News and Announcements

VPF implemented several changes to policies governing use of the MIT Travel Card and Procurement Card (ProCard) on May 18, 2020. We encourage all cardholders, approvers, and verifiers to carefully review the changes as detailed in Travel Card policy (Section 2.03) and the ProCard policy (Section 4.06).

The Travel Card is provided to members of the MIT community as a convenient way to pay for MIT travel expenses, while the ProCard is used for certain low-dollar purchases. As such, all expenses charged to these cards must be related to MIT business; the cards cannot be used to charge personal expenses. VPF is adding these new controls to maintain the integrity of the Institute’s credit card programs in light of increasing audit and sponsor scrutiny and cases of fraud and misuse.

Policy changes include:

• For the first occurrence of personal expenses charged to an MIT credit card, the cardholder will receive a warning that immediate repayment is required. 
• If personal expenses are not repaid within 30 days of the warning, the card will be canceled.
• For the second occurrence of personal expenses charged to an MIT credit card, the card will be canceled.
• Any and all fraudulent activity will result in immediate card cancellation and additional consequences (which could include termination of employment and notification to law enforcement).
• Travelers now have 60 days (previously 30 days) following completion of a trip to submit a travel expense report. 
• The monthly limit on Travel Cards for new cardholders has been lowered to $10,000 (from $25,000). Higher credit limits will be authorized based on need and departmental approval, and limits for existing cardholders will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
• Temporary employees are now required to be in their role for at least three months before they can be issued an MIT credit card. Supervisors must make a business justification for providing an MIT credit card to a temporary employee.

All new Travel Card cardholders are required to take a new online training course that is designed to ensure compliance with Institute and federal policies related to business travel on behalf of MIT. Existing cardholders are strongly encouraged to complete the training as well. The course, Travel Policies for the Traveler, is available in the Atlas Learning Center. There is also a course specifically for approvers of travel expense reports, available here: Travel Policies for the Approver.

In addition, we ask that MIT departments, labs, and centers follow the Best Practices Recommendations for DLCs to help reinforce these new measures.

VPF’s Travel and Card Services team is available to answer any questions about these policy changes at 617-253-8366 or travelsupport@mit.edu.