Concur
What are the components of Concur?
- Request - Travel authorization
- Travel - Booking tool for airfare, hotel and car rentals
- Expense - Reconcile transactions and submit an expense report
- Mobile Apps - Used to help manage bookings, itineraries, expense reports, flight schedules and receipts images
- Travel card transactions are integrated with Concur and reconciled through Expense
You can access the Concur login page from our website's section menu. (The url is www. alaska.edu/concur.)
Use your Single Sign On (SSO) login in credentials with the university to access the site. You use your SSO credentials to sign into your university computer and email.
My password is not working. Can someone change it?
For SSO login, passwords are managed through the ELMO system, not Concur. For Concur Solutions login, users can change their password by following the “Forgot password?” link.
How should I start using Concur?
Visit our First-Time Users page for helpful guides and information. Your department travel coordinator and campus travel administration also valuable resources! Ask them about traveler training opportunities.
Do I have to use Concur for my business travel?
Concur is required to submit your travel Request and expense Report. You should also use Concur to book your airfare since we only have access to the State of Alaska Contract Rates when booking through our travel agency.
The university travel regulations state that "the traveler shall use the travel and expense management system to submit the travel request and make reservations to realize university negotiated benefits/discounts, provide electronic records and expedite reimbursements." (R05.02.060(6.b))
Does Concur send out communications when all or a part of the site is down?
Yes, you can sign up for Concur Outage Alerts by visiting the Concur Open website and Subscribing to Updates. You can also see what (if any) recent outages are reported by Concur.
How do we manage accounts for terminated employees?
The campus or Systems Office travel administrator can set an “Account Termination Date” which deactivates the user. Doing so allows a delegate or proxy to submit Reports on the user’s behalf regardless of the “Traveler Type.”
However, this is not an automated process and does not delete an account. The User Admin relies on the department alerting them that a user needs deactivation and can reactivate a user if needed.
Concur Expense (Expense Report)
How do I process an airline ticket credit?
When you purchase an airline ticket through Concur Travel, the expense will feed into your Concur account under your list of "Available Expenses."
If the same traveler uses the credit, they can assign the original ticket expense to the new trip's expense Report for processing once that trip is complete.
If the credit is used by a different traveler, please contact the Systems Office or your campus travel administrator to reassign the original charge.
Note that the expense will not hit Banner until the expense Report is processed. If the expense is transferred to a new traveler, the expense Report is processed with the new traveler's department funding information. The original traveler will not see the expense hit their department.
Use this downloadable guide to manage expenses from a canceled trip.
Do I need to attach receipts for all my travel expenses?
Yes, receipts are required for all business travel expenses except per diem. Visit the Traveler: During Travel page to learn more about receipt requirements and receipt management options.
What expense type should I use for the CTM agent fees?
There is a “Booking Fees” expense created just for those agent fees charged by CTM. However, if the agent fee was incurred for a personal reason (past fare quote, personal changes, etc.), then use Expense Type “Personal/Non Reimbursable.”
Am I not supposed to record intermediate/layover points during travel in the Travel
Allowance?
It is all dependent on whether you lodged at the intermediate location(s). The per diem allowance for the first day of travel is based on the GSA listed rate for the city where the traveler lodged. The allowance for the last day is based on the rate for the last city the traveler lodged.
If you stopped and stayed the night at one or more intermediate location, then it is included in the Travel Allowance. The reason for the overnight stay at that location is also clearly documented on the Report. Otherwise, including extraneous layovers can result in inaccurate per diem calculations.
There are items in my "Available Expenses" not relevant to any trips. What do I do
with them?
If the information is just trip data and no longer needed, you can delete it.
If the information is an accidental travel card charge or fully refunded charge, create and submit an expense Report to reconcile the charge. Use this downloadable guide to reconcile non-travel travel card charges.
At what point should I close the Request associated with an Expense Report?
You should close the Request after the associated expense Report is approved for payment. Closing the Request before final approval can cause it to detach from the Report.
You should Close Requests for the following reasons:
- Reports can no longer link to the Request which helps ensure a 1-1 relationship between Request and Report
- Limits the open travel reports used by financial managers and travel coordinators to only Requests that still need a completed Report (important for budgeting)
- Cleans up the open Requests list for the user
To Close a Request:
- Open Requests>Manage Requests
- Select “Approved” from the Request Library View drop-down menu
- Open the applicable Request by clicking the Request Name
- Select “Close Request” from the More Actions drop-down menu in the top-right corner and Confirm
Concur Request (Authorization)
Will the creation of a Request in Concur encumber the estimated trip cost in Banner?
No, travel is not encumbered in Banner if processed through Concur. Instead, the Concur Reporting module provides reports with the details of approved, upcoming travel.
Individuals with a Concur reporting license can generate these reports. Please contact your campus travel administrator if you do not have a reporting license but need access to travel reports.
The goal is to also have travel reports available through UAOnline and Vista Plus.
It is not usually necessary to submit a new Request if there are changes to the original trip estimates. If the Request is fully approved, the "Recall" option to make changes is no longer available either. Instead, any changes to the trip after Request approval are reflected on the Report as it is the final documentation of travel. The Report routes through the approval process if the changes require re-approval.
