Frequently Asked Questions

Purdue Travel can help create your expense report for you. Please submit travel expenses and travel information via our online submission form. The form should be submitted within 10-15 days after travel ends.

To create the expense report yourself, please visit Concur Training/Travel Resources for any training or information on this process.

Expense reports should be submitted within 60 days from the last day of business travel of travel. Those that are not processed within 120 days are reported as additional wages to the employee and will have resulting tax implications.  The University follows the IRS accountable plan rule on submitting and reimbursement of expenses found in IRS Publication 463.

Travel for non-employees cannot be processed through Concur. Please contact your procurement center or business office for reimbursement.

For undergraduate students that hold a paid position, travel expenses can also be handled through their procurement center or business office. If necessary, the student can be added to Concur by contacting purduetravel@purdue.edu.

Travelers are not to pay for another employee’s expenses. All employees are eligible for a Purdue Travel Card. To apply, complete and submit the online Purdue University Travel Card Agreement/Application.

If a colleague or fellow traveling employee does not have a Travel Card, then they are to pay for their expenses in one of these ways:

• PU Airfare Card through Concur for Airfare
• Book through AAA Corporate Travel
• Departmental Purchasing Card
• Personal Cash/Card
  • Reimbursement of expenses with personal funds will be reimbursed after the trip is completed and expense report is approved.

Exceptions to pay for or reimburse travel expenses that do not meet the requirements of the University’s Travel for University Business (II.A.3) policy and the associated Travel Regulations must be approved by both the unit head and the Associate Vice President for Administrative Operations, or designee.

Meal receipts are not required unless the meal is considered a hospitality or business meal.

Meals may be charged to the Visa Travel Card while in travel status. These charges are non-reimbursable and should be identified as Meal Expense and marked as a Personal Expense on the Expense Report.

Per diem is predetermined by the IRS guidelines using the U.S. General Services Administration Per Diem Rates. The rate is paid based on the location of University business.

Hospitality meals must have a fully itemized receipt and the name of all attendees. If alcohol is included, that amount must be marked as a personal expense. Reach out to the business office on how to submit reimbursement for alcoholic beverages. Expenses must meet the requirements of the University’s policy on Hospitality Expenses (II.A.1).

Meals provided as part of a conference or other business event should be identified and will be deducted from per diem.

Meals provided by the hotel (complimentary breakfast) do not need to be deducted from per diem.

Complimentary snacks or meals provided by an airline will not be deducted from the per diem allowance.

If the airline charged for a meal during your flight, and you purchased one, the charge should be identified as a Meal Expense and marked as a Personal Expense.

Travelers should provide conference documentation such as the agenda/program schedule to determine eligible payment for meals or other conference expenses incurred.

An employee may use their personal car for business purposes. The University will reimburse employees for business travel using their personal vehicle at the prevailing rate per mile. Personal car mileage is reimbursed by creating an expense report in Concur. Mileage will be calculated in Concur by entering the departure and destination addresses, no maps are needed. Mileage reimbursement is subject to the Drive vs. Fly regulation.

Mileage for travel on campus or in the area of official duty station is considered a business expense, and reimbursement is subject to departmental guidelines, since this is not considered a travel expense it should not be processed through Concur.

Only mileage related to business travel is reimbursable. Items not considered as reimbursable include the commute to and from home and work, commute between campus buildings and any mileage of personal nature.

If the airline does not have assigned seating, economy class priority boarding/seat selection is allowed. If the airline has assigned seating, priority boarding and seat upgrades are not reimbursable. Exceptions are made to flight times that exceed 8 hours.

Generally, no, as it typically results in an increased cost. However, it may be allowable when reasonable circumstances (e.g. timing issues) occur and a business reason for the use of this option must be clearly documented.

No, Purdue is self-insured for all domestic vehicle rentals. However, if traveling internationally, travelers should purchase the insurance from the agency.

Yes, the use of Airbnb/Vrbo is allowable if there is a cost savings; this could be due to the length of stay or number of travelers sharing accommodations. As with all lodging, an Itemized receipt is required showing tax, room, and other charges. Booking an Airbnb/Vrbo is not allowed to accommodate a single employee traveling with family/companions.

Receipts must be in electronic format to submit with the expense report. Receipts can be uploaded by the traveler using the Concur Mobile App, or by scanning the receipt and uploading the image file to the receipt library in Concur. Travelers also can attach receipt image files to the online submission form and Purdue Travel will upload to Concur when preparing the expense report.

Note: Screen-prints and credit card statements are not acceptable forms of proof of purchase,

All employees of the University authorized for international travel must follow the appropriate approval, insurance, and travel security requirements. A trip request should be completed in Concur at least two weeks prior to departure. Risk Management uses the trip request as notification to provide the traveler with International Travel and Evacuation Insurance.

Travelers may combine vacation time with a business trip with supervisor approval prior to initiating arrangements. It is recommended the personal travel be at the beginning or end of the trip to ensure policy compliance and more efficient reimbursement.

The individual must pay costs associated with Personal travel, and expense cost variances (e.g. airfare, vehicle rental, lodging) must be clearly identified and documented to ensure additional costs have not been assessed to the University. When personal and business are combined during domestic travel, airfare reimbursement is capped at $400. When personal and business are combined during international travel, Cost Comparison Guidelines must be followed.

Immediately report any fraudulent charges to JP Morgan Chase by calling (800) 316-6056 and Purdue Card Services staff via email at tcard@purdue.edu.

Note: When contacting JP Morgan Chase, you will be asked to provide the last 4 digits of your social security number (SSN) and/or your mother’s maiden name. Use the last 4 digits of your PUID in place of the SSN.

The travel card should be canceled by completing Appendix T. The business office must destroy the travel card.

Travel cards follow the employee not the department.  If you change positions from one area to another, please notify tcard@purdue.edu so that your new department and business manager contact information can be updated in the system.

To temporarily increase the limit, complete the online TCard Temporary Increase Request Form form. To permanently increase the limit, complete necessary items on Appendix T, obtain managers signature and submit completed and signed form to Card Services at tcard@purdue.edu.