Frequently Asked Questions

• Concur System General
• Booking Tool (Cliqbook)
• Expense Tool (Concur)
• For Expense Delegates
• For Concur Travel Approvers
• MIT Travel Card
• MIT Travel Policy

Concur System General

Q. How do I log in to the MIT Online Travel Booking and Expense Reporting System?

Log in to http://web.mit.edu/concur and sign on using your MIT web certificate.

Q. How do I setup a travel arranger and expense delegate the first time I log into Concur?

Click here to view the quick card PDF instructions.

Q. How do I get help for using MIT Online Travel Booking and Expense Reporting System?

Click help on the My Concur page. In the help section, you can find specific instructions for the task you are trying to complete. You can also view demonstrations of the most important tasks.

For personal assistance, please contact VPF Travel at travelsupport@mit.edu.

Q. Am I no longer allowed to use my favorite travel agency?

No, like the MIT Travel Card, Cliqbook (the on-line booking tool) is an optional tool available to Travelers. Travelers and Departments are welcome to continue using any of MIT’s preferred agencies. The only difference is you will now be giving these agencies an Individual or Departmental MIT Card number instead of an account number when booking travel. Travelers who do not wish to get an MIT Travel Card may also book travel with these agencies using their own personal Credit Card.

Q. How do I adjust email notifications within Concur?

Click here to view the travel arranger quick card PDF instructions.

Q. Who should I call for travel related questions?

Airline tickets, Diners Club: Sudha Cheruku, 617-253-0307
Concur expense reporting tool: Devin Mead Ward, 617-253-4655
Auditing of travel expense vouchers: Ellen Sico, 617-253-3547
Accounting inquiries: 617-253-3547
Credit Card inquiries: Kathy McGrath, 617-253-8366

Q. What types of problems could hold up reimbursement?

• Wrong cost object listed to charge expenses
• Missing original receipts over $75
• No original detailed hotel bill
• No receipt for business meeting regardless of amount
• No receipt for local travel and dining regardless of amount
• No itemized receipt for meals over $75.00
• No original detailed car rental receipt
• No original passenger receipt or detailed website receipt for airline tickets;
• No documentation on business related meetings that involve food/meals (list of participants, affiliation and topic of discussion)
• No discretionary account for unallowable expenses
• Excessive costs
• Incorrect mailing address
• Required additional approval from Office of Sponsored Programs, Senior Officer or Provost
• Foreign bank draft reimbursement
• Use of a foreign-flag carrier on a WBS element

Q. How long does it take to receive reimbursement?

If there are no problems with the travel expense vouchers, it normally takes one to two business days from the time the travel office receives the travel expense voucher to issue a reimbursement to the traveler. If there is a problem(s) with the travel expense voucher, we make every effort to resolve the problem(s) over the phone or through e-mail. If we cannot process a report, we will send the report back to the submitter with an explanation.

Q. When will direct deposit be available for my reimbursements?

Direct Deposit is currently available. All travel reimbursements will be paid through direct deposit, if the traveler has direct deposit information on file with HR/Payroll.

Q. To which bank account will the direct deposit go into?

The direct deposit will deposited into the account that is currently on file for payroll deposits.

Booking Tool (Cliqbook)

Q. Why should I use the MIT Online Travel Booking and Expense Reporting System instead of calling an agent directly?

The MIT Online Travel Booking and Expense Reporting System allows you to quickly make plans after viewing your travel options. In addition, you have access to Internet fares. MIT Online Travel Booking and Expense Reporting System provides a list of all your travel plans and is your direct source for travel alerts.

Q. How is ticket fulfillment handled?

When you use the MIT Online Travel Booking and Expense Reporting System to reserve your flights, your travel agency will handle fulfillment/ticketing in the same manner as a phone reservation. Electronic tickets are issued unless otherwise requested.

Q. What does the yellow star represent for air, hotel, and car options?

The yellow star represents an MIT preferred vendor.

Q. Can I add a car or hotel to an airline reservation after it is booked?

Yes, you can make changes before your ticket is issued. To add or modify your trip, click the name of the trip on the Upcoming Trips section of My Concur and then click Change Trip.

Q. How can I view the itinerary for flights I have already booked?

On the My Concur page, review the Upcoming Trips section. For more detailed information, click the appropriate trip name in the Trip Name/Description column and then click View Itinerary.

Q. What type of confirmation do I need at the airport?

You should bring a printed copy of your email itinerary with ticket number information or the paper ticket (whichever is acceptable by the airline) and a government approved identification document such as a driver’s license, Passport, VISA, etc.