However, if the original trip is canceled and later rescheduled, it is appropriate to cancel the original Request and submit a new Request once the trip is rescheduled.
Yes, all business travel is approved through a Request regardless of the funding source for the trip. There are many benefits to using Concur for all travel including duty of care awareness, logging supervisor approval and the clear identification of business travel.
Travelers and delegates cannot manipulate the approval flow on the Request. Only the approvers in the approval flow or campus travel administrators can make changes once the Request is submitted.
Concur is designed to allow UA employees to self-manage their travel from start to finish. Preventing the user who submits the Request from manipulating approvals helps ensure each trip is approved according to the travel regulations.
I submitted the Request as a delegate and Concur skipped me as the department approver.
Why?
The individual that submits the Request cannot also approve the Request. If you are an assigned approver and submit the Request, Concur bypasses your approval.
If you need to act as an approver for the Request, then the traveler or another delegate must submit the Request.
Some employees have a joint appointment. How can we assign joint travel approvers?
The default approver for employees is always their primary supervisor (not timesheet approver) as listed in Banner form NEA2SPE. This is true for joint appointments, cross-campus and cross-department travel as well.
When personnel in another department or campus needs to approve travel for an employee for which they are not the supervisor, they are added to the approval flow by one of the other approvers.
Visit the Approver page of our website for more information on the approval flow and how to add additional approvers.
Why does a Request for a completed trip still show as active in my Requests list?
After the expense Report is approved for payment, the Request requires manual closure/inactivation. Concur does not automatically close the Request when a Report is processed. Closing the Request will ensure the estimated trip amount does not continue to show up on open travel reports.
To Close a Request:
- Open Requests>Manage Requests
- Select “Approved” from the Request Library View drop-down menu
- Open the applicable Request by clicking the Request Name
- Select “Close Request” from the More Actions drop-down menu in the top-right corner and Confirm
How do you close/inactivate a Request in Concur?
- Open Requests>Manage Requests
- Select “Approved” from the Request Library View drop-down menu
- Open the applicable Request by clicking the Request Name
- Select “Close Request” from the More Actions drop-down menu in the top-right corner
and Confirm
How can I view Requests that are closed or canceled?
Under Request>Manage Requests in Concur, select the drop-down menu option next to "View." You can choose to see closed, canceled and other Request types from the list.
Use this downloadable guide to navigate the Request dashboard.
Concur Travel (Booking)
Can a Delegate or Travel Coordinator book my travel?
Yes, you can designate a delegate in Concur under your profile. The travel coordinator for your department commonly acts as a delegate for your department's travelers.
A delegate can create and submit a Request, monitor the approval process, book travel and create an expense Report for their traveler. (The traveler must submit the expense Report.)
Use this downloadable guide to setup your delegates!
How can you identify Fly America compliant flight options?
Does Concur automatically comply with Fly America if we answer "Yes" to the federal
funds question?
No, flights in Concur do not automatically comply with Fly America or Open Skies. The federal funds question is only for reporting.
The Fly America icon appears next to the flight information if it is compliant. However, this compliance check will not take into consideration any allowable exceptions (e.g. Open Skies).
How do you cancel a trip reservation made in Concur?
- Select Trip Library in the Travel module to view upcoming trips
- Click the “Cancel Trip” link in the Action column for the trip
- A pop-up notification with a warning appears: Read the warning carefully, paying special
attention to notifications regarding lodging
- If the trip is cancelled on the day the trip is scheduled to commence, the user must contact the hotel directly to cancel
- If any portion of the trip was booked outside of Concur or CTM (e.g. lodging or car rental), that portion is cancelled directly through the vendor, not Concur
- Click “OK” to confirm trip cancellation; the user can add comments for reporting purposes (not required)
- DO NOT add comments in “Comments for the Travel Agent” as that results in an agency fee; instead, click “Send this trip to a travel agent to cancel” to complete cancellation
- If cancelled during the free cancellation period, the charge (if present) is voided and no longer in Available Expenses
In some instances, CTM can use the credit from one traveler for another. The credit transfer policies are set by each airline and vary based on their defined guidelines at the time. We recommend reaching out to CTM if you have questions about using the credits for a different traveler. They can let you know if the airline allows the use of a credit in another traveler's name as well as the cost of that transfer.
If the airline allows credit transfer, contact CTM to book or use the Agent Notes during booking to indicate a credit needs to be applied from another traveler. The airfare may incur change fees, but that is sometimes more cost friendly than losing the credit entirely.
Use this downloadable guide to use available airfare credits.
If an unused ticket credit from one traveler is used for another, the originating department is responsible for paying any airline exchange/change fees or lost residual credit value. This ensures that the department using an unused ticket credit is not financially impacted more than the cost of the ticket.
Once the unused ticket credit from one traveler is applied to another traveler, the original airfare expense is transferred to the new traveler’s Concur account. The airfare expense is then included on the Expense Report for the new trip. The value of the booking is charged to the new trip’s funding source and any additional charges are charged to the originating department.
