicating what she does for the four days of her trip. Prior to booking travel, Travel Authorization must be approved by her DRA/RSP.
There are several common expenses related to University travel. These include the following:
All of these expenses are utilized within each method of travel:
Meal and incidental expenses are reimbursed at a per diem rate without the necessity for actual receipts. These expenses may be reimbursed only if the traveler qualifies for lodging expense reimbursement, except as noted. If receipts are attached, reimbursement will only be given for the amounts specified on the receipt if at per diem rate or lower. No reimbursement will be given above per diem rates, even with proof of receipt.
Meals on One-Day (non-overnight) Trips - When a traveler departs and returns the same day, meal expenses are usually not reimbursed except in the following examples:
Applicable meal and incidental expense per diem may not be claimed if a meal is provided at a hosted function, e.g., when a registration fee includes a meal or if a hotel provides continental breakfast. Per diem is broken out in the following way:
Actual Meal-Expense Reimbursement - Hosting
These hosting reimbursements require original itemized receipts. In addition, the claim must separate meal cost and gratuity paid. When a single reimbursement is submitted for multiple employees, all employees and guests names should be identified on the reimbursement and a business purpose and or agenda attached. Note: expenses for alcohol are not reimbursed. When calculating tip, any alcohol purchases must be deducted prior to the tip (up to 20%) calculation.
Lodging expenses are normally reimbursed when authorized campus personnel determine that the traveler would not reasonably be expected to return to his or her residence between work shifts. Generally, lodging is paid at per diem rates. These flat rates do not require lodging receipts. Conferences and workshops fall under the exceptions to the per diem rate. In this instance, the traveler stays at the conference site hotel which may be higher than per diem rates. In the case of a conference-site exception, lodging is reimbursed at actual and reasonable rates with conference brochure and lodging receipts uploaded with Travel Reimbursement. Exceptions other than conferences should be rare. Campus policy applies regarding pre-approvals.
IN PRACTICE: Jane Smith is attending a conference in Pocatello, Idaho. The conference has identified the Holiday Inn as a conference hotel. The hotel rate is $230/night. Since it clearly states this is a conference site hotel, Jane can stay at the hotel and will be reimbursed at the $230/night although it is above the per diem. Jane just needs to attach the conference agenda showing it is a conference site hotel and her original itemized folio to the Travel Reimbursement.
Necessary business-related expenses are normally reimbursed. Personal expenses are not reimbursed. Miscellaneous expenses must be itemized for reimbursement.
Necessary miscellaneous business-related expenses are not reimbursed using a per diem; rather, if the travel has incurred a miscellaneous business expense as outlined below, that expense is reimbursable at the actual cost.
Checked Baggage (receipts required if over $30 per item):
Examples of Expenses Normally Reimbursed - These items of expense need to be itemized; no receipt is needed unless a single transaction exceeds $25.
Expenses Not Reimbursed - Expenses for these items are not reimbursed unless specifically justified and approved by department and CAS. These include:
IN PRACTICE: While Jane is at a conference that she will be training attendees, she realizes that she forgot to make copies of the presentation materials for the group. She drives over to the nearest copy center and pays $40 for the copies. On her way she also gets stopped for a traffic violation and gets a ticket. Jane can claim the $40 on her reimbursement for the materials. She clearly states what the business purpose is and attaches the original receipt since it is over $25. She cannot claim the traffic ticket.
1. Meals & Incidental Expenses
Meals and incidental expenses will be reimbursed at the rates provided on the PSU Summary of Travel Reimbursement Rates and Travel References. No receipts are required for meals if following per diem rates. However, meals that are part of the conference registration package (see Lodging Exceptions) must be deducted from the meal per diem.
Lodging Expenses will be reimbursed at the rates provided on the PSU Summary of Travel Reimbursement Rates and Travel References.
When claiming at or below per diem, no receipts are required. Taxes for lodging are reimbursed as a part of lodging expenses and are coded using travel account codes.
2. Portland Lodging Rate
All guests, candidates, recruits, consultants, etc. where the university is paying for lodging in Portland can use either University Place Hotel or The Hotel Zags. For 2020, Portland is considered high city for partial year. Please see PSU Summary of Travel Reimbursement Rates and Travel References.