Q. How do I change my reservation after it’s been booked?

To make changes to your seat assignment or add a hotel or car reservations to a trip, click the trip name in the Upcoming Trips area of the My Concur. To change your air itinerary contact your travel agency directly.

Note: When you contact your travel agency to cancel your reservation, the itinerary is not
automatically removed from the Upcoming Travel section on My Concur. To remove the canceled itinerary from the Upcoming Travel section:
1. In the Upcoming Travel section, select the appropriate itinerary
2. Click View Request and then click Withdraw Request.

Q. Where do I view my itinerary?

The MIT Online Travel Booking and Expense Reporting System will send your itinerary to you immediately after you confirm the trip. Your agency will email your final itinerary when it is ticketed. In addition, you can view your itinerary from in the Upcoming Trips section on the My Concur or Travel pages.

Q. What are MIT’s preferred hotels? Can the agreements be used for personal travel?

MIT has many preferred hotels throughout the Cambridge/Boston area along with other cities out of state. Please note that The Club Quarters chain can be used for personal travel.

Q. Who are MIT’s preferred travel agencies?

MIT has four preferred travel agencies. They are BCD (Cliqbook provider), Travel Collaborative, Carlson Wagonlit, and OT&T Travel.

Q. What are MIT’s preferred air carriers? Can they be used for personal travel?

The discounted fares can only be booked through one of MIT’s approved travel agencies. The air carriers do not allow personal travel. Read more about air and train travel.

Do I need to attach receipts for airline tickets purchased with Cliqbook?

Yes, at this point very few vendors are participating in e-receipts so please attach every receipt you would usually attach to a paper voucher.

Q. What are the MIT preferred car rental vendors? Can they be used for personal travel? Should I take out insurance?

MIT has two preferred car rental vendors. They are:
Budget corp id # T240202
Avis corp id # A491400

These rental car companies can only be used for official institute business. Travelers using rental cars for domestic travel should not purchase the optional collision insurance coverage offered. If so, the expense will be deducted from the travel expense report. The MIT preferred companies have included the cost of insurance in their rates, therefore, should a traveler get into an accident, MIT will be fully covered. The rental insurance should, however, be purchased for international rentals.

Expense Tool (Concur)

Q. How do I process a per diem?

You can expense per diem as an out of pocket expense. Be sure that your traveler has not used their MIT Travel card as a per diem rate and MIT Travel Card expenses cannot be combined. A domestic per diem rate needs to receive prior approval from the Travel office in order to be used. See GSA per diem rates and the MIT Policy on per diem rates.

Q. I have already processed my expense report. What do I do if I have additional expenses?

You would submit a second expense report. Addendums do not exist in the Concur system. Any additional expenses pertaining to a previous trip should be added to a NEW expense report and submitted. For records purposes, please note the TR number (can be found in MIT detailed report) of the additional report.

Q. If I do not have an MIT credit card, can I still use the Concur system to process my expenses?

Yes. All expenses will be entered manually as “out of pocket” expenses.

Q. When do meals need to be categorized as expense type business meals?

Whenever a meal involves a non-MIT party, it must be classified as a business meeting.

Q. Are account numbers tied to specific profiles/individuals?

No, anyone submitting a Travel Expense Voucher in the Concur system is able to type in any account number regardless of the DLC the account is tied to.

Q. Is each Traveler/Submitter assigned their own approver?

No, Expense Report Approval in Concur is driven by Roles. Approvers are not assigned to individuals but are set up by accounts and fund centers. When an account number is entered into the system via the report header, or when allocating individual expenses, the system recognizes the account number and knows to route the report to the designated approver after the report is submitted.

For Expense Delegates

Q. What is the difference between a Travel Arranger and an Expense Delegate?

A Travel Arranger is able to book travel on behalf of someone else via Cliqbook (the online booking tool featured on the Concur homepage) and an Expense Delegate is able to submit an expense report on behalf of someone else.

Q. Can I move card charges between profiles (i.e. from my Departmental Card’s Profile to another individual’s profile)?

No, MIT Travel Card charges feed into and are linked with only one profile and must be expensed under the profile name to which they have fed.

Q. Do I have to allocate each individual expense in a report to a cost object/account number?

If every expense in your report can hit the cost object found in the Report Header you do not have to allocate each individual expense. Allocation is only necessary when splitting the report between cost objects or selecting particular expenses to hit an account other than the one you entered in the Report Header when the Concur Expense Report was created.