For example, the value of the unused ticket credit is $400.00 and the amount of the new booking that used the credit is $380.00. This leaves $20.00 as a lost residual credit value. Additionally, the airline charged a $100.00 name change fee. The department that used the ticket is responsible for $380.00, and the originating department is responsible for $120.00. (As opposed to the full $400.00 if the credit expires before any amount is used.)
Use this downloadable guide to manage the original airfare expense.
How do you book a trip that includes rural travel?
- If the whole trip is on a rural carrier, the trip is bookable through the CTM Rural Online Request Tool.
- If you can book part of your trip through Concur Travel, review this downloadable guide to learn how to ensure two bookings are merged into one itinerary.
- To add a rural booking to an already completed reservation, use the CTM Rural Online Request Tool and make a note to the agent about the two bookings that require merging into one itinerary.
- As always, you can contact CTM directly for assistance.
Corporate Travel Management (CTM)
What is Corporate Travel Management (CTM)?
CTM is a travel agency contracted by UA to assist our organization with booking and purchasing travel components. Both UA and the State of Alaska use CTM to manage the purchase of airfare, make rental car and hotel reservations, book rural travel and support our travelers.
They also manage the travel booking options in Concur. The rates visible in our booking tool are based on State of Alaska contract rates and industry standards.
Our dedicated UA CTM team is in Anchorage and available Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CTM also has agents available 24/7 to assist travelers during our team’s off-hours.
What is CTM's contact information?
Our dedicated UA CTM team is in Anchorage and available Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CTM also has agents available 24/7 to assist travelers during our team’s off-hours.
- General Phone #: 907-786-0107
- Toll Free #: 833-500-4292 (24 hour service)
- Email: ua@travelctm.com
CTM's contact information is also found on your Concur Homepage dashboard under "Company Notes."
What happens if I call on the weekend or during evening hours?
If contacting CTM during normal business hours, you are put in touch with a travel agent on the UA CTM team. If contacting them outside of normal business hours, you are put in touch with a travel agent that works for their after hours service. Either way, a CTM agent is available for assistance.
Can I change my airline ticket information directly with the airline?
Yes, you can make some changes directly with the airline. Changes like seat selection are made through the airline website or app.
Other changes, like trip routing, are dependent on your check-in status as it determines which entity “possesses” the ticket. Before check-in for your first flight, changes are made with CTM. After check-in, changes are made directly with the airline.
When you contact CTM to make your business travel arrangements, the agent fees are an allowable business expense and do not require a business justification. The agent fees are considered a personal expense when incurred to obtain a Past Fare Quote or to modify an existing ticket for personal reasons (e.g. adding personal days).
What booking fees will the traveler see and need to include on their expense Report?
Name of Fee | Description | Amount |
---|---|---|
Partial Touch Fee | Booking in the Rural Booking Tool or requesting assistance from a CTM Agent via the "Comments for Travel Agent" box in the Booking Tool (this is sometimes paid centrally) | $10.00 |
Full Touch Fee | Direct bookings with a CTM Agent or changes to an established booking for business reasons | $18.00 |
Partial Touch Fee | Refund tickets through a CTM Agent (rather than the Travel module of Concur) | $10.00 |
Research/Full Touch Fee | Obtaining a past fare quote from a CTM Agent or changing a business ticket for personal reasons (including cancellations) | $19.00 |
Are there other fees I should be aware of?
Yes, if you include anything in the "Comments for the Travel Agent" box of your Concur travel booking, the university is charged a $10 partial touch fee. At this time, the traveler and their department are not responsible for these types of charges.
Please do not use this field unless an agent's assistance is required. The university is charged the $10 fee even for comments like, "Booked rental car outside Concur." An agent is prompted to review the booking details when anything is added to this field.
What expense type should I use for the CTM agent fees?
There is a “Booking Fees” expense created just for those agent fees charged by CTM. However, if the agent fee was incurred for a personal reason (past fare quote, personal changes, etc.), then use Expense Type “Personal/Non Reimbursable.”
Can we book directly with a discounted carrier to avoid paying the agency fees?
No, you should still book through Concur or CTM so UA pays the discounted rate on the flight. It may seem like we are paying more by using CTM, but we are not. The amount in savings and benefits UA realizes from our discounted carriers exceeds the costs of our travel agency
In some instances, CTM can use the credit from one traveler for another. The credit transfer policies are set by each airline and vary based on their defined guidelines at any given time. We recommend reaching out to CTM if you have questions about using the credits for a different traveler. They can let you know if the airline allows the use of a credit in another traveler's name as well as the cost of that transfer.
If the airline allows credit transfer, contact CTM to book or use the Agent Notes during booking to indicate application of another traveler’s credit. The transfer may incur additional change fees, but that is sometimes more cost friendly than losing the credit entirely.
Use this downloadable guide to use available airfare credits.
If an unused ticket credit from one traveler is used for another, the originating department is responsible for paying any airline exchange/change fees or lost residual credit value. This ensures that the department using an unused ticket credit is not financially impacted more than the cost of the ticket.
