Travel Advance and Reimbursement

Summary

The CALS Finance FBSC will answer your travel related questions and will process your travel reimbursement. This includes answering questions about travel advances, air travel requisitions, registration for conferences, travel reimbursement questions, and submission of vouchers to the Division of Financial Accounting for final processing.

How to Access Services:
Email or phone all of your travel related questions to your FBSC Finance Transaction Specialist (FTS).

Department Responsibility

Prior to Travel:

Read and understand University Policy 3.2, University Travel.

Travel Reservations:

1. Reservations for all rental or fleet vehicles and air travel are the Department's responsibility.
2. If using Cornell Travel Office (http://www.cbs.cornell.edu/travel/), traveler or assistant forwards completed Air Travel Requisition to department for approval. Department forwards copy of Air Travel Requisition to FBSC.
3. If traveler is using other vendor, charge to corporate card or personal credit card.

Travel Cash Advance (Note: Takes 5-7 Business Days to process an advance, please plan accordingly) :

1. Via Cash Advance:
2. • Work with unit representative to fill out a Cornell University Cash Advance Request which will be used to obtain a travel advance.
   • The traveler signs the Cash Advance Request which states that the advance account must be repaid.
   • Send completed forms to the FBSC via campus mail or hand carry to Center for processing.
3. Via Corporate Card:
4. • Obtain cash for travel using your corporate card (Diners Club only) at an ATM. When obtaining an advance using the Diners Club card the ATM will determine how much cash can be dispensed. There can be no more than five withdrawals per day; total daily withdrawal dollar limit is $500; and withdrawal limit in any seven day period is $1,000.
   • A PIN Number is required. Call Diners Club Customer Service at 1-800-234-63 77 to select your PIN.
   • Cornell's American Express program does not include access to cash. American Express cardholders may request a Diners Club card for use in ATM machines.
5. Via Traveler's Checks:
6. • The Tompkins Trust Company maintains a bank at The Cornell Store and will issue traveler's checks to non-bank customers. You can make the purchase with cash (obtained through cash advance), Visa or MasterCard. The Trust Company will not accept another bank's check, a Diners Club card, or an American Express card.
   • Cornell will reimburse you for fees for traveler's checks related to Cornell business travel.

Post Travel

Travel Reimbursement:

• Traveler must adequately document business purpose of trip by providing a clear explanation of the specific purpose for the trip.
  
• Traveler or assistant gathers and organizes original receipts and fills out Travel Reimbursement Check List to support reimbursement request within 30 days of completion of travel.

• The web link to information about Corporate Cards, Direct Deposit of Non-Payroll Payments, Current Mileage Rates, and Current Per Diem Rates is http://www.payments.cornell.edu
• Traveler or assistant forwards original receipts to CALS FBSC.
• If traveler keeps a separate detailed list of expenses which were incurred, there is no need to rewrite information on the worksheet. Simply write "see attached sheet" and have traveler sign the worksheet. The worksheet must have the traveler's signature.
• Steps to follow after the on-line travel reimbursement is sent to you electronically.
  • Click on the weblink in the email notification.
  • Review expenses.
  • If you agree, Click on the "submit trip" button.
  • If you disagree, please contact your Transaction Specialist and do not proceed further.
  • On the next screen choose the option "Someone else will perform the Account Distribution for me".
  • "Search" for the net id of your Transaction Specialist.
  • Hit the "Submit" button.
  • Log in your net id and password.
  • Select your payment address.
  • Hit the "Submit" button.
  • Your travel has been completed.

FBSC Responsibility

The Cash Advance Request is processed after account approval has been received. FBSC processes the advance by approving and forwarding to DFA. FBSC is responsible for clearing receivables account after trip is completed. 

Travel Reimbursement:

1. CALS FBSC reviews original receipts and documentation.
2. CALS FBSC checks with traveler/assistant/unit if there is need for clarification, missing information or documentation, or problems with the reimbursement paperwork.
3. CALS FBSC prepares on-line travel payment and queues to traveler for approval. The traveler will be able to view the information to confirm that the travel is prepared correctly.
4. The traveler approves on-line travel and it is returned to FBSC representative.
5. FBSC assigns account distribution, approves payment and forwards to accounting where advance accounts will be cleared, if necessary, and checks or direct deposits generated to the traveler in 7 to 10 days.

Questions regarding Travel Reimbursements:

If I attend a meeting, am I required to include the agenda from the meeting with my travel reimbursement request?
The travel policy doesn't specifically state that an agenda is needed (and we'll allow a registration receipt or other document that shows dates in lieu of an agenda), but it does say that travelers must provide documentary evidence of the business purpose of the travel. The agenda provides the business purpose. Another reason that the agenda is useful is that it enables us to verify that travelers are not claiming reimbursement for meals that were provided by the conference when using the per diem method.

Excerpts from the Travel Policy:
"...the traveler is responsible for understanding this policy before planning and commencing travel for the university. The traveler must complete and submit appropriate forms in a timely and accurate fashion, accompanied by sufficient documentary evidence to demonstrate that the expense was incurred, reasonable, and business related. Documentation should include information about who, what, when, where, why, and how much."

From the section on Documentation & Reimbursement Issues:
"You are responsible for providing sufficient documentary evidence to support business purpose and to substantiate all expenses. Documentation should be in the form of original bills or receipts, and must include the name of the vendor, location, date, dollar amount of the expense that was paid or incurred by the traveler, and a description of goods or services received. You should describe the business purpose in terms that can be easily understood by an internal or external reviewer."

Forms

• Cornell University Cash Advance Request
• Mileage Reimbursement Form
• Direct Deposit
• Travel Reimbursement Checklist
• Non-Cornell Travel Attestation
• Travel Expense Worksheet (Optional)
• Extended Travel Per Diem Request Form
  

Related Links

• University Travel Policy
• Travel Reimbursement Information
• Cornell Travel Office