For Concur Travel Approvers

Q. I have a Departmental Card whose name shows up in my “You are administering travel for:” dropdown menu, but I have a non – institute guest who has all out of pocket expenses I need to reimburse, do I also need a guest account?

No, if you have a Departmental MIT Travel Card you already have a guest account in the Concur system. You can select your Departmental Card’s name from your “You are administering travel for:” dropdown menu and are able to reimburse any traveler for out of pocket expenses. Please note that all guest accounts in Concur create paper checks that are mailed to the mailing address the submitter enters in the Expense Report Header. If you do not have a Departmental MIT Travel Card and need to reimburse visitors or guests please email travelsupport@mit.edu and request the creation of guest profile.

Q. As an approver, what are my responsibilities?

The primary responsibility of the approver is to ensure compliance with MIT’s travel policy.

Under no circumstances may an individual approve his or her own travel.

The authorized signer must verify that all scanned receipts are attached, that the travel expense meets applicable sponsor guidelines, the travel expense was incurred while conducting official MIT business and that documentation is attached for any unusual circumstances or missing original receipts.

• The approver must have signature authority on the cost object being charged.
• All scanned receipts (air, car and hotel expenses, as well as items over $75.00, for business meetings and local travel) should accompany the voucher

• Voucher must be submitted to the Travel Office within 30 days after completion of each trip.

Those in travel status for prolonged periods should submit travel expense vouchers each month.

Q. I am a Backup Approver for someone but when I log into Concur I don’t have an Approval Queue, why is this?

Backup Approvers are basically set up as Expense Delegates for Primary Approvers. Due to this set up, in order to approve reports that are routed to the Primary Approver by the system Backup Approvers must proxy in under the Primary Approver’s name. This is done by selecting the approvers name in the “You are administering travel for:” drop down menu. Selecting the Primary Approver’s name gives the backup approver access to their Approval Queue.

Q. Who needs to approve a travel expense voucher?

A person who is authorized on the cost object where the cost will be charted can approve travel expense vouchers. This person needs to be set up in the Roles Database under “Concur Travel Approver.” This individual is considered the primary approver for that cost object. As the primary approver, this individual will receive the electronic report in his/her Concur inbox. Approval delegates are able to proxy as the primary approver to access these reports as well. Delegate approvers are assigned as “Eligible as Concur Backup” in Roles and are assigned as approval delegates by the Travel Office. Please refer to the Roles website to see if the person approving the travel expense voucher is listed in the roles database system. To request an approval delegate, please contact travelsupport@mit.edu.

Travel Card

Q. How do I activate my MIT Travel Card?

Please call 1‐888‐571‐1000 to activate your card. This number will appear on an activation sticker on the front of the card issued to you.

Q. How do I apply for a Department Travel Card?

Please complete Travel Card Application online or print form and send to travelsupport@mit.edu.

Q. Can travel cards be mailed?

Yes, a travel card can be mailed to an outside or interdepartmental address, or picked up in the travel office located at, NE49-4037.

Q. How long does it take for a travel card request to be processed?

The request takes five business days from the day the travel office receives the request.
Travel card application (PDF)

Q. Does the MIT Travel Card accumulate reward points?

No.

Q. Can my Travel Card be used for expenses associated with meetings in and around campus?

Yes, when you are completing the expense report, select the reason for the expense as Local Travel. For all local business meetings, MIT Travel requires itemized receipts. Please ensure that receipts are attached to your expense report before submitting.

Q. Can I use my travel card if I plan to submit expenses based on per diem amounts?

No, the travel card is based on actual expenses.

Q. What do I do if I charge a personal expense to the Travel Card?

Personal expenses will be deducted from the amount due to travel if traveler is owed money back. If no money is due to traveler, the traveler would send a check payable to MIT along with a copy of the expense report to Travel NE49‐4037.
When processing a personal charge in a Concur expense report, please mark the “personal expense” check box within the transaction detail. Selecting this check box will ensure the expense is not applied to a cost object.

Q. I have obtained an MIT Travel Card. Can I still use the old paper forms for submitting my expense reports?

No, all expenses charged on the MIT Travel Card are fed into the online expense report and would need to be expensed with the online tool.

Q. Is the MIT Travel Card Mandatory?

No, the card is optional. Travelers who prefer to use their personal credit card may continue to do so.