Account Codes - In-State account codes.
3. Non-Commercial Lodging
The intent of the non-commercial lodging per diem is to reimburse travelers using non-commercial facilities (e.g., travel trailer, motor home, or staying with friends or family members) and should result in an economic benefit for the university. Non-Commercial lodging is reimbursed to the traveler at $25/night.
IN PRACTICE: Jane attends a two day workshop in Salem, Oregon. Her sister lives in Salem and therefore, Jane decides to stay with her sister for the night to save PSU money. She leaves Portland to drive to Salem at 6:00 am to make her workshop which starts at 8:00 am. She returns back to Portland the next day at 8:00 pm. Jane can claim $25 non-traditional lodging and 75% of the per diem rate each of her meals for both days.
1. Meals Per Diems (including incidental expenses) are determined by IRS rules involving "High" and "Low" rates by location (city/county). A list of the high cost locations in the continental U.S. is available on the UFS’s web site along with the current rates. Receipts are not needed when claiming per diem.
2. Exceptions: The primary exception is to stay at the Conference Site Hotel. The traveler can receive reimbursement of actual and reasonable costs. Attach original lodging receipts showing occupant’s name, room number, dates of stay, number of persons occupying the room, room rate, lodging taxes, the actual amount paid, and payment method. A brochure listing conference hotels is also required to be attached for reimbursement. Regardless of the city, if the conference site exception is used, lodging is reimbursed at actual and reasonable costs.
Meals that are part of the conference registration package must be deducted from the meal per diem on a pro-rated basis. For example, if a banquet is part of the registration package, a dinner amount (50% of the per diem rate) is deducted for that day.
3. Account Codes - Use Out-of-State account codes
IN PRACTICE: Jane attends a conference. The conference registration fee that she paid includes lunch on all three days. In addition, Jane’s hotel provides a free continental breakfast each morning. Because these meals are provided as a part of the cost of the hotel and the conference registration, Jane will only get reimbursed for dinner for each of the three days of the conference.
Foreign travel is when an employee travels on behalf of the University to countries outside of the United States. Rates for reimbursement follow per diem rates specified by the federal government by country and city. If a city within a country is not indicated, travel per diem rates will be reimbursed at “other” rate. There are no blanket rates; the rates vary by country and city. Travelers who spend more than per diem on meals will only be reimbursed at per diem rates. When claiming per diem for meals and lodging, no receipts are required unless a conference site exception is claimed. If a receipt is submitted and the rate is below per diem, traveler will only be reimbursed at actual rates reflected on the receipt.
1. Foreign Meals and Incidental Expenses - The per diem rates are determined using the Federal Maximum Travel Per Diem Allowances for Foreign Areas see: https://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp. To view the per diem rates, specify the country and month of travel. Per diem rates are broken into three columns. The first column shows maximum Lodging; the second column shows maximum Meals and Incidental Expenses (e.g., dry cleaning); and the third column shows the total of the first two or the maximum per diem for that location.
2. Foreign Lodging Rates - The lodging rates by country and city are from the same table used for meals, see above. All rates include tax. If using the per diem rates, no receipts are needed. Conference site hotels are authorized exceptions where receipts and brochures listing conference hotels are required to complete reimbursement.
3. Account Codes - Use Foreign account codes 39615 or 39645.
4. Currency Conversion: When traveling to foreign countries, currency conversion is necessary if US dollars are not used. The official currency conversion site that is used by PSU is: http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic. Currency conversion can be determined in two ways:
1) go to the Oanda site and lookup the currency conversion rate
2) attach a copy of a bankcard statement reflecting the true conversion rates
IN PRACTICE: Jane travels to a conference in Tirana, Albania in August, 2016. The conference covers lunch for each of the four days. Jane looks up what her per diem would be for this specific country on https://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp.
Travel to these parts of the United States, Puerto Rico and U.S. Possessions is handled similarly to foreign countries - a table is used to derive the meal and lodging rates by location.
