Travel and the PCard

The purchasing card can be used for all travel expenses except meals and the purchase of fuel for a personal vehicle/aircraft. These expenses can only be reimbursed to the traveler through submission of a Travel Expense Report upon conclusion of the trip.

Prior to overnight travel, cardholders should complete an Official Authorization for Overnight Travel form and obtain the appropriate signatures. At the conclusion of the trip, a copy of the form should be attached to the PCard receipts and made part of the PCard documentation.

After the trip, a Travel Expense Report should be completed only if reimbursement is necessary (i.e., for the reimbursement of meals or mileage on a personal car). If the PCard is used for all expenses (i.e., the trip did not involve meals or personal mileage), reimbursement is not necessary and a Travel Expense Report is not required. PCard expenses should not be included on the Travel Expense Report.

Whose card?

Cards are not transferable and may not be shared. The traveler must use his or her own PCard when incurring travel expenses. If someone else makes some of the travel arrangements, like obtaining the airline tickets, the card number of the traveler must be given. EXCEPTIONS: The department head or department secretary's card may be charged for airline tickets and conference registrations, and it may be used for making preliminary hotel reservations. If required by hotel policy in order to hold the reservation, the department head or department secretary's card may be charged for the first night's stay. It may not be used to hire a rental car for anyone other than the cardholder.

Airline Tickets

Airline tickets for university employees may be purchased on a PCard. Only coach class tickets or their equivalent may be purchased for domestic travel. Airline tickets for traveling companions or spouses may not be placed on the PCard.

Rental Cars

Rental cars for business purposes are allowable using the PCard. Do not purchase rental car company insurance for domestic travel. The rental car agreement and receipt must be attached to the PCard statement (copy of originals to be sent with Travel Expense Report, if necessary). Gasoline may be purchased for use in rental cars.

IMPORTANT: University policy requires that Department of Motor Vehicle certification be obtained for the driver of all vehicles rented on behalf of the University or personal vehicles when transporting students. This certification must be obtained annually and prior to the trip. Contact Human Resources for further details.

Hotel

A cardholder is expected to pay the single room rate unless rooming with another Shawnee State University employee. If two Shawnee state employees room together in the same hotel room, the senior person should place the charge on their card. All things being equal, it does not matter which cardholder places it on the card. If rooming together in one room and one employee does not have a card, the other can still charge the room. The charge can be split, later, in PaymentNet. A copy of the hotel folio (itemized receipt) is required.

Registration Fees and Deposits

The PCard may be used for conference registrations and to guarantee overnight accommodations by phone or fax.

Business Travel for Non-employees

With prior approval, departments may use the PCard to pay business travel expenses for non-employees (i.e., airfare and hotel for guest speakers or job candidates). Travel expenses for traveling companions or spouses may not be placed on the PCard.

Personal Travel Charges

Personal travel charges should never be placed on the PCard. The traveler, prior to charging the PCard, should pay for all personal charges (i.e., charges for hotel movies, personal phone calls, meals, etc.). Should any personal charges be unintentionally charged on the PCard, the user should immediately prepare a personal check made payable to "Shawnee State University" for the amount of the personal charges. A Deposit Transmittal Form should be completed, using the same account number that was used for the PCard transaction. The check and the Deposit Transmittal Form should be hand-carried to the Bursar's Office. The original receipt, issued by the Bursar's Office, and a copy of the Deposit Transmittal Form should be attached to the cardholder's monthly PCard statement.

Updating and Editing Travel Transactions in PaymentNet

When updating travel in PaymentNet, the following is always required in the Transaction Notes section:

• Who (who traveled)

• Where (place of travel)

• When (dates of travel)

• Why (reason for travel)

• T-number (the number assigned to the Official Authorization for Overnight Travel when it's approved)

When updating rental cars in PaymentNet, the following is always required in the Transaction Notes section:

• Driver's name (and the names of passengers if transporting others)

• Date

• Business purpose for the trip

• T-number, if applicable.

Record Keeping and the Transaction Log

Itemized receipts are required for all travel expenses charged to the PCard. All receipts—and the Official Authorization for Overnight Travel, if applicable—must be attached to the cardholder's monthly statement.

When the credit card statement is received, the cardholder should verify that the transactions are appropriate. Any discrepancies should be investigated and acted on immediately.

IMPORTANT! All PCards used for travel purposes (i.e., airline tickets, rental cars, and hotels) are subject to an automatic monthly audit.