Select a topic area:

Mileage
Travel Expense report
Meals
Airfare
Travel Card
Car rental
Lodging
Foreign Travel

Mileage

1. What is the reimbursement rate if you drive your personal vehicle while on University business?

(These rates may change on July 1 of each year; check the travel website http://www.uww.edu/Adminaff/travel.htm or call the Travel Office at 472–3912.


2. How do I calculate mileage from city-to-city?

Track your actual mileage from city to city. If you encounter a detour or have to go additional miles for something, such as to pick up another employee, note this on the Travel Expense report. Any additional miles need to have an explanation.

To make this, we have provided a list of mileage from UW–Whitewater to most Wisconsin Cities on the Travel website. When we review your travel report, this is what we use. www.uww.edu/adminaff/MileagefromUWW.htm

If a city is not on the list, go to the travel website, select Mapquest; select driving directions and follow the prompts to determine the miles to record.

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Travel Expense Report

1. Where do I find the Travel Expense Report (TER) Form?

   Please use the web based version of the form each time you complete an expense report. The form is up to date, allows for typing information into the areas, can be saved to your computer for later editing, and has built in prompts and a link to the travel regulations to assist you. Go to http://www.uww.edu/adminaff/forms/fs/exprep.xls If you encounter difficulties with the form, please let us know at travel@uww.edu

2. How do I complete my Travel Expense Report?

   See instructions at www.uww.edu/adminaff/tertip.htm Some general things to remember, always itemize by day as there are maximums allowed for each day; do not lump expenses together; be sure to list items that have specific receipt amounts – airfare separate from taxi or airport parking, hotel for each day, etc.

3. What are some of the common mistakes to avoid when completing Travel Expense Reports that delay processing the reimbursement?
   

1. Be sure to include your permanent home address, Financial Services mails reimbursement checks to your home.
2. Include social security if this is your 1st TER.
3. Make sure all receipts are firmly attached to the expense report and are originals for items to be reimbursed, we cannot pay from copies.
4. It is better to over-explain than to not give enough information for us to understand the expense or reason for it.
5. Acquire all necessary signatures before the expense report is sent to Financial Services.
6. Be sure to include the 10-digit fund, organization and program number; this is how Financial Services knows what department or grant to charge for incurred expenses.
7. See the list of necessary receipts in the next question.
   
   
4. I've completed my Travel Expense Report - now what do I do?
   1. Review the Checklist available at www.uww.edu/adminaff/checklist.htm
   2. Some of the most common missing items that delay reimbursement are:
      
      -anything paid on a procurement card should be recorded in the direct billed shaded column of the TER and a copy of the receipt attached to the TER.
      
      - we look for regular expenses for trips to be recorded or explained – airfare, hotel, mileage to airport, registration, etc. Even if you aren’t claiming reimbursement for these, please indicate how they were paid so we know you simply didn’t forget to put them on the TER.
      
      - conference registration receipts (must show amount paid and what it paid for – any meals, memberships, etc included);
      
      - airfare receipt and flight agenda;
      
      - taxi receipt (if over $25);
      
      - vehicle rentals (justification for the expense, final invoice plus gasoline receipts);
      
      - meal receipts (if claim exceeds the maximum - must provide justification for why, names of others you paid for and a receipt);
      
      - lodging (original itemized receipt from the hotel);
      
      - parking receipt (if over $25);
      
      - phone receipts if you made business phone calls;
      
      - conference registration receipts (must show what was paid and what it paid for - any meals, memberships, etc included);
      
      - conference agenda or brochure (used to verify the dates and times of the conference, if meals were provided and the name of the conference site hotel);
      
      - research letters or meeting agenda.
      
      If in doubt, it is better to include a receipt.
      
   3. Sign your name and obtain your supervisor's signature (this is still required even if you have signature authority for your organization code). You should check to see if your dean/director requires their signature. You cannot sign off on your own travel reimbursement.

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Meal Maximums

1. What are the meal maximums and why are there different ones for in-state and out-of state?
   

   Costs for meals in some cities outside the State of Wisconsin may be more expensive, so higher reimbursement maximums have been established. Reimbursement rates may change on July 1 each year so check the travel website for the most recent rates.
   