Meals and Incidental Expenses - Per diem meal rates are found by location in the Federal Maximum Travel Per Diem Allowances for Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and U.S. Possessions (FASOM 11.06. See the Department of Defense web site for Non-Foreign Rates at (http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/perdiemCalc.cfm). No receipts are needed. Travelers who spend more than per diem on meals will only be reimbursed at per diem rates. If a receipt is attached to the travel document and the rate is below per diem, traveler will only be reimbursed at actual rates reflected on the receipt.
IN PRACTICE: Jane goes to Honolulu, Hawaii in September for 3 days to conduct some research for her grant. Jane goes to http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/perdiemCalc.cfm to look up the per diem amount for September.
Transportation expenses incurred while traveling on official business is allowable, and may be reimbursed. However, personal expenses, such as repairs, maintenance, or collision damage to private vehicles, may not be reimbursed. Policy clarifies that the state does not pay for physical damage to private cars, trucks, boats, airplanes, etc. used for state business. The following transportation expenses may be reimbursed to the traveler or paid directly to a service provider:
The method of transportation must be authorized within the department by completing a Travel Authorization. Normally the method of transportation that is the least costly determines the choice. Other factors may enter the decision, including available time of personnel, productive time lost, cost of personnel, possible overtime, cost of extra lodging and meals, public image, etc.
Transportation is classified by type of transportation: private vehicles, mileage allowance and insurance; state-owned vehicles; rental vehicles and insurance; loaned vehicles; and common carriers.
Use of a private vehicle is allowable when it is more practical because of cost, efficiency, or work requirements than the choice of a common carrier or using a state vehicle. The drivers of the private vehicles must be in compliance with all State of Oregon Motor Vehicle laws. The policies and procedures specified in the Internal Management Directive for Vehicular
Safety, Operation and Maintenance apply to all drivers, including volunteers, of vehicles used for university business.
State Motor Pool vehicles may be checked out for official business trips. However, the State Motor Pool has closed all locations except for the Salem Motor Pool (1100 Airport Road SE, Salem, OR), making it less viable as an option for most trips originating in Portland. To use a Motor Pool vehicle, the department must apply for a Motor Pool Check Out card. State vehicles including university owned vehicles may be used only for official business - personal use is not allowed. Use of state vehicles is not authorized when costs are charged to Agency Funds, except for use of Student Organizations or for other legitimate state business as approved by the university's Controller. Motor Pool charges are billed back to the department by the Travel Department. Damage due to accident, misuse, neglect, or negligence to a Motor Pool vehicle is chargeable to the department of the driver.
Rental costs of vehicles (cars, trucks, boats or aircraft) may be reimbursed or direct billed. Rental should be considered only when regular means of transportation are unavailable or inappropriate for the particular use intended. Rental cars may be used in conjunction with travel by common carrier when use is reasonable and authorized in advance. Example: Flying to a city and renting a car to visit recruits and their families would be allowable. Renting a vehicle when staying at a conference site hotel is not permitted as these hotels often offer free or nominal charge for transportation to and from the conference.
IN PRACTICE: Jane is attending a conference in Washington and then goes to Idaho for a research project for three days. At the conference the hotel provides free shuttle service to the conference location. Jane would not be able to claim car rental in Washington. She would pay for a taxi or shuttle from the airport to the hotel and back and seek reimbursement for those costs.
Jane can rent a car for the three days of her research project in Idaho as she needs to drive to different locations to do her research. She could contact Enterprise or Hertz and provide them with her index so that it would be direct billed.
Use of loaned vehicles may be authorized when it benefits the university. Loaned vehicles must have a safety check before being used - this is especially important with use by student groups. The state provides liability and collision coverage on the loaned vehicle only if the university has agreed in writing to accept responsibility for liability and damage to the vehicle. The loaned vehicle must be used for official business. For additional information, contact the Risk Coordinator 5-5340. If any use of the vehicle is personal (day care, grocery store), the driver's personal auto insurance becomes primary. Drivers should check first with their own auto insurance before driving a loaned vehicle.
Transportation by means of common carrier is the usual choice when it is more appropriate and economical than travel using state or private vehicles. Common carriers are usually preferred for out-of-state travel. Actual cost is paid or reimbursed for rail, bus, or airline fares.