Once the unused ticket credit from one traveler is applied to another traveler, the original airfare expense is transferred to the new traveler’s Concur account. The airfare expense is then included on the Expense Report for the new trip. The value of the booking is charged to the new trip’s funding source and any additional charges are charged to the originating department.
For example, the value of the unused ticket credit is $400.00 and the amount of the new booking that used the credit is $380.00. This leaves $20.00 as a lost residual credit value. Additionally, the airline charged a $100.00 name change fee. The department that used the ticket is responsible for $380.00, and the originating department is responsible for $120.00. (As opposed to the full $400.00 if the credit expires before any amount is used.)
Use this downloadable guide to manage the original airfare expense.
Email Notifications
What should I do when I receive an email notification about unassigned card transactions?
You receive this email notification when a card charge is still in your "Available Expenses" after 15 days.
This typically occurs when airfare is purchased more than 15 days in advance, but it can also occur if charges on your UA travel card go unassigned.
To stop receiving notifications about the unassigned charge, assign the charges to an expense Report in Concur. Do not submit the Report until the trip is complete and includes all the related expenses.
All unsubmitted Reports appear in the open Reports section of Concur.
Can I turn off my email notifications?
Concur offers multiple email notification options for Request, Travel and Expense. Email notifications are utilized to alert users of different actions in Concur (e.g. Request approval, cancelled booking, new travel card charge, etc.). They are also used to remind travelers of their responsibility to manage UA paid expenses in a timely manner.
Travelers and their delegates can control some Concur generated email notifications on their Profile. However, there are notifications that include specific information regarding an item requiring action that are not optional.
Contact your department travel coordinator or campus travel administration if you need assistance resolving any notifications.
Inter-Campus Travel
What is an example of inter-campus travel?
Who should approve inter-campus travel?
The normal approval workflow still occurs for this type of travel. For general funds, the employee’s supervisor is the approver. For restricted funds, the cost object approver is the approver. The employee’s campus processor completes the final approval of the expense Report.
It is recommended that the appropriate expenditure authority approves trips that include another campus’s funding. Default approvers can add additional approvers to a Request or expense Report as needed. You can also use an email in the backup documentation. It is not the campus processor’s responsibility to route Reports to another campus for additional approvals.
Which campus is responsible for arranging the travel?
The traveler or delegate is responsible for arranging travel. However, department travel coordinators may arrange to have the other campus help with some of the travel arrangements. These types of arrangements are made at the discretion of those involved.
Lodging
Will I receive a tax-exempt status for lodging in Alaska?
The University of Alaska qualifies for the State of Alaska's tax-exempt rate. If you pay for in-state lodging with your university paid UA Travel Card, you should receive the tax-exempt status.
It is best to communicate the university's tax exempt status when you check in at the hotel. If the receipt indicates taxes were charged, please contact the hotel to have it corrected. Your department travel coordinator can help with this. Contact the Systems Office or your campus travel administration if the hotel will not refund the taxes.
Where can I find documentation of our tax-exempt status?
The documentation is found on our Travel Card Program page under "Tax Exempt Documentation."
Can I book with Airbnb or a similar vacation rental vendor?
Yes, but they are not available in the booking tool at this time. Travelers should also keep in mind that we will most likely not receive our tax-exempt status, and vacation rental vendors generally have more restrictions on cancellations including non-refundable deposits.
Meals
Where can I view current university per diem rates?
What is the per diem rate for Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and their surrounding areas?
The regulatory per diem rate for Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and their surrounding communities within a 50 mile radius is $70. This rate is set by the university president.
This rate increases to $80 effective January 1, 2024 the $70 rate applies prior to January 1, 2024.
How much per diem will a traveler receive on their first and last day of travel?
Instead of basing per diem on time in travel status, the university follows GSA guidelines on per diem allowances. The first and last days of per diem are 75% of the business location rate.
The first day is calculated based on where you sleep on the first night of business. The last day of per diem is based where you slept the last night of business.
Can I receive reimbursement for meals at actual cost?
Yes, we can reimburse for actual meal costs up to the per diem rate for that location. Itemized receipts are required for actual meal reimbursements. (Receipts are not required for per diem.)
What amounts are deducted for provided meals?
Meal deductions are automatically calculated in Concur based on the Federal M&IE Breakdown.
Here is a sample of those deductions:
M&IE Total | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Incidentals | First and last day |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
$59 | $13 | $15 | $26 | $5 | $44.25 |
$64 | $14 | $16 | $29 | $5 | $48.00 |
$69 | $16 | $17 | $31 | $5 | $51.75 |
$70* | $16 | $17 | $32 | $5 | $52.50 |
$74 | $17 | $18 | $34 | $5 | $55.50 |
$79 | $18 | $20 | $36 | $5 | $59.25 |
$80* | $18 | $20 | $37 | $5 | $60 |
*The $70 rate is established by the university president for Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and their surrounding communities.
The rate for these locations increases to $80 effective January 1, 2024 the $70 rate applies prior to January 1, 2024.
Mileage / Parking Reimbursement while not in Travel Status
This type of reimbursement is claimed on an expense report in Concur using the expense types of Local Mileage or Local Parking. These can be claimed on an expense report in Concur without having a Request attached. The account code assigned to these expense types in Concur is 2006 (Local Transportation).