   Meal reimbursement is reimbursement of actual costs, not a per diem. A receipt is not required for personal meals, but employees must record actual reasonable expenses. Meals purchased for others do require an itemized receipt. Meals should not be claimed at the maximum allowed if that amount has not been spent. If a pattern of claiming the maximum for every meal is noted, receipts may be required in the future.
   The maximum meal reimbursements are found on the travel website under Meal and Lodging Maximums www.uww.edu/adminforms/fs/dommeallodgemax.doc

Meals and lodging in foreign countries vary. Visit the Foreign Meal and Lodging Rates www.uww.edu/adminaff/fml.htm After the country/city is located, the breakdown for lodging (first column) and meals and incidentals (second column) are shown. Meals are about 80% of the second column number and are allocated among the daily meals as follows:

- Breakfast - 20% (same times as above apply)
- Lunch - 30%                            "
- Dinner - 50%                           "

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Airfare

1. I need to make airfare arrangements; what options do I have?

   Fox World Travel is the State’s contracted on-line travel agency. You will need to create an on-line profile to use the system. The website for travelport is http://portals.foxworldtravel.com/state/ or www.travelport.net. If you plan to book a flight on-line, you must start with this vendor. If you find a price that is better than this vendor, you must get a quote from this vendor first. Be sure you are comparing the same information on flights dates and times. The State has prohibited the use of Orbitz.
   
   We have two travel agencies in Whitewater: Akey (473-8747) and Whitewater Travel (473-5055) that you may wish to do business with instead of booking on-line.
   
   When searching for airfare you cannot give preference to a particular airline, or require a non-stop flight. If the airfare is over $500, be sure to obtain additional quotes and purchase the lowest reasonable fare. If your conference kicks off with an opening reception the evening before it begins, you should travel on the day of the reception. If your conference ends at noon on the last day, you would be expected to travel that day if flights were available to get you home at a reasonable hour (before 10PM)
   
   If you are considering two different flights because a Saturday night stay is less expensive, you must have documentation of that if you decide to extend your stay and want to be reimbursed for the extra costs. You must show the costs for both flights, specifically they must show same times, same airline, same date of booking to verify the extra night is why the fare is cheaper.

2. How do I pay for airline tickets?

   There are a couple options for paying for airfare. Effective October 17, 2005 you must pay for airfare using either a University Travel Procurement Card or a US Bank Corporate Card. You cannot pay for the airfare on a personal credit card and then get reimbursed when submitting the expense report.
   
   If you used a University Travel Procurement Card to purchase airfare, please remember to report it in the Direct Billed Expense column of your Travel Expense Report and attach a copy of the air itinerary and receipt.

3. What documentation do I need for airline tickets?
   

   You will need to provide the original ticket receipt and itinerary if you are being reimbursed for this cost (copy if already paid on a university procurement card). If changes are made after the purchase, the original ticket receipts and all the subsequent documents are required to show all costs.
   
   If your ticket cost more than $500, you will need to provide the additional quotes you obtained, unless you have used our online agent, Fox World Travel. They will do this for you so no quote is necessary. These quotes should be on the same (similar) dates as the ticket purchased to demonstrate you have selected the lowest reasonable airfare.
   
   If you stayed over an extra night because the airfare was less expensive, you must have documentation for your determination of that. This would include the quotes for the other flight, plus a calculation of other costs incurred as a result of the extra day’s stay-hotel, meals, etc.
   

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Travel Card

1. I do not have a University Travel Procurement Card issued to me, what options do I have to pay for travel expenses?

   The University offers a US Bank Corporate Travel Card to employees. The application is available on the travel web page www.uwsa.edu/fadmin/usbank/usbank.htm

   This card is a personal liability credit card issued to an employee and used for University business travel. The employee pays the bill for charges on this card and requests reimbursement from the University by submitting a Travel Expense Report (TER) for expenses. Because the employee pays the bill for this card it can be used for any travel related charges, including meals, taxi, hotels, etc. This card is the best payment option when personal charges will be included with business charges, such as movies, telephone calls, or meals charged to a hotel room, as these changes cannot be paid on a University procurement card.

2. Do I have to apply for a US Bank Corporate Credit Card?
   
   As of October 17, 2005 it is required that all airfare, hotel costs, car rentals, and travel agency fees for UW employees be paid for using either a UW Travel Procurement Card or a US Bank Corporate Card. Because not all employees are issued a University liability Travel Procurement Card, if you will be paying for any of these items and seeking reimbursement, you will need to have this card.
   Even if your department will pay for most of your travel costs up front using a University liability Travel Procurement Card, if your hotel reservation has been made by your department using a University card, you should still have your Corporate card available for paying for your hotel room. Some hotels will not permit the charges to be paid by a reserving card unless it is presented at the time of check in. If a University Travel Procurement Card was used for the reservation, but it is a department card not issued to you, you will not have it at check in to present. Because you are still required to use either a procurement card or a Corporate card to pay for your hotel room, you will need a Corporate card to pay the bill.
   