Travel Policy

Q. What types of travel expenses are considered unallowable?

• Costs incurred by unreasonable failures to cancel transportation or hotel reservations
• Fines for automobile violations
• Personal auto repairs, insurance deductibles, and surcharges
• Lost or stolen tickets, cash or property
• Travel accident insurance premiums
• Expenses not directly related to the performance of the travel assignment
• Hotel movie rentals/airline headsets
• Frequent flyer tickets
• Toiletry items
• Medication
• Health club fees
• Magazine, newspapers and books unrelated to business
• Additionally purchased car rental insurance for domestic travel
• Corporate card delinquency fees or finance charges
• Club fees to be paid in A/P

Q. When must an employee fill out a travel expense voucher?

MIT policy – 30 days after the completion of the trip.
IRS regulation – 60 days following the completion of the trip, otherwise the travel expenses may be treated as salary.

Q. Can I get a travel advance?

No, MIT has migrated from advances to credit cards.

Q. Are moving expenses taxable?

The following expenses are taxable:

• The cost of meals incurred while traveling to the new employment site
• Pre-move house hunting expenses (travel, lodging and meals)
• Post-move temporary quarters (lodging and meals)
• Real estate expenses
• Mileage in excess of the Prevailing IRS rate
• Storage costs

Q. What are the travel G/L accounts and what do they mean?

422065 - Travel advance
420050 - Domestic travel
420060 - No overhead (OSP approval needed)
420070 - Foreign travel
420071 - Codeshare definition
420080 - Unallowable travel
420081 - Personal development
421000 - Business meetings

Q. Is spousal travel allowed?

Spousal travel can only be reimbursed if they have a formal role in an MIT related event. Request for reimbursement must be made in writing in advance of the trip to the Provost Office, and should include a clear explanation of how the spouses’ presence will be part of the formal MIT-related program.

Q. Do I need to submit receipts?

In any travel circumstance, each traveler must submit scanned receipts documenting all transportation expenses, including airfare, train and/or car rental expense and detailed hotel receipts. For all other expenses, receipts are only required for any single expenditure in excess of $75. A credit card statement is not appropriate. Receipts for business related meetings should be included indicating the participants, affiliation and topic of discussion. Alcohol must be segregated and charged to an appropriate departmental discretionary account and an unallowable G/L account. Original receipts should be retained in the department for the current year plus one fiscal year.

Q. Can I claim a per diem for food and actual expenses for my hotel or vise versa?

No, you must claim a per diem for food and lodging or actual receipts for food and lodging.

Q. Can I claim a per diem for foreign travel and what are the maximum allowances?

Yes, travelers can claim a per diem for foreign travel. Refer to US State Department Foreign Per Diem Website for the maximum amounts allowed. A traveler does not have to take the maximum and may claim less. There should be no gain from business travel. Per Diem cannot be combined with actual costs.

Q. Can I fly first class?

You may fly first class when business class is not offered on destinations outside North America (International excluding Canada, Mexico, the Continental U. S., Bermuda and the Caribbean Islands) and domestic flights when a flight has a scheduled in air flying time greater than 6 hours or any part of a round trip airfare that is in excess of 6 hours. When these trips are charged to a WBS element, the difference in cost between the lowest available coach and first class airfare must be charged to an appropriate departmental discretionary account.

Q. Can I fly business class?

Business class travel will be approved to destinations outside North America (North America includes: Canada, Mexico, the Continental U. S., Bermuda and the Caribbean islands) and domestic flights when a flight has a scheduled in air flying time greater than 6 hours or any part of a round trip airfare that is in excess of 6 hours. When these trips are charged to a WBS element, the difference in cost between the lowest available coach and business class airfare must be charged to an appropriate departmental discretionary account.

Q. What is the current mileage rate and what does that include?

Reimbursement is based on the prevailing IRS rate rounded down to the nearest whole penny. This mileage allowance is intended to cover all transportation and operating costs, including fuel.

Q. What if the private automobile is used to points beyond 300 miles of the point of origin, primarily for the convenience of the traveler?

The reimbursement will not exceed the lesser of the cost of the appropriate round trip fare between the nearest commercial airport serving the origin and destination of cities or the prevailing IRS rate.

Q. Will MIT pay for car repairs or parking tickets?

No. It is the responsibility of the traveler to pay for all car repairs on a POV and/or all types of fines and tickets including parking, speeding, or any type of moving violations.

Q. Can I claim a per diem for domestic travel and what are the maximum allowances?

Reimbursement for domestic per diem may be established by department heads, laboratory directors or project supervisors with prior approval of the travel office. Reimbursement on a per diem basis is normally for periods of extended duration. The necessary form is on the website.