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Airline travelers are expected to choose the lowest cost flight and airline (including all cost factors) that meet the schedule needs of the traveler.
PSU has contracted with three travel agencies to provide travel services to our travelers. PSU offers three so departments can choose which of the three they prefer. All are contracted to provide a full range of services. When booking air travel online or with an agent, provide your approved Index Code and Account Code. Once this has been done, the authorized personnel in your department will approve and your travel will be ticketed. Please note: travel will not be finalized and ticketed until it has been approved by your departmental approver. Each department should have an updated Department Authorized Airfare Approval on file at the Travel Desk.
The travel agencies are Azumano, Journeys/Peak Travel, and Uniglobe Spectrum. These contracts are administered through Contracting and Procurement Services; call 5-3733, or e-mail travel@pdx.edu if you encounter any problems or questions in using these agencies. All travelers, including candidates and reimbursable contractors, should utilize any of the contract travel agencies.
| Contract Travel Agency | Phone | Toll free | After hour | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azumano | 866-291-0460 | 866-291-0460 | 877-840-0187 | $29 |
| Journeys Travel | 503-375-8811 | 800-999-2608 | 800-999-2608 Client Access Code A1AU9 | $32 Domestic $45 International |
| Uniglobe Spectrum | 503-620-0620 | 800-544-2575 | 800-787-3997 | $25 |
Call any of the contracted agencies with a proposed itinerary or view various flight options online. The agent/website should offer you several choices of routes, airlines, departure and arrival times, and prices. Travelers are expected to travel by the most economical method. This usually means accepting the lowest available airfare. Travelers are not allowed to prefer one airline over another unless the separate fares are equal or the routing saves time. Obviously, if one airline offers a direct flight at the same fare that a second airline charges for a two-segment route with a stop to change planes, the first airline would be preferred. First Class fares are not allowed and will not be reimbursed.
Fly America Act:
When federal funds are used, provisions of the Fly America Act are applicable and foreign travel is restricted to a U.S. air carrier unless extenuating circumstances apply and are approved in advance by Research and Strategic Partnerships (RSP Office). Additional information on the Fly America Act is available at http://www.tvlon.com/resources/FlyAct.html. If there are any questions relating to air travel when travel is on a grant, please contact RSP directly.
Travel can be paid for through a number of methods:
An employee can pay for travel through the use of their personal funds. In this instance the traveler would pay for various travel expenses using their personal funds i.e. checking, savings, credit card. Once the travel is completed, the employee would complete a Travel Reimbursement and upload all needed receipts/documentation and/or claim per diem. Once the Travel Reimbursement has been approved, a check or direct deposit will be generated for the Claimant.
The preferred method of payment is to utilize Direct Billing as much as possible. Direct Bill is done through one of PSU’s contracted agencies. Airfare contracted agencies include Azumano, Uniglobe, Anthony’s Travel, and Journeys; Car rental contracted agencies include Hertz, Enterprise, Motorpool and Zipcar. In this case, the employee would provide the agency with their index number. The agency would then bill PSU for the expenses. Campus Accounting Services would generate a payment to the agency and input a Journal Voucher in the system to redistribute the expenses to the appropriate indexes. In this case the employee does not need to come up with the funds for airfare or car rental up front and seek reimbursement later, but instead, the charges would come directly out of their department funds.
US Bank Corporate VISA Card - Employees are expected to apply through Campus Accounting office for a US Bank Corporate VISA Card which is used to charge travel or business related expenses. This card is available to any .5 FTE or greater employee who may have reimbursable expenses. The card is issued in the name of the employee who is solely liable for charges made to the card. The full amount on the US Bank monthly statement is due upon receipt. A travel reimbursement must be completed and submitted for approval. Once reimbursement is given to claimant, it is their responsibility to make full payment to US Bank. US Bank assesses late charges in accordance with the charge card agreement. US Bank cards are valid only while cardholders are employees; a card becomes invalid on termination or retirement (unless the retired faculty member anticipates further business travel). Corporate Cards cannot be used for any personal charges. P-Card department will check and monitor all non-business expenses and the cardholder will be subject to audit for non-compliance.