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Car Rental

1. Who do I contact if I need to rent a car?

   The State of Wisconsin currently is under contract with Enterprise for in-state rentals, and National Car Rental for out of state rentals. This may change periodically as new contracts are negotiated, so check the Travel website to verify current contracts and obtain the booking code numbers before calling.
   
   We currently have Enterprise cars available right here from campus. To make a reservation go to the Transportation Office website www.uww.edu/adminaff/fpm/fpmtrans.htm

2. Can I use the contract vendors for personal rentals?
   
   No. No State employee is permitted to obtain any special consideration as a result of their employment. Using the State contracts for personal travel would violate this policy.

3. I can get better rates from non-contract vendors. Why is that?
   
   

   It may appear that way, but this is not usually the case. Rate quotes from the non-contract vendors seldom include insurance coverage. When the cost of insurance, which runs between $12 - $15 per day is included, the non-contract vendor’s rates are almost always higher. Additionally, personal car insurance policies are increasingly dropping coverage when cars are rented for business reasons.

4. Why should I enroll in the contract vendors frequent rental clubs?
   
   Several reasons. Membership is free under our contracts, and you receive automatic upgrades and speedier service.

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Lodging

1. What are the maximum hotel costs I can pay?
   
   In the State of Wisconsin the maximum hotel reimbursement rate is $62 per night in all areas except Milwaukee, Racine and Waukesha counties, where it is $72 per night. You get this rate by asking for the “State Rate”, and are exempt from taxes by providing the tax exempt card to the hotel. The nightly rate is subject to change, so you should verify the current rates on the travel website.
   
   If you are charged taxes, it is your responsibility to call it to the attention of the hotel when you check out. All departments have been provided with tax exempt cards, so request one if you do not have one, as we will not reimburse taxes paid in Wisconsin.
   
   Out of state maximum rates depend on the city you are conducting business in. High cost cites have specific rates and can be found in the list on the travel website. The rates shown do not include tax. If your city is not shown in the list, but is near another high cost city, that rate may be used. Cities not listed or not near a high cost city are limited to $62 per night plus taxes.

2. Does the State use contracted hotels?
   
   The State has recently contracted with a list of hotels in the state of Wisconsin that will offer the State rate. These properties should be contacted first when searching for a hotel, but you are not required to stay there if they cannot give you the State rate or meet your needs. Some hotels on the list offer rates that are higher than the maximum reimbursement rate, so if one of these is selected, you will have to justify why you opted for a higher rate hotel and justify the extra costs incurred. The list of contracted properties is on the travel website www.uww.edu/adminaff/travel.htm
   

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Foreign Travel

1. What insurance do I have if I travel to a foreign country on business?

   Since many of our health care plans are not recognized in foreign countries, "Medex" is offered free of charge to employees who are conducting business in a foreign country. Medex does not replace your health insurance provider, but Medex is an agency that operates 24-hours, seven days a week and offers toll-free emergency assistance service, medical evacuation and repatriation benefits in the event of a travel-related emergency. For more information, call the Travel Office, 472-1373 or Risk Management, 472-1856.
   
   We have a travel form specifically designed for foreign travel. The form starts with a conversion of your cash to the foreign currency and then serves as a daily tally of expenses in that currency. Each expense is written down on the tally sheet as it occurs and is given a receipt number that coincides with the tally sheet. Adequate explanation must be provided for each purchase to determine allowability. The tally sheet is submitted with the numbered receipts. The form is available on the Travel website www.uww.edu/adminaff/travel/foreigntravel

1. Are there specific hotel cost limits for foreign cities like that for US high cost cities, and specific meal limits?
   
   Yes, there are specific hotel lodging rates and meal maximums for foreign cities. To check the maximums for the city you are traveling to, go to the Travel website www.uww.edu/adminaff/travel.htm and search for the list of lodging in foreign cities. This chart will show hotel maximums including taxes and meal and incidental per diems. We do not use per diems, but the meal maximum is 80% of the amount shown for M&IE. This amount is then prorated 20% breakfast, 30% lunch and 50% dinner for the various meals.
   

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Other questions can be addressed by e-mailing Travel@uww.edu or calling the Travel Office 472-3912.

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