Only use these expense types when recording mileage or parking for the area surrounding the individual's home campus. Mileage or parking associated with regular business travel should use the expense types without "Local" in the title to ensure the correct account code is assigned from Concur.
Is a local mileage reimbursement form required?
No, the form is no longer required. The preferred back up to support the claim is using the mileage calculator feature within the Local Mileage expense in Concur. Other options to support the claim can be attaching a document noting the odometer readings or online mileage calculation tools such as Google Maps or MapQuest.
Mobile Apps
What travel applications are available to use on a mobile phone?
- SAP Concur App - View upcoming and past trip details, upload receipts, manage your expenses and update your expense report as you travel
- TripIt Pro - View upcoming trip details as a timeline, check-in for flights, view alternative flights, track fare changes, activate seat tracker to get a better seat assignments, receive alerts about flight delays and changes, view interactive maps of airports, view security wait times, track frequent flier points, view international travel information and more
- Other Apps - A list of available travel apps is found under the App Center menu option in Concur
How do I start using the SAP Concur travel app?
- Log in to Concur through a desktop or mobile browser
- Open your Profile Settings
- Select "Concur Mobile Registration"
- Enter your email address and click "Get Started"
Concur updated the login authentication process for their mobile app in December 2020. It now includes a two-stage sign-in to guide users through their options and a biometric sign-in (such as fingerprint TouchID and face recognition for more convenience). Use Concur's Mobile App FAQ to learn more about the login process.
How do I login to the Concur Mobile App if the mobile PIN is no longer working?
- Concur updated the login authentication process for their mobile app in December 2020
- The mobile PIN authentication process was retired
- The process now includes a two-stage sign-in to guide users through their options and a biometric sign-in (such as fingerprint TouchID and face recognition for more convenience)
- Use Concur's Mobile App FAQ to learn more about the login process
How do I start using TripIt Pro?
- Download and activate the SAP Concur mobile app on your phone
- Visit the App Center in Concur through a desktop browser
- Select the TripIt app option
- Connect the TripIt app to link it to your Concur account
- Download the TripIt app on your phone to access the free Pro subscription
- Login with the CTE Login and password created when connecting TripIt through the App Center
Personal Travel
Can I book a business trip that includes personal travel through Concur?
Since UA receives State of Alaska contract rates when booking travel through Concur or CTM, travel that includes personal days is only bookable through Concur if it is an extended stay at the business or intermediate location.
When a traveler goes to an additional destination outside of their business location, it is considered a personal deviation with a routing change. Since our contract rates are not applicable on travel to a non-business location, you should only book the business portion through Concur/CTM. The personal deviation is booked separately by the traveler. It is not appropriate to ask UA personnel to help with personal travel arrangements.
In either case, when a traveler includes personal time on their UA business trip, a cost comparison representing the business itinerary in the Concur booking tool is required. You should secure the comparison at the time of travel booking and attach it to the Request. If a cost comparison is not obtained from the booking tool prior to the trip, the traveler must work with CTM to obtain a past fare quote. A travel coordinator may obtain this documentation on the traveler’s behalf, but the traveler bears the cost of this service.
Visit the Traveler: Before Travel and Regulations and Guidance pages for more information.
How do I get a business only cost comparison from Concur?
For the most realistic comparison, it best to secure the comparison close to the time the trip is booked. The cost comparison must come from the Concur Travel booking tool as it applies our discounted rates.
- Use the "Trip Search" tool in Concur to search for flights based on the business-only itinerary
- Find and select the most appropriate business-only flights
- The flights must represent the lowest logical cost for the most efficient route
- The cost comparison must include the full flight and cost details on the “Review and Reserve Flight” screen
- The flight is not booked so long as "Reserve Flight and Continue" is not selected
- Ctrl+P or right-click on the screen and select Print
- Choose “Save as PDF” as the destination and click Save
- Exit the booking without reserving to cancel the flight selection
- Attach the saved PDF to the Request
How do I request an after-the-fact business only cost comparison from CTM?
If a cost comparison is not obtained from the booking tool prior to the trip, the traveler must work with CTM to obtain a "past fare quote." A delegate may obtain this documentation on the traveler’s behalf, but the traveler bears the cost of this service.
Send an email to ua@travelctm.com or call CTM at 907-786-0107 to request a past fare quote for the authorized Request. Include the following information in the email:
- Subject: PAST DATE FARE REQUEST
- Body:
- Profile name (UOFA)
- Name of traveler
- Dates, times and destinations of authorized business travel (NOT the personal itinerary)
- Date trip was authorized (this provides the agent with any advance purchase information)
- Originally approved Request ID
CTM will either charge the agency card the full touch fee of $18.00 or the traveler’s personal credit card if provided over the phone.
Receipt Management
What methods can I use to upload receipts in Concur?
There are a few options for uploading receipts in Concur Expense. Visit our mobile tools training library for videos and downloadable guides on utilizing these features.
