Travel and Business Expense Management

For comprehensive information on Columbia University's Travel & Expense process and policies, please visit: https://travel-expense.finance.columbia.edu/

Travel & Expense Instructions

Any Columbia University student, employee or visitor can be reimbursed for valid business and research related expenses. Prior-approval must be obtained from the professor or department that is providing funding.

• Non-U.S. citizens need to confirm their reimbursement eligibility here 
   

Columbia has introduced a new Travel and Business Expense Reimbursement platform: Concur . All employees in the APAM Department (including faculty, staff, postdocs, research scientists, etc.) should use Concur to process reimbursements.  

Students (including graduate students) may or may not have access to Concur. Students should scroll down to the Student section for information on how to submit your expenses for reimbursement. 

Important Information:

• Please review the official Columbia University travel and business expense policies prior to submitting a request
• Business expenses are “local” expenses
• Travel expenses involve leaving the New York City area and include an overnight stay
• Submit all expenses in a timely manner, preferably within 10 days of the last expense
• Receipts received by the department after 120 days of the last expense date may be considered taxable income
• Provide a conference flyer, seminar announcement, invitation letter, or other document to confirm the business purpose
• If you are unsure about what is allowable, please check with the department before you incur an expense. Refer to this “cheat sheet” for common allowable / unallowable expenses. Note this is not an exhaustive list.
• Incomplete submissions, poorly documented receipts, or expenses that violate policy will either delay processing, be returned for more information, or will not be reimbursed. Not knowing Columbia policy is not valid justification for failure to comply. Submitting receipts is not a guarantee that you will receive reimbursement. 

Guidelines

The payee is expected to obtain itemized receipts for all expenses $50 and above, and must retain all documentation until expenses have been reimbursed. Proof of payment must be submitted for all expenses, regardless of amount, in order to ensure submissions are in compliance with Accounts Payable review and audit procedures.  
 

Itemized receipts are strictly required for the following travel expenses regardless of amount: 
 

• Roundtrip travel to and from destination (Air/Rail/Bus Tickets)
• Hotels (note - Airbnb and other home sharing platforms may not be used)
• Cabs / Car rental
• Food 
   

Receipts

A receipt may take many forms (i.e. cash register receipt, copy of an order form, web receipt or confirmation). A complete receipt must identify: 

• Date of purchase
• Vendor name
• Itemized list and unit price of the purchased items
• Total amount

Missings Receipts 

 If you were not able to obtain a receipt, lost the receipt, or the receipt is incomplete (i.e. not itemized), those with access to Concur can create a Missing Receipt Declaration (Affidavit) . Those who do not have access to Concur (such as students or visitors) can submit a Missing Receipts Worksheet .

Proof of Payment

The payee is also expected to obtain proof of payment for all expenses. Proof of payment is usually included in the receipt with a notation of:

• “Cash tendered”
• “Paid”
• A zero balance due
• Debit/Credit card payment (card type, last four digits of card and/or signature)

If no proof of payment is available in this form (i.e. missing or incomplete receipt), a debit or credit card statement may be provided. You may black out any private or unrelated information. If an expense was paid in cash, add a comment stating it was paid in cash.  
 

Flights

• Review Columbia's Air Travel Requirements & Restrictions
• Always purchase the lowest cost economy ticket, unless there is a documented condition why an upgrade is necessary. Upgrades to business or first class travel are considered “segregated”, and are not always reimbursable.
• If upgrades are necessary and allowable, at the time of booking obtain a quote for a round-trip economy flight, and submit with your purchased ticket
• Ensure proof of payment is clearly visible. Note that websites such as Expedia often show only an “estimated fare” or “quote”; this is not a valid proof of payment.
• If using a federal grant (NSF, NSA, DoD, etc.) you must comply with Fly America / Open Skies Act, which generally requires use of a US based air carrier
• Arrive the day before your event begins, and depart the day after it ends. Extending travel beyond the minimum days for personal reasons requires additional documentation, or travel will not be reimbursed. Please consult the department before purchasing tickets involving extended stays.
• Clearly document changes in travel plans, or other unusual circumstances 
  
   

Ground Transportation

• Local transportation should specify origin and destination (e.g., taxi from airport to hotel)
• Car rentals should be purchased through Hertz when possible, using Columbia account. For more information, see: https://travel-expense.finance.columbia.edu/content/car-rentals
• When using Hertz, DO NOT purchase Liability or other insurance from the agency. Loss/Damage Waiver and Liability Insurance is included under the Columbia contract. Insurance may be reimbursed from other vendors, if Hertz is not available
• Provide a copy of the rental agreement with proof of payment

Personal Vehicle

Instead of a car rental, you may want to use your own personal vehicle. Reimbursement rates are based on total miles traveled and you cannot be reimbursed the cost of gas when using this method. The rate for 2022 is $0.585. The personal vehicle mileage rate changes each year. Submit the following information:

• Provide an online printed map indicating the total mileage between your home and conference/trip destination
• List this expense as “Personal vehicle mileage” on your reimbursement form as a line itemFor travel occurring in 2020, the formula for mileage is: Total miles * 0.575 = $ amt 
  
   

Lodging/Hotels

• Review Columbia's Preferred Hotel Suppliers
• Airbnb and other home sharing platforms may not be used
• Obtain an itemized, zero balance folio upon checkout
• Ensure proof of payment is clearly visible
• Lodging thresholds (before tax) 
  Domestic – $350/night 
  International – $400/night 
  
   

Meals

• Provide an itemized receipt, showing all items purchased
• Ensure proof of payment is visible on the receipt (“CASH”, “VISA xxxx”, or similar)
• Provide the names of all participants at the meal
• Identify ALL alcohol purchased , or write “no alcohol” i f the receipt is not itemized
• Alcohol is a segregated expense, and must be placed in the “segregated” column
• Alcohol CANNOT be charged to a sponsored project
• As a general rule of thumb, alcohol purchases are not reimbursed for students . Prior approval from the department is required.

Meals are limited to three per day (breakfast, lunch, dinner); snacks and coffee/tea/refreshments will not be reimbursed 
Meal limits (per person, excluding tax & tip)  

• Breakfast – $25
• Lunch – $35
• Dinner – $75

Any meal expense exceeding the threshold will be automatically reduced to comply with these limits, with tax & tip pro-rated accordingly. Gratuity over 20% will not be reimbursed 



Expenses in Foreign Currency 
Users can specify the currency when they are adding the details of the expense. Once the amount is entered in foreign currency and the currency type is updated, the fields displaying the conversion rate and the amount in U.S. Dollars will automatically appear. The conversion rate automatically updates based on the transaction date.