How do I get help for using MIT Online Travel Booking and Expense Reporting System?
Contact VPF Travel at travelsupport@mit.edu or come to the Travel Drop-in Sessions, Wednesday, 10–11 am in NE49-3100.
What types of problems could hold up travel reimbursement?
- Wrong cost object listed to charge expenses
- Missing original receipts above $75
- No original detailed hotel bill
- No receipt for business meeting regardless of the amount
- No receipt for local travel and dining regardless of the amount
- No itemized receipt for meals above $75
- 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 for guest travelers
- Required additional approval from Research Administration Services, Senior Officer or Provost
- Foreign bank draft reimbursement
- Use of a foreign-flag carrier on a sponsored project
- Alcohol charged to a sponsored project
How long does it take to receive reimbursement?
If the traveler has direct deposit with MIT HR/Payroll they will receive a reimbursement several days after it is approved for payment. If a traveler is reimbursed though a guest expense report they will receive a check in seven to ten days.
Is direct deposit be available for my reimbursements?
Direct Deposit is available if the traveler has direct deposit information on file with HR/Payroll and has created the expense report in his or her Concur profile and not a guest profile.
Do I need to attach receipts for airline tickets purchased with Concur?
Yes, some vendors provide e-receipts, but they may not contain sufficient detail so please attach the detailed receipt you receive from the travel agency.
I have already processed my travel expense report. What do I do if I have additional expenses?
You would submit a second expense report with the original report name and “Addendum” in the new report name. Any additional expenses pertaining to a previous trip should be added to the NEW expense report and submitted. For records purposes, please note the TR number (can be found in MIT detailed report) of the original report in the new report.
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 and will be reimbursed after the completion of the trip.
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.
Are account numbers tied to specific profiles/individuals?
No, anyone submitting a Travel Expense Report in the Concur system is able to type in any account number regardless of the DLC the account is tied to.
Is each Traveler/Submitter assigned his or her 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 (cost objects). 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(s) after the report is submitted.
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 the online booking tool, Concur, and an Expense Delegate is able to submit an expense report on behalf of someone else.
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.
Do I have to allocate each individual travel 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 (like alcohol) to hit an account other than the one you entered in the Report Header (like a discretionary account) when the Concur Expense Report was created.
I have a departmental card whose name shows up when I click on “Profile” and “Act on behalf of another user” in my dropdown menu, but I have a non-institute guest who has all out-of-pocket expenses that 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 by clicking on “Profile” and “Act on behalf of another user” and typing in your email address. Click on your department travel card ID, and you are able to reimburse any traveler for out-of-pocket expenses. Please note that a guest account in Concur creates a paper check for out-of-pocket expenses. The check is mailed to the Guest 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 a guest profile.
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 approver's name in the “Profile,” “Act on behalf of another user” drop-down menu. Selecting the Primary Approver’s name gives the Backup Approver access to their Approval Queue.
Who needs to approve a travel expense report?
A person who is authorized on the cost object to which the cost will be charged can approve travel expense reports. 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 an email identifying the expense report and requesting her or his approval. Approval delegates are able to proxy in 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 who the approver is for the cost object(s) in the travel expense report. To request an approval delegate, please contact travelsupport@mit.edu.
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. Activation code is your full employee ID number.
Does the MIT Travel Card accumulate reward points?
No.
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 Trip Purpose, Local Travel and Meetings. For all local business meeting expenses, MIT Travel requires itemized receipts regardless of the amount. Please ensure that receipts are attached to your expense report before submitting.
What do I do if I charge a personal expense to the Travel Card?
Personal expenses will be deducted from the amount due to the traveler if traveler for out-of-pocket expenses. If no money is due to traveler, the traveler must 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.