- E-Receipts: Activate e-receipts and all air, lodging and vehicle rental receipts from participating vendors are automatically uploaded in your "Available Expenses"
- Mobile App: Use ExpenseIt in the SAP Concur app to take pictures of receipts and upload them to "Available Expenses"
- Scan: Scan images of receipts to a computer using a scanner and import from the device to your "Available Receipts"
- Email: Forward emailed receipts to receipts@concur.com or receipts@expenseit.com and itineraries to plans@tripit.com from an email address verified on your account
Hot Tip: For travelers that prefer not to manage meal receipts, you can claim per diem for the trip and expense all meals paid on the UA travel card as “Per Diem Offset Meal.” You can use the Per Diem Reduction expense to reduce any remaining per diem not claimed for reimbursement.
How do I activate e-receipts for a traveler?
Only travelers have access to activate e-receipts for their Concur account. A delegate cannot do this step for the traveler.
- Select the Profile drop-down menu in the upper right-hand corner of your Concur dashboard
- Select Profile Settings to view and modify profile information
- The “E-Receipt Activation” link is found under the main Profile Options and in the left-hand column under "Other Settings"
- Follow Concur's directions to activate e-receipts
Actual, scanned or photographed pictures of receipts are required for all travel expenses documented as a reimbursable expense.
There is a lost receipt allowance for individual expenses less than $75 in the event the receipt is lost, misplaced or inadvertently not obtained. However, this allowance does not apply to airfare, lodging or vehicle rental receipts.
Duplicate receipts are obtainable from many national vendors. If you lose your hotel, rental car or airfare receipt, you must work with the vendor to obtain a replacement.
Contact your department travel coordinator or campus travel administration if you need assistance.
If I made the purchase on my UA travel card, why do I also need a receipt?
While a charge on the UA agency or travel card will provide information such as vendor name (in most cases) and total amount paid, receipts provide an itemization and description of the good/service purchased from the vendor by which the business need for the expense is validated. Generally, the itemization and description do not come through with the card charge.
Rental Car
Can I reserve a rental car through Concur Travel?
Yes, you can reserve rental cars in the Concur booking tool. A UA travel card is not needed to make the car reservation.
It is important to note that the reservation is made as soon as you select "Reserve Car Rental and Continue." If the airfare portion is canceled before the booking is complete, it will not cancel the rental car reservation.
How do I cancel a rental car reservation?
- Select "Trip Library" in the Concur Travel module to view upcoming trips
- Click the “Cancel Trip” link in the Action column for the trip
- A pop-up notification with a warning appears
- Read the warning carefully, paying special attention to notifications regarding lodging
- If the trip is canceled on the day the trip is scheduled to commence, you must contact the hotel directly to cancel
- If any portion of the trip was booked outside of Concur or CTM, you must cancel that reservation directly through the vendor
- Click “OK” to confirm trip cancellation
- Do Not add comments in “Comments for the Travel Agent” as that results in an agency fee;
instead, click “Send this trip to a travel agent to cancel” to complete cancellation
- If canceled during the free cancellation period, the charge (if present) is voided and no longer in Available Expenses
- If canceled outside the free cancellation period, associated cancellation expenses are added to Available Expenses
What car class is allowable to rent?
You can rent a car in the economy, compact, mid-size, standard or full-size classes.
If you need a higher class such as an SUV or 4WD, a business justification is required.
Is there documentation for UA's auto liability self-insurance?
Travel Account Codes
What are the travel account codes?
Account Codes Downloadable PDF
Domestic and Alaska travel account codes start with 21XX
Canadian and international travel account codes start with 23XX
Trip Purpose | Acct Code | Notes |
---|---|---|
Administrative Activities | 2X21 |
Use this for administrative activities (related to the running of the unit, department, project or program) for UA or UA programs or projects involving research, instruction, public service or other institutional activities. EXAMPLE: You are a Statewide employee traveling to Anchorage to meet with HR staff at UAA about benefit rates. |
Athletic Team Travel | 2X40 |
Use this for athletic team travel. EXAMPLE: You are a volleyball coach traveling to Montana for a tournament with your team. |
Instruction to UA Students | 2X60 |
Use this for UA instructional delivery by UA faculty or staff to UA students. EXAMPLE: You are a faculty member traveling to the Kuskokwim campus to teach a class. |
Lobbying | 2190 |
Use this for influencing legislators or agencies in pursuing policies or programs favorable to UA. EXAMPLE: You are traveling to Juneau to represent UA at an Alaska Senate budget hearing. |
Multi-Purpose Trip |
Use this if the trip involves more than one Trip Purpose. Assign the associated, specific Trip Purpose to each individual expense on the Report. EXAMPLE: You are traveling to a workshop to train for working on unmanned aircraft, then you are going to the field to conduct a mapping study. The expenses for the workshop days are “Professional Development/Training” and the expenses for the fieldwork days are “Research/Program Activities.” |
|
Participant Support | 3012 |
Only allowable for non-employees traveling on restricted funding. Traveler Type: Non-UA Affiliate/Volunteer or [non-employee] Student |
Professional Development/Training | 2X30 |