A PSU department that conducts group or team travel could be eligible for a Group Travel Card; Group Travel Cards are issued to a department that regularly has group or team travel. The Group Travel card can be used to cover travel expenses for the group such as lodging and meals. These expenses flow through the p-card module and the Card Custodian would distribute the charges to appropriate account codes. In this case, none of the expenses placed on the card would need to be claimed on a Travel Reimbursement form. For questions regarding the Group Travel Card, please email pcard@pdx.edu.
Travel Advances can be requested within Viking Travel via the online Travel Authorization form.
Travel Advance Processing – Travel advances MUST be approved at least 2 weeks prior to the trip and done as a part of the Travel Authorization request. In most cases, only one advance can be outstanding at a time. A new advance request cannot be submitted until the outstanding advance has been cleared. Travel advance requests will be paid to employees no longer than 2 weeks prior to the trip. If the trip is funded by Athletics, the Athletics Compliance Officer will need to approve the request prior to it routing to Campus Accounting Services. If the trip is grant funded, the DRA/RSP will need to approve the request prior to it routing to CAS.
Clearing Travel Advances – To clear a Travel Advance, claimant must submit a Travel Reimbursement along with attaching all relevant documentation. Reimbursements must be completed within 60 days from last date of travel. If travel costs are less than the advance, the difference must be paid back to PSU by completing a Miscellaneous Deposit Form and bringing it, along with cash or check, to the Cashier’s Office.
If travel costs are more than the advance, the difference will be paid to the traveler once the Travel Reimbursement is entered and approved.
Outside Entities may reimburse a campus department, pay a service provider directly, or reimburse an employee for travel expenses related to PSU business. If the service provider is paid directly, or if reimbursement is made to an employee, PSU rules require that documentation of the arrangement should be maintained in campus travel records. To do this, the traveler submits a Travel Authorization that outlines the trip, its purpose, and shows no cost to the university. If the outside party reimburses the department, it should be accounted for as a reduction of expense (not revenue) using the same account code(s) as the original charge. This should be done by completing a Miscellaneous Deposit Form and given to the Cashiers Office to record. All travel being paid by an outside source, must still follow PSU travel policy and procedures.
IN PRACTICE: Jane has been working with University of Oregon on a research project that is in partnership with some work she does at PSU. U of O agreed to pay for her travel expenses to a conference in Florida to present her findings from the research project. Although U of O will be paying for all travel expenses, Jane still completes a Travel Authorization and gets it approved prior to making any travel arrangements.
If an employee is paying for travel on behalf of another employee, a memo must be submitted from the employee not claiming travel stating who paid for their travel, how much was paid, and that they will not be seeking reimbursement. This memo must be uploaded to the claimant’s Travel Reimbursement. In addition, when employees travel together, it may be expedient for one employee to pay and claim reimbursement for certain expenses of other employees.
IN PRACTICE: Jane and her co-worker, Sally need to drive to Salem for a two day workshop. Sally decided that she would pay for both of their lodging for the night and seek reimbursement. Jane writes a brief memo stating that her co-worker, Sally, paid for the lodging which totaled
$300 and that she would not seek reimbursement. When they return from the trip, Sally completes a Travel Reimbursement and claims $300 for lodging. She uploads the memo from Jane and is reimbursed for the $300.
Following each trip, the traveler should complete a Travel Reimbursement entering the allowable expenses by item. The reimbursement must be turned in within 60 days (or sooner at fiscal
year-end, or at the end of a grant) after completion of the trip. After 60 days, the reimbursement is considered late.
Travelers can seek reimbursement by completing an online Travel Reimbursement form found on our Viking Travel website.
https://www.pdx.edu/financial-services/travel
CAS will audit the reimbursements and the traveler will be paid via check or ACH through Banner. A paper form is still used for all Non-PSU individuals. This paper form is also found on Viking Travel link above. If an individual is not a PSU employee and or student and they do not have a vendor number, a W9 must be completed and submitted to Campus Accounting Services before reimbursement can be processed.
Questions about travel policy, rules, rates, and interpretation call ext. 5-3733, or email travel@pdx.edu.