Use this for attending (not presenting at) professional conferences, workshops, seminars, trainings, and other educational programs for the purpose of job enrichment, career, or staff development. EXAMPLE: You are a facilities employee traveling to a training for coal plant managers. |
Recruitment of Employees | 2452 |
Use this for travel intended to recruit employees. EXAMPLE 1: You are a member of a hiring committee that must travel to conduct a hiring interview. EXAMPLE 2: You are a prospective candidate traveling to Alaska to interview for a position. |
Recruitment of Students | 2440 |
Use this for travel intended to recruit students. EXAMPLE: You are traveling to high schools in the Salem, OR area to encourage students to enroll at UA. |
Research/Program Activities | 2X25 |
Use this for travel that involves research or program activity including meetings, fieldwork, maintenance/repairs, and attending workshops, conferences and seminars to present research or provide information about the project. Work related to job duties falls under this purpose. EXAMPLE 1: You are traveling to a remote field site to collect samples for a research project. EXAMPLE 2: You work for Facilities and must repair a boiler in Bethel. EXAMPLE 3: You are a cooperative extension agent giving a canning workshop to residents. EXAMPLE 4: You are a non-employee/volunteer collaborator working on a grant project. |
Student Travel | 2X70 |
Use this for non-employee students traveling for the purpose of instruction including workshops, internships, student teaching, conferences, non-athletic competitions and seminars. EXAMPLE: You are a student in the math program traveling to a scholastic math competition. |
Other | 2X21 | Use this only if expenses do not fall under travel. Specifically, when the travel card is used by mistake for a non-travel expense. |
Traveler Type | Acct Code | Notes |
---|---|---|
Non-UA Affiliate/Volunteer | 3009 |
Travel for non-employee volunteers, guest speakers, collaborators, etc. Note: If the travel is associated with an existing contract through the Procurement Office, it is preferred to process the travel as a line item on the Purchase Order (PO). |
Student | 2X70 | Travel for non-employee UA students traveling for the purpose of instruction including workshops, internships, student teaching, conferences, non-athletic competitions and seminars. |
Will the traveler or delegate need to know these account codes to enter in Concur?
No, the account code is applied based on three fields completed in the expense Report Header: Trip Purpose, Trip Type and Traveler Type.
Are there other account codes assignable in Concur?
Yes, the following account codes are assigned through Concur when the associated expense type is selected.
Expense Type | Account Code |
---|---|
Dependent Care | 2454 |
Dispute/Fraud | 0611 |
Laboratory Testing | 3052 |
Lift Tickets | 3991 |
Membership | 3662 |
Printing/Copying | 3332 |
Race/Meet Fees | 3991 |
Recruiting Package/Entry Fees | 2440 |
Registration | 3661 |
Representational Allowance | 8115 |
Shipping/Freight | 3351 |
Space Rental (short term) | 3118 |
Supplies | 4015 |
Taxable Mileage | 2080 |
Travel Card
How do I apply for the UA Travel Card?
The card applications for each campus are available on our travel card program page.
You will need to send the application to your supervisor for approval. It will then go to your campus Card Program Administrator for final approval.
What are the approved uses for the UA Travel Card?
You can use the UA Travel Card for travel related expenditures incurred for the purpose of conducting university business.
Here are examples of travel items cardholders can purchase:
- Airfare related charges such as baggage fees and internet
- Lodging including hotels, Airbnb, and VRBO
- Car rental and related expenses such as fuel and parking
- Ground transportation such as taxis, Uber, Lyft, and trains
- Food and beverages during travel (“Per Diem Offset” or “Actual Meal”)
- Registration fees
- Field supplies for remote fieldwork
Who is eligible to hold a UA Travel Card?
All employees who travel on university business or pay for university travel related expenses are eligible to use a UA Travel Card. This includes student employees but does not include students who are not employees.
How will I receive the UA Travel Card?
Once the application is completed, the card takes about 5 business days to arrive and is sent to your campus Card Program Administrator. They will contact you when it is available for pickup.
How can I increase the monthly limit or the single purchase limit on my UA Travel
Card?
Contact your campus Card Program Administrator. A higher limit requires approval by a Fiscal Manager in your department.
Do I have to use the UA Travel Card?
It is highly recommended that all employees use the UA Travel Card for their travel related expenses.
There are many benefits to the new travel card program that will save the university money and reduce the administrative time needed to process travel.
Because transactions feed directly into Concur and auto-populate fields on the expense Report, we have heard many reports from travelers and travel coordinators about the time they are saving.
What are the benefits of a university paid card program?
- UA billed and paid
- Reduces monetary burden to the traveler
- Provides tax-exempt status on the payment of in-state hotel/lodging taxes (approx. $167,000 in estimated savings)
- Provides access to the State’s Alaska Airlines contract rates through CTM
- Eliminates late payment fees and interest charges
- Directly tied to cardholder’s Concur account
- Reduces data entry
- Streamlines Report creation
- Helps the traveler and/or delegate track travel purchases
- Transactions are reconciled upon completion of the Report
- Increased reporting functionality
- Helps monitor transactions that are not reconciled
- Helps manage the travel program
- Leverages our buying power with vendors
- Easy repayment method – An automatic payroll deduction for employees to reimburse UA if charges exceed per diem allowance or include personal expenses
What happened to the Department Travel Card and the Individual Travel Card?
These two travel cards options were discontinued with the university's full implementation of Concur and the new UA Travel Card.
Please contact Procurement if you still have a Department Travel Card or an Individual Travel Card.
How is misuse/fraud monitored?
Under the UA Travel Card program, the cardholder must account for every card charge as they cannot delete charges. With reporting from Concur, UA can easily identify the status (unassigned/outstanding, submitted/in process, or processed) and purpose of those charges (if assigned to a Report).
Who should I contact about fraudulent activity on the card?
JP Morgan Fraud Numbers:
USA/Canada 800-316-6056
International 847-488-3748
UA Contact:
Denise Caissie
dlcaissie@alaska.edu
(907) 474-7374
How do I remove fraudulent charges from Concur?
Start by reporting the fraudulent charges to JP Morgan. After reported, JP Morgan issues a credit and notifies the vendor. JP Morgan then requests additional information from the cardholder with a time limit. If the information is not provided or the vendor provides sufficient backup that the charge was legitimate, JP Morgan charges the card again, so the vendor receives their payment.
If the appropriate actions are taken and the charge is confirmed as fraudulent, assign the charge and credit to a Report using Expense Type "Dispute/Fraud.” Once the Report is submitted and approved, the fraudulent activity is cleared from the user’s Concur account and posted to Banner.
How is the timeliness of expense report submission managed?
Email reminders are configured in Concur to communicate with the traveler regarding outstanding (unassigned or unsubmitted) charges. Reporting from Concur is also used from an administrative aspect to identify travelers with outstanding charges for more targeted communications.
How is the university repaid for personal use of the UA Travel Card?
Should a traveler use the corporate card for personal reasons, the first attempt at repayment is from an automatic deduction on the expense Report.
Example: If the traveler had $50 in personal spend on the card, but had $100 in cash/out-of-pocket expenses (per diem, mileage, etc.), the traveler is paid $50.
If the traveler owes more than the cash/out-of-pocket expenses on the Report (e.g. per diem), the remaining funds owed to the university are repaid through a payroll deduction.
Example: If the traveler had $125 in personal spend on the card and $100 in cash/out-of-pocket expenses, the traveler would have $25 deducted from their payroll.
What should I do if a hotel refuses to honor the in-state tax exempt status?
Since UA is an entity of the State of Alaska, in-state purchases made using the travel card are tax exempt..
If a hotel refuses to honor the tax-exempt status, ask to speak to the hotel accounting department and provide the documents found under the "Tax Exempt Documents" section on the Travel Card Program page of this website.
Depending on the vendor, charges on the travel card can take 1-2 weeks to become available in Concur. We must wait for the vendor to batch their credit card invoices.
Some vendors batch their invoices daily (most ground transportation charges show up by the next business day), but others do not batch them as frequently. Hotel charges are the most notorious for taking longer to post to an account. If there are known charges anticipated to hit, do not submit the expense Report until all card charges are available
I accidentally used my travel card for non-travel purchases. What do I do?
The only way to reconcile charges on the agency and travel cards is by processing them on an expense Report in Concur. If a cardholder accidentally uses their travel card for personal expenses or non-travel UA expenses (e.g. they used their travel card instead of their ProCard), they must assign them to and submit a Report
This downloadable guide contains instructions on completing a Concur Report for non-travel charges on the travel card.
How do we manage travel cards for terminated employees?
The Card Administrator regularly receives the termination report from Human Resources (HR). They use that report to contact approvers for cardholders listed as terminated to determine the appropriate course of action for the travel card. For example, if the cardholder is terminated, the card is closed. However, if the cardholder is only temporarily off contract, the card is suspended.
The HR report relies on the department documenting the employee as terminated in Banner in a timely manner. Otherwise, the travel card remains open and available for use by the cardholder until the Card Administrator is alerted of an employee’s termination.
Travel Card Application
How can I access the travel card application?
The card applications for each campus are available on our travel card program page.
Please note that this is a secure link, which means you need to access the application while on campus or using VPN. Contact your campus card administrator if you need a direct application link.
The orgn code is part of your department's funding information. Travelers will not always know this information, so the field is optional for the traveler but required for the supervisor. Please contact a fiscal person in your department to learn more.
I do not see my department's orgn code in drop-down list?
The orgn field drop-down only lists a couple hundred orgns but not every orgn for the university. As you start typing your department's orgn into the field, the options are filtered to match the entered numbers. Please contact your campus card administrator if you do not see your department's orgn after typing the entire number into the field
All cards are delivered to your campus travel card administrator so they can verify you have received training before getting your card.
Please enter your department address or an address you will remember into the Delivery Address fields. This is the address you may need to occasionally provide at the point of sale. It is also the billing address that you will need to enter in your Concur profile.
Is the social security information used to check my credit?
No, the application only requires that you enter the last 4 digits of your social security information. It is only used for security purposes. When you activate your card or call JP Morgan for assistance, you are prompted to enter the last 4 digits of your social security number.
Contact your department travel coordinator or campus travel administration if you have additional questions or